Director of Operations (4835)

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading, coordinating, and continuously improving all plant activities related to production, extraction, processing, packaging, maintenance, shipping, and inventory management. This role drives results across safety, food safety, quality, cost, productivity, customer delivery, and employee engagement.

The Director of Operations provides strategic and hands-on leadership to a multi-shift manufacturing operation, ensuring production schedules are achieved, resources are deployed effectively, regulatory and customer

are met, and continuous improvement initiatives deliver measurable results.

This position manages five subordinate supervisors overseeing approximately 60–70 employees across Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging. The Director partners closely with Quality Assurance, Human Resources, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and other departments to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent plant performance. This individual will also serve as Plant Manager in their absence, exercising full decision-making authority.

Production and Operational Leadership

Direct daily production activities across all shifts to achieve production schedules, volume, yield, quality, and customer delivery targets.

Oversee production planning, scheduling, workflow, processing methods, packaging, shipping, and workforce utilization.

Coordinate fruit receiving, extraction, pasteurization or high-pressure processing (HPP), filling, packaging, and cold storage to maintain efficient product flow and protect product quality.

Lead shift-startup meetings and tiered daily accountability huddles, review performance against targets, address production misses, and ensure timely follow-up on corrective actions.

Manage production changeovers, line balancing, staffing, and labor deployment to minimize downtime, improve throughput, and control overtime.

Adjust production schedules and priorities in response to changing demand, equipment availability, labor constraints, and raw material requirements.

Ensure products are manufactured and packaged on time and within established quality, food safety, and customer specifications.

Establish clear communication and accountability across departments and shifts.

Serve as Plant Manager in their absence, with full decision-making authority for plant operations.

Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, and operational excellence throughout the facility.

Food Safety and Quality Assurance

Ensure every shift complies with the Juice HACCP plan, food safety plan, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), allergen controls, sanitation requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.

Maintain compliance with applicable FDA, FSMA, OSHA, EPA, state, and federal requirements, as well as customer, organic, Non-GMO, and other applicable certification standards.

Partner with Quality Assurance to oversee product holds, process deviations, Critical Control Point (CCP) monitoring, investigations, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Ensure verification activities are completed to confirm that finished products meet food safety, quality, and customer specifications.

Support the Quality Director/Manager in maintaining, reviewing, and improving the plant's food safety and quality management systems.

Participate in annual food safety system reviews and routine internal audits.

Maintain continuous audit readiness for regulatory, customer, organic, and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognized certification audits, including SQF or BRCGS, as applicable.

Ensure compliance with Non-GMO and applicable supply chain certification requirements.

Investigate recurring quality issues and implement preventive measures to reduce product defects, waste, and customer complaints.

Safety and Environmental Compliance

Lead a proactive safety culture focused on preventing injuries, reducing hazards, and achieving an injury-free workplace.

Conduct or support daily safety talks, floor observations, safety audits, and timely hazard correction across all shifts.

Enforce compliance with lockout/tagout (LOTO), personal protective equipment (PPE), machine guarding, forklift and powered industrial truck safety, and other applicable OSHA requirements.

Ensure employees receive appropriate safety training and understand established procedures and expectations.

Lead or participate in incident investigations, identify root causes, and ensure corrective actions are completed and verified on time.

Monitor safety performance, identify trends, and implement improvement plans to reduce incidents and unsafe conditions.

Ensure compliance with applicable environmental

and plant policies.

People Leadership and Organizational Development

Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors and Shift Leads to strengt