PLANT MANAGER

The Plant Manager leads the daily operations and overall performance of a fresh poultry slaughter and processing facility employing approximately 500–600 people in a union environment. This role is accountable for employee safety, food safety, animal welfare, product quality, production, yield, cost, equipment reliability, and workforce performance.

The Plant Manager leads through department managers, superintendents, and supervisors; maintains a visible presence on the production floor; and works closely with Human Resources, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Safety, Finance, and Live Operations to deliver consistent results across shifts.

Essential Functions

• Direct plant operations from live receiving through slaughter, evisceration, chilling, cut-up and deboning where applicable, packaging, storage, and shipping. Ensure effective coordination between production, sanitation, and support functions.
• Translate business requirements into production schedules, staffing plans, and operating priorities. Coordinate bird delivery and processing requirements with Live Operations and align finished product output with customer demand.
• Monitor throughput, yield, labor efficiency, downtime, condemnations, rework, and product loss. Identify root causes of performance gaps and implement corrective actions with clear owners and follow-up.
• Ensure line speeds, staffing, and equipment settings support safe work, food safety controls, animal welfare, and applicable inspection requirements.
• Establish clear safety expectations and hold leaders accountable for hazard identification, safe work practices, training, incident reporting, and timely corrective action. Support employees in reporting concerns and stopping unsafe work.
• Partner with Safety, Maintenance, and environmental personnel to manage risks involving machinery, ergonomics, chemicals, refrigeration systems, and other plant hazards. Ensure required environmental controls, waste handling, and wastewater systems are maintained.
• Ensure consistent execution of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), pathogen reduction programs, temperature controls, and customer specifications.
• Partner with Food Safety and Quality Assurance to maintain effective working relationships with USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) personnel, prepare for audits, resolve noncompliance, and prevent recurring failures.
• Ensure leaders promptly escalate food safety or quality concerns, contain affected product, and support hold, release, traceability, and recall procedures according to company requirements.
• Ensure live bird handling and slaughter practices meet company animal welfare standards, applicable Good Commercial Practices, and customer requirements.
• Develop department leaders and supervisors through clear expectations, regular coaching, performance reviews, and succession planning. Hold leaders accountable for respectful treatment, consistent communication, and execution across shifts.
• Partner with Human Resources to improve staffing, onboarding, training, attendance, and retention. Use workforce data and employee feedback to address recurring issues, including early turnover.
• Maintain constructive working relationships with union representatives. Administer the collective bargaining agreement consistently in partnership with Human Resources and labor relations support.
• Ensure scheduling, overtime assignments, seniority practices, job assignments, and discipline comply with the applicable agreement and company requirements. Coach supervisors on their responsibilities and escalate interpretation questions before taking action.
• Participate in grievance resolution, labor-management meetings, investigations, and arbitration preparation as needed. Provide operational input for collective bargaining and implement negotiated changes within delegated authority.
• Develop and manage the plant operating budget. Review financial results and control labor, overtime, supplies, utilities, maintenance, and other operating costs while meeting safety and quality requirements.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering on preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, capital priorities, and project execution. Coordinate planned downtime and evaluate the operating impact of proposed investments.
• Lead practical continuous improvement efforts that reduce waste and variation, improve product recovery, and strengthen workflow. Sustain improvements through standard work, training, and regular verification.
• Report plant results accurately and promptly. Maintain operating reviews and action plans covering safety, food safety, quality, service, cost, yield, downtime, and workforce performance.

Minimum Qualification

• 8+ of progressively responsible manufacturing operations experience, including 5 years leading managers or supervisors in poultry or meat processing.
• Demonstrated leadership in a union environment, including practical experience administering a collective bargaining agreement and resolving grievances in partnership with Human Resources.
• Experience leading a large hourly workforce and coordinating multiple production departments or shifts, with demonstrated improvements in safety, yield, cost, equipment reliability, and employee performance.
• Working knowledge of USDA-inspected poultry operations, HACCP, sanitation, animal welfare, occupational safety, and environmental requirements.
• Ability to interpret financial and operating data, manage budgets, resolve operational problems, and communicate effectively with hourly employees, plant leaders, union representatives, and corporate teams.
• Proven Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement experience.
• Sense of urgency with strong ability to multi-task and operate in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.

Physical Requirements

• Working in a warm/wet/damp environment.
• Walking, standing, and accessing production areas and stairs.
• Lifting various weights on an as needed basis.
• Availability across operating shifts and for emergencies, including evenings and weekends as business needs require