Operations Manager (Plant Manager) Poultry

The Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a leading poultry manufacturer for a Plant Manager to lead operations at a large-scale processing facility.

This is a highly visible leadership role with full responsibility for plant performance, including safety, production, quality, cost control, customer service, and employee engagement. The successful candidate will lead a cross-functional leadership team and drive operational excellence across all aspects of the facility.

This position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact within a fast-paced manufacturing environment while developing and executing strategies that support growth, profitability, and continuous improvement.

The Role

As Plant Manager, you will be responsible for the overall leadership and management of the facility, ensuring operational objectives are achieved safely, efficiently, and in compliance with all regulatory and customer requirements.

You will provide strategic direction while maintaining a strong presence on the production floor, partnering with department leaders across Operations, FSQA, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Safety to deliver exceptional business results.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead all day-to-day plant operations, ensuring production targets, service levels, and business objectives are achieved.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives focused on safety, efficiency, yield, throughput, and waste reduction.
• Ensure effective execution of production schedules and customer commitments.
• Foster collaboration between departments to optimize overall plant performance.

Financial Management

• Own plant P&L performance, labor management, and operating budgets.
• Drive cost-control initiatives while maintaining quality and customer service standards.
• Monitor key financial and operational metrics and implement corrective actions where required.
• Support capital planning and investment strategies to improve plant capabilities and efficiency.

Food Safety & Quality

• Champion a culture of food safety and quality throughout the facility.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, customer, and internal food safety requirements.
• Support successful outcomes during customer, third-party, and regulatory audits.
• Partner with FSQA leadership to maintain world-class quality standards.

Safety & Compliance

• Lead the facility's health and safety strategy and performance.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements and company policies.
• Promote a proactive safety culture focused on employee engagement and incident prevention.
• Drive accountability for safety performance at all levels of the organization.

Leadership & People Development

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing plant leadership team.
• Drive employee engagement, accountability, and workforce development.
• Support succession planning and leadership development initiatives.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, ownership, and operational excellence.

Maintenance & Reliability

• Partner with engineering and maintenance leadership to maximize equipment reliability and asset utilization.
• Support preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to minimize downtime.
• Ensure maintenance and capital investment priorities align with business objectives.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing, operational excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Utilize KPIs and performance metrics to identify opportunities and drive results.
• Champion innovation and process improvements that enhance efficiency, quality, and profitability.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within food manufacturing, poultry processing, protein manufacturing, or a related industry.
• Previous Plant Manager, Operations Manager, or Senior Operations Leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of production operations, food safety, quality systems, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience managing large teams and multiple functional departments.
• Proven track record of improving operational performance and delivering financial results.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.