Plant Manager - Food Manufacturing

Job Description

Plant Manager – Aseptic Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Summary

The Plant Manager leads all operations at an aseptic food and beverage 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 (Chemical Engineering 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