Operations Manager
Sheboygan, WI, US
Our manufacturing Members are the heart of our organization. As a member of the manufacturing team – which includes machine operators, packaging, shipping and more – you will take pride in ensuring we produce only the highest-quality, most consistent products for our customers and consumers.
Johnsonville, LLC
Operations Manager
Meadowside
Position Overview:
As the Operations Manager, you will play a key role in fostering a world-class culture focused on member engagement, ownership, continuous learning, product excellence, and continuous improvement. This position offers the chance to apply your leadership, continuous improvement, project management, and team development expertise to create strategies and initiatives that drive the organization towards its goal of becoming the best company in the world.
You will have an opportunity to lead Johnsonville’s high-volume finished goods production facility by driving operational excellence, member safety, food quality, production efficiency, and cost management. The ideal candidate will be passionate about cultivating a culture of inclusion, teamwork, and the Johnsonville Way, while leading the team to achieve key performance goals.
Responsibilities:
- Foster a high performing culture and coach members to deliver superlative performance in safety, quality, cost and service
- Develop and implement operational strategies aligned with plant goals
- Collaborate with Human Resources (Member Services) to implement strategies for culture, member attraction, retention, and development
- Maintain a strong safety culture, in collaboration with the Sr. Safety Coordinator, ensure compliance with workplace safety regulations and industry standards
- Oversee and coordinate the production scheduling, line capacities, and crewing to support production, new product development, and execute launches (concept to market) for product produced at the Meadowside location, which includes Sanitation, Meat Inspection, and Formulation
- Accountable for Meadowside’s monthly IBP production forecast; identifying key financial operating risks, opportunities and contingencies to achieve targets
- Collaborate with R&D, Innovation, and Engineering to develop products using innovative technologies to grow Johnsonville’s share in Ready-to-Eat (RTE) categories
- Ensure that manufacturing processes adhere to quality standards and food safety regulations (HACCP, GMP, etc.). In collaboration with the Sr. Food Safety Coordinator, resolve any quality-related issues
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives using lean and Six Sigma methodologies
- Implement cost-saving strategies while maintaining quality and capacity
- Drive the implementation of an asset reliability program to reduce downtime and enhance equipment performance, focusing on Operator Driven Reliability (ODR)
- Monitor reliability metrics and analyze KPIs to track performance and identify improvement opportunities
- Manage facility spending to meet financial targets and develop long-term cost-saving and improvement plans
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in operations management, Industrial Engineering, Food Science, or a related field, preferred
- 8+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, preferably in the food or meat processing industry, required
- At least 7 years of leadership or coaching experience, with a focus on developing team members for increased responsibility, required
Skills and Competencies:
- Proven ability to lead, motivate, and coach teams at all levels to drive results
- Strong communication, listening, and personal growth mindset
- Expertise in problem-solving and decision-making, with experience in Lean, Six Sigma, and process optimization
- Comfortable with ambiguity and change, managing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical skills to make data-driven decisions
- Experience in budgeting, capital planning, and capacity planning for cost-effective decision-making
- Skilled in strategic planning, innovation, and risk-taking
- Proven experience in change leadership and successful project management
- Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and/or Reliability Excellence certification (e.g., Certified Maintenance Reliability Professional, CMRP) are a plus
Date: January 13, 2025
Location: Meadowside Plant, Sheboygan Falls, WI
(About an hour north of Milwaukee)
Coach: Plant Director – Multi-site
Member Status: Full Time, Salaried
Travel: Up to 5-10% of your time
Benefits: Members have potential for a monthly bonus, 401k with a company match and profit sharing. Members also have access to terrific benefits including affordable medical, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; disability and life insurance; and fertility and adoption assistance. Johnsonville also offers competitive paid time off, including paid parental time off, as well as access to the 24/7 onsite fitness center, onsite medical clinic and tuition reimbursement!
About our Company
Since 1945, our family-owned band of sausage-makers has invented better ways to make, eat and prepare crave-able sausage. Today, we are 3,000 Members strong. We sell our famous sausage in all 50 United States and more than 40 countries. We have a culture built on the idea that if we make developing your talents our top priority, great business results will follow naturally. We call it The Johnsonville Way. It has been our secret sauce for decades, and we hope you get to experience it for yourself!
How to Apply:
External candidate: Apply on-line only at: careers.johnsonville.com
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.
We value the diversity of our workforce and we embrace the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment. M/F/Vet/Disability
Johnsonville values the service Veterans and their family members have given to our country. We support the hiring of returning service members and military spouses.