Operations Manager – Meat and Food Manufacturing || Reidsville, NC / Cherokee, IA

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead and develop the Operations department within a food manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate will have strong meat/food manufacturing experience, progressive operations leadership experience, and a solid understanding of USDA/FSIS-regulated facilities.

This role will be responsible for driving operational performance, food and plant safety, quality, productivity, cleanliness, employee development, and continuous improvement while ensuring customer and company expectations are consistently met.

Locations: Reidsville, NC / Cherokee, IA
Industry: Meat & Food Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full-Time

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and manage the Operations department within a meat/food manufacturing facility.

• Work closely with the General Manager and department heads to ensure smooth plant operations.

• Maintain a strong focus on food safety, plant safety, quality, productivity, and cleanliness.

• Maintain a daily presence on the production floor and establish a high level of operational urgency.

• Lead and hold Production Superintendents and operations leadership accountable for performance and results.

• Coordinate staffing and hiring activities with Human Resources and other department leaders.

• Develop team depth and succession plans for key Operations positions.

• Monitor facility activities, production performance, operational results, and departmental status.

• Develop and manage Operations departmental budgets and capital expenditure plans.

• Manage relationships with key vendors and suppliers.

• Conduct performance reviews, provide coaching and feedback, and support employee development and promotions.

• Partner with HR on succession planning and leadership development.

• Support continuous improvement, process improvement, and productivity initiatives.

• Work closely with USDA/FSIS and maintain compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.

• Ensure USDA/FSIS non-compliance reports and corrective actions are addressed accurately and in a timely manner.

• Identify and remove operational barriers that impact productivity, quality, safety, and company objectives.

• Communicate significant operational issues, including product contamination, equipment failures, downtime, and workplace injuries, to senior management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Meat Science, Business, Food Science, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum 5 years of progressive managerial experience in meat/food manufacturing or a closely related processing environment.

• Meat manufacturing experience is required.

• Strong experience in plant/operations/production management.

• Experience working in a USDA/FSIS-regulated food manufacturing environment.

• Strong understanding of food safety, quality, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.

• Experience working with production teams, supervisors, and/or Production Superintendents.

• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Experience managing departmental budgets and capital expenditures.

• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including Operations, Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, HR, and senior management.

• Ability to work in a manufacturing/production environment and spend significant time on the production floor.

Location : Reidsville, North Carolina and Cherokee, Iowa

Candidates open to relocation may be considered.

Preferred Experience

• RTE (Ready-to-Eat) and/or further-processing experience.

• HACCP experience.

• USDA/FSIS inspection and compliance experience.

• Experience responding to USDA/FSIS non-compliance reports.

• Environmental monitoring/Listeria experience.

• Experience managing multiple shifts and production lines.

• Continuous improvement/process improvement experience.

• Experience managing large production teams.

• Experience with succession planning and leadership development.

Work Environment

This position requires regular presence in a food manufacturing/production facility. The role may involve exposure to manufacturing areas where appropriate PPE, including safety glasses and hearing protection, may be required.

The position requires the ability to walk through production areas, stand or sit as needed, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.