Operations Manager
Watertown, WI, US
At Johnsonville, our Members are responsible for everything! If you’re passionate about making a difference, we want you to help make our products, our processes, our communities and each other better. As part of our manufacturing leadership and support group, you’ll help ensure production and maintenance Members have the resources and support needed to work safely and efficiently. The group will also ensure the products we produce are of only the highest quality and ready for consumers to enjoy.
Johnsonville, LLC
Operations Coordinator
Watertown, WI
Position Overview:
This is a great job for a person who has passion and drive to build a Best in the World Culture of Member involvement and ownership, continuous learning, product superiority, and continuous improvement. In this role you can leverage your expertise and experiences in the areas of leadership, continuous improvement, project management, and building people to develop strategies and tactics that will help the organization accomplish its goal of becoming the Best Company in the World. You will act as a role model and educator of the Johnsonville Way thus facilitating this as “a way of life” within the Watertown facility.
Responsibilities:
- Exemplify and advocate the Johnsonville Way every day
- Lead a Continuous Improvement legacy ensuring all members own and have the tools to improve their daily business results
- Lead the development of strategic initiatives within your areas of responsibility
- Lead efforts to create and sustain readiness pipelines within your areas of responsibility
- Drive product cost improvements by knowing the costing details and leading/implementing cost improvements
- Develop and sustain relationships with teams from outside the facility (such as R&D, Engineering, Thought Leadership, and other facilities)
- Develop, monitor, and implement a budget and capital plan for business activities for your areas of responsibility
- Lead and manage capital projects and new product and technology introductions within your areas of responsibility using cross functional teams
- Promote and instill a culture of personal learning and professional development that will ensure the successful development of all Members within the business
- Coach your area and its Members to deliver superlative performance in the four organizational end-states (safety, quality, cost, and service)
- Ensure compliance with company and regulatory standards
- Enhance partnerships with our raw materials suppliers through creation of feedback mechanisms regarding cost, quality, and delivery and identifying efficiency opportunities as it relates to delivery times and the operations
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree required. Graduate degree preferred. (Experience and business knowledge will be considered for internal candidates, however, must be willing to pursue a bachelor’s degree)
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years’ experience in a leadership/coaching role with significant involvement in developing Members to greater levels of responsibility
- Harvest experience is preferred
- Experience in the food industry is preferred, but not required
- Bi-lingual English and Spanish preferred
Skills and Competencies:
- Demonstrated success in coaching and developing others
- Demonstrated success and experience in Lean, Six Sigma and other continuous improvement disciplines required
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience in budgeting, capital planning, capacity planning and productivity pipeline projects
- Experience in strategic planning processes
- Demonstrated communication and listening skills
- Commitment to personal growth
- Ability to lead by example and involve others in the decision-making process
- Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and be flexible by adjusting priorities
- Proven ability to “widen the circle of engagement” and ownership
- Proven ability to innovate and take risk
- Proven ability to motivate others and affect change
- Demonstrated ability to create necessity and drive to achieve results
- Learning agility
Other Requirements:
- Responsible for oversight of all 3 shifts, including Operations (harvest and finished good lines), Shipping and Receiving, and Sanitation. Ability to visit those shifts on a frequent basis.
Date: November 17, 2025
Location: Watertown, WI
Coach: Plant Director – Watertown
Member Status: Full Time, Salaried
Shift/Hours: 1st Shift, typically 7:00am-4:00pm with flexibility to work on off-shifts as needed
Travel: Not a ton, less than 10% of your time
Reason for Posting: Member previously in the role was promoted!
(We love it when that happens!)
Benefits: Members have potential for a monthly bonus and 401k with a company match. 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.
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 4,000+ 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.
Johnsonville is an equal opportunity employer, including Vet/Disability.
We embrace the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including protected veteran and disability status.