Director of Operations (Beef Processing)

Director of Operations, Position Overview:

The Director of Operations will oversee all aspects of beef processing operations across one or more facilities, with a strong focus on kill floor management, fabrication, quality, safety, and operational efficiency. This individual must possess extensive hands-on experience in beef processing-including working in and managing plants that are non-automated or semi-automated-and be capable of leading both people and processes to ensure consistent product quality, regulatory compliance, and profitability.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Direct all operational activities across slaughter (kill), fabrication, packaging, and distribution functions.

• Oversee daily production targets, yield performance, and carcass utilization.

• Drive continuous improvement in throughput, labor efficiency, and plant reliability.

• Ensure all processes meet USDA and other regulatory requirements for food safety, humane handling, and sanitation.

• Lead and develop teams on the kill floor, ensuring humane animal handling and compliance with FSIS regulations.

Strategic & Process Management

• Develop and implement operational strategies to optimize performance across multiple facilities.

• Evaluate and enhance existing production processes, especially in non-automated environments, ensuring safe, efficient, and repeatable workflows.

• Collaborate with engineering and maintenance teams to manage plant infrastructure, equipment upgrades, and facility layout improvements.

• Identify opportunities to integrate selective automation while maintaining flexibility in manual operations.

People Leadership & Development

• Build, coach, and mentor plant management teams to foster a strong culture of accountability, safety, and teamwork.

• Develop training programs for skilled labor in manual kill and fabrication processes.

• Promote and enforce a culture of safety, humane handling, and operational excellence.

Quality, Compliance & Safety

• Ensure strict adherence to HACCP, GMP, and USDA/FSIS regulations.

• Work closely with QA and Food Safety teams to maintain audit readiness and compliance with customer specifications.

• Oversee EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) programs to ensure a safe workplace for all employees.

Financial & Performance Management

• Manage operational budgets, cost control, and production forecasting.

• Analyze and report key performance metrics including yield, downtime, labor efficiency, and cost per head.

• Collaborate with executive leadership on capital investment planning and operational strategy.

Qualifications & Experience:

Required:

• Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in beef processing operations, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role (Plant Manager, Operations Manager, or Director level).

• Extensive hands-on experience with kill floor operations, including animal handling, stunning, bleeding, hide removal, and evisceration.

• Proven experience managing or optimizing manual or non-automated beef processing facilities.

• In-depth understanding of USDA/FSIS regulations, HACCP, and food safety programs.

• Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams in a fast-paced, labor-intensive environment.

• Strong knowledge of yield analysis, fabrication processes, and carcass utilization.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

Preferred:

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

• Experience managing multi-site operations.

• Exposure to both domestic and export beef markets.

• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.