Plant Manager - Food Manufacturing

Plant Manager – Aseptic Food & Beverage Manufacturing Summary The Plant Manager leads all operations at an aseptic food manufacturing facility producing coffees, teas, juices, plant-based, acidified dairy, and nutritional products. This role is responsible for safe, compliant, high-quality, and cost-effective production while driving continuous improvement, operational excellence, and a strong performance culture. Key Responsibilities Lead all plant operations, ensuring safety, quality, regulatory compliance, and efficiency Provide technical leadership for UHT/HTST processing, aseptic filling, CIP/SIP, and contamination control Ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, FSSC 22000, HACCP, and GMP requirements Serve as site lead for regulatory inspections, audits, and customer visits Drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, yield, OEE, and cost Lead and develop cross-functional teams across production, quality, engineering, maintenance, supply chain, and EHS Oversee process validation, aseptic qualifications, shelf-life studies, and new product launches Manage allergen control programs in a multi-product aseptic environment Own plant P&L, budgets, operating costs, and capital planning Lead capital projects, equipment upgrades, and technology implementations Champion a strong safety, food safety, and accountability-driven culture Partner with R&D, Quality, and Commercial teams to support growth initiatives Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or Supply Chain preferred 12–15 years of food and beverage manufacturing experience with deep aseptic processing expertise 5–7 years of senior plant or operations leadership experience Strong knowledge of food safety regulations and high-speed manufacturing Hands-on experience with coffees/teas, juice, plant-based, acidified dairy, or nutritional products Preferred Qualifications Expertise in UHT, aseptic filling, hygienic design, and allergen control Experience with nutritional formulations Lean, Six Sigma, or TPM certification Proven change leadership, strong communication skills, and business acumen

Created: 2026-03-12