Job Title: Operations Manager

Location: Elgin, IL

Industry: Food Manufacturing

Salary: $90,000 – $120,000 (potential flexibility for highly qualified candidates)

Schedule: Salaried, typically 45 hours/week

Operations Manager – Food Manufacturing

We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to oversee daily operations at a fast-paced food manufacturing facility. This individual will be responsible for leading plant operations, managing multiple departments, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring production, safety, and quality goals are met.

This is a hands-on leadership role in a high-volume production environment. The ideal candidate will be a strong leader who can build trust with department managers, effectively delegate responsibilities, and drive accountability and operational improvements across the plant.

Position Summary

The Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing all daily operations of the manufacturing facility to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality production. This role provides leadership to plant departments, drives operational excellence, manages staffing and performance, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and supports business goals through continuous improvement initiatives.

This position will have 5 direct reports and approximately 70 indirect reports across production and plant operations.

Direct Reports Include:

• Quality Manager
• Logistics Manager
• Inventory Manager
• Production Manager
• Sanitation Supervisor

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily plant operations across production, quality, logistics, inventory, and sanitation
• Lead cross-functional teams and production meetings multiple times per week
• Monitor KPIs including production efficiency, machine downtime, and operational costs
• Drive plant safety initiatives and ensure OSHA compliance
• Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, SQF, and regulatory standards
• Participate in audits and regulatory inspections
• Identify areas for continuous improvement and lead improvement projects
• Build strong relationships with department managers and develop high-performing teams
• Balance hands-on floor presence with leadership and strategic planning
• Improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and control costs

Qualifications

Required:

• 5+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing operations (Operations Manager, Plant Manager, Production Manager, Plant Director, General Manager, etc.)
• Experience in food manufacturing or a highly regulated environment (beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, CPG, chemicals, etc.)
• Experience with regulatory standards such as GMP, HACCP, SQF, OSHA
• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Business, Food Science, Engineering, or related field
• Strong leadership, communication, and delegation skills
• Experience working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Hands-on leadership style with regular presence on the production floor

Preferred:

• Experience tracking KPIs such as machine downtime, production efficiency, and costs
• ERP system experience (Fishbowl or similar)
• Bilingual Spanish

Work Environment & Hours

• Typically 45-hour work week
• Some weeks up to 50 hours
• Busy season (November – January) may require up to 55 hours/week
• Salaried position