Operations Manager - Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Published: 6/14/2022

Job Description

Position Summary

The Operations Manager oversees day-to-day production, quality, and logistics for a food & beverage manufacturing operation in Leominster, MA. This direct-hire, onsite leadership role manages manufacturing, quality, and logistics employees — including temporary workers — to meet daily and weekly fulfillment targets while maintaining compliance with food safety, quality, sanitation, GMP, HACCP, and workplace safety requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

Manage production, quality, warehouse, and logistics operations to meet daily and weekly fulfillment targets.
Lead a team of manufacturing, quality, and logistics employees, including temporary workers.
Coordinate employee schedules, daily assignments, workflows, and operational priorities.
Coach and develop potential team leads to strengthen leadership capabilities within the department.

Planning & Continuous Improvement

Coordinate raw materials and production priorities to ensure customer orders are completed on schedule.
Identify and implement improvements related to productivity, waste, labor utilization, operating costs, and workflow.
Document operational processes and maintain standard operating procedures.
Track performance and maintain operational reports.

Compliance & Safety

Ensure compliance with food safety, quality, sanitation, GMP, HACCP, and workplace safety requirements.
Communicate effectively with employees, management, Human Resources, and other departments.
Provide hands-on operational support, particularly during busy production periods.

Schedule

Full-time day shift.
During peak production periods, employees may work 10- to 12-hour shifts, typically between 5:00 AM–5:00 PM or 7:00 AM–7:00 PM.
For the rest of the year, shifts are generally 9 hours.
Schedule flexibility is required based on production needs.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Paid Time Off (PTO) and Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
401(k) with Company Match
Life Insurance (LI)
Short-Term Disability (STD)
Annual Bonus

Qualifications

Must Have

5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
2–3 years of direct supervisory or management experience.
Working knowledge of food safety, GMP, HACCP, sanitation, and quality requirements.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and operational tracking and reporting.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Business, Food Science, or a related field.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems in a manufacturing environment.
Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous-improvement certification or training.
Bilingual Spanish/English capabilities are a plus.

Reports To: Plant Manager or General Manager

Supervises:

Manufacturing Associates
Quality Technicians
Warehouse / Logistics Staff
Temporary Production Workers

Working Conditions

On-site, full-time in Leominster, MA.
Food & beverage manufacturing plant environment with temperature variations, noise, and standard PPE requirements.
Flexible day-shift schedule with 9- to 12-hour shifts based on production demand.

Performance Expectations

Success in this role is measured by:

Consistent achievement of daily and weekly production and fulfillment targets.
Compliance with food safety, quality, GMP, HACCP, and safety standards with zero critical violations.
Improved productivity, waste reduction, and labor utilization metrics.
Development of internal team leads and a stable, engaged operations team.
Accurate, timely operational reporting and SOP documentation.