Beef Plant manager - East Coast

We are seeking a highly experienced Plant Manager to oversee the daily operations of our meat processing facility specializing in cooked meat products. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in food manufacturing, particularly in meat cooking and cooling processes, along with proven leadership, safety, and quality control skills. This role is critical to ensuring efficient production, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced, USDA-regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee all plant operations including meat cooking (roasting) and cooling, packaging, sanitation, maintenance, and logistics.

• Ensure strict compliance with USDA, HACCP, food safety, and quality standards throughout the cooking and cooling stages.

• Lead and develop the plant team, including supervisors and line staff, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

• Monitor production KPIs, yields, downtime, and throughput while driving initiatives to optimize efficiency.

• Manage raw material flow, batch cooking schedules, chilling timelines, and cold storage logistics to support Just-In-Time production models.

• Collaborate with R&D, QA, and Engineering teams on new product launches and process improvements.

• Maintain a safe working environment and ensure all plant activities comply with health & safety regulations.

• Develop and manage plant budgets, labor plans, and capital expenditure projects.

• Identify and implement automation or technology enhancements to improve cooking/cooling performance and reduce costs.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Meat Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• 7+ years of experience in food manufacturing with at least 3 years in a plant or operations leadership role.

• Hands-on experience with roasting, thermal processing, and post-cook cooling systems (chillers, blast chillers, spiral freezers, etc.).

• In-depth knowledge of HACCP, USDA regulations, GMPs, and food safety practices.

• Strong leadership and team development abilities.

• Demonstrated experience managing plant KPIs, budgets, and continuous improvement projects.

Preferred:

• Experience in a ready-to-eat (RTE) meat or cooked meat production environment.

• Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma certification or training.

• Familiarity with ERP systems and production planning software.