Full-Time

Area Leader

J.M. Smucker

J.M. Smucker

1,001-5,000 employees

Produces jams, peanut butter, breakfast foods

Compensation Overview

$93.5k - $135.3k/yr

+ Annual incentive plan bonus + Annual holiday bonus

Longmont, CO, USA

In Person

100% on-site at the Longmont manufacturing plant; day shift with flexibility for nights, weekends, and holidays.

Bachelor's

Category
Operations & Logistics (1)

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Requirements
  • A Bachelor's degree is required.
  • At least 2 years of manufacturing operational experience is required.
  • At least 2 years of experience leading, supervising, or managing others is required.
  • Prior people management experience in a high-performance work environment is desirable.
  • The ability to engage effectively on the plant floor is desirable.
  • The ability to make decisive, proactive, and strategic decisions is desirable.
  • Strong analytical troubleshooting, problem-solving, and root cause identification skills are desirable.
  • The ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries and with diverse teams is desirable.
  • The ability to learn new skills and technologies quickly is desirable.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Suite applications is desirable.
  • The role requires the ability to talk and hear, stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, and occasionally sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
  • The role requires the ability to lift objects up to 50 pounds frequently and may require pushing and pulling heavy objects.
  • The role requires close, distance, color, peripheral, and depth vision, as well as the ability to adjust focus.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the sandwich-making line and technicians to deliver business results and drive area improvements.
  • Engage and motivate the team to meet safety, quality, production, and cost targets.
  • Establish key performance indicators for teams, oversee progress, identify gaps, and proactively create performance plans.
  • Engage with team members on the floor and coach them to solve problems, make decisions, and become self-reliant.
  • Develop leadership skills in individuals and teams using High-Performance Organizational principles.
  • Partner with the Department Manager to develop and deliver the business master plan, including technical and organizational projects.
  • Address line and area performance gaps through Smucker Continuous Improvement methodologies and foster a zero-loss culture.
  • Drive department issues to root cause and eliminate them.
  • Apply company policies and procedures consistently across teams and administer necessary discipline.
  • Oversee training and qualification programs for the designated line or area, participate in assessments, and maintain consistent qualification standards.
  • Translate complex information into understandable messages to facilitate clear communication and expectations.
  • Build team buy-in to new initiatives and improvements.
  • Manage time and attendance for the designated line or area, including payroll approval.
  • Provide performance-based feedback to team leaders and technicians, including annual performance appraisals.
  • Work in a manufacturing environment with potentially high noise levels.
  • Frequently stand, walk, handle or feel objects, and reach with hands and arms; occasionally sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
  • Frequently lift objects up to 50 pounds and potentially push and pull heavy objects.
Desired Qualifications
  • Prior people management experience in a high-performance work environment.
  • Ability to effectively engage on the plant floor.
  • Decisive, proactive, and strategic decision-making ability.
  • Strong analytical troubleshooting, problem-solving, and root cause identification skills.
  • Ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries and with diverse teams.
  • Self-motivated and organized approach, with the ability to learn new skills and technologies quickly.
  • Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Suite applications.

Smucker makes and sells everyday food brands that families trust, from jams and jellies to a broad lineup of pantry staples. Its products work by meeting common cooking and eating needs, with items like fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening, and baking mixes that are sold through grocery stores and other retailers. The company differentiates itself with a long history and a diversified portfolio formed through strategic acquisitions, giving it well-known brands and wide market reach. Its goal is to grow by expanding its product range, preserving brand trust, and increasing household share through better availability and convenience for consumers.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Orrville, Ohio

Founded

1897

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 23 2026 outlook raises FY2027 EPS to $9.75-$10.25 despite lower sales.
  • Fiscal 2026 free cash flow reached $1.2 billion, enabling $720 million debt repayment.
  • July 2 2026 Uncrustables became fridge friendly, broadening usage occasions and household penetration.

What critics are saying

  • August 2026 guidance still expects sales down 3%-4%, signaling volume pressure.
  • Hostess impairments totaled $962 million in Q3 2026, exposing sweet-snack weakness.
  • February 2026 Emporia fire proves plant outages disrupt supply, margins, and service levels.

What makes J.M. Smucker unique

  • Uncrustables now stores refrigerated five days, expanding convenience versus freezer-only rivals.
  • Folgers, Jif, and Hostess give Smucker multi-category shelf power across grocery aisles.
  • August 2026 leadership adds Douglas Guilherme and Jeff Varcoe, sharpening operations and quality.

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Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Remote Work Options

Company News

Yahoo Finance
Aug 21st, 2026
Smucker elevates science VP and refreshes Jif packaging to boost consumer appeal

J.M. Smucker has appointed Jeff Varcoe to Senior Vice President, Science and Technical Excellence, and launched a modernised Jif brand identity with refreshed packaging and new formats including squeezable peanut butter and Jif Dippers. The company has also received industry recognition for its Hostess Cakes packaging redesign. The moves underscore Smucker's focus on product quality and consumer-led innovation across its established brands. The packaging updates aim to keep mature brands relevant amid changing consumption habits without relying solely on price increases. Smucker's narrative projects $9.0 billion revenue and $979.6 million earnings by 2029. Community valuations range from $124.88 to $302.79 per share, reflecting divergent views on the company's prospects amid volatile coffee costs and tariff pressures.

Food Business News
Aug 21st, 2026
J.M. Smucker promotes food science exec.

J.M. Smucker promotes food science exec. 08.21.2026 ORRVILLE, OHIO - The J.M. Smucker Co. has promoted Jeff Varcoe, PhD, to senior vice president of science and technical excellence. Varcoe, currently vice president of quality assurance and food safety, starts in the new role on Aug. 24, Orrville-based J.M. Smucker said. In the post, he will lead the food company's science and technical excellence operations, which span all technical disciplines that support product quality, compliance and innovation. He will report to Rob Ferguson, chief product supply officer and executive vice president of coffee, pet and away-from-home products. "Jeff is an exceptional leader whose expertise, integrity and ability to inspire teams have made a lasting impact on our organization," Ferguson. "His broad experience across the food operations, science and technical functions, combined with his commitment to developing talent and fostering accountability, makes him well-suited to lead this important area of our business. I am confident that under Jeff's leadership, we will continue to maintain the high standards of quality and safety our consumers expect, while advancing innovation across our portfolio." Varcoe has more than 25 years of food industry leadership experience in the areas of quality assurance, research and development, and operations. He came to J.M. Smucker in June 2023 as vice president of quality assurance and food safety, and the company noted that he has since led a "comprehensive food safety and quality vision." Before joining J.M. Smucker, Varcoe spent 21 years at The Schwan Food Co., where he held leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including vice president of manufacturing technical services, vice president food safety and quality, director of research and development, director of food safety and microbiology, and manager of food safety. Get better food industry search results. Adding us tells Google to prioritize Food Business News stories.

Brands Review Magazine
Aug 20th, 2026
The J.M. Smucker Co. announces the election of Jeff Varcoe to Senior Vice President, Science and Technical Excellence.

The J.M. Smucker Co. announces the election of Jeff Varcoe to Senior Vice President, Science and Technical Excellence. The J.M. Smucker Co. today announced the election of Jeff Varcoe, PhD, to the role of Senior Vice President, Science and Technical Excellence, effective August 24, 2026, reporting to Rob Ferguson, Chief Product Supply Officer | Executive Vice President, Coffee, Pet, and Away From Home. In this role, Varcoe will serve as the Company's leader of Science and Technical Excellence, ensuring operational excellence across all technical disciplines that underpin product quality, compliance, and innovation. Varcoe has served as Vice President of Quality Assurance and Food Safety at Smucker since 2023. In this role, he led a comprehensive food safety and quality vision, ensuring the Company continued to uphold its commitment to consumers. "Jeff is an exceptional leader whose expertise, integrity, and ability to inspire teams have made a lasting impact on our organization," said Ferguson. "His broad experience across the food operations, science, and technical functions, combined with his commitment to developing talent and fostering accountability, makes him well suited to lead this important area of our business. I am confident that under Jeff's leadership, we will continue to maintain the high standards of quality and safety our consumers expect, while advancing innovation across our portfolio." Varcoe brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the food industry across the areas of quality assurance, research and development, and operations. Before joining Smucker, Varcoe spent 21 years at The Schwan Food Company. While at Schwan, he held leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President Food Safety and Quality, Vice President of Manufacturing Technical Services, Director of Research and Development, Director of Food Safety and Microbiology, and Manager of Food Safety. For similar information, please visit these web pages:

The Shelby Report
Jul 28th, 2026
J.M. Smucker elects Guilherme svp-operations, supply chain.

J.M. Smucker elects Guilherme svp-operations, supply chain. Share via: The J.M. Smucker Co. has elected Douglas Guilherme as senior VP of operations and supply chain, effective July 29. Guilherme will report to Rob Ferguson, chief product supply officer and executive VP of coffee, pet and away from home. The role supports the Orrville, Ohio-based company's operations and supply chain functions across the enterprise. Guilherme most recently served as senior VP of global supply chain, leading manufacturing, engineering, continuous improvement, planning, logistics, digital supply chain transformation and network strategy at The Hershey Co. He has 30 years of global supply chain and operations experience from the consumer goods, food and chemicals industries, including prior leadership roles at Procter & Gamble and Ecolab. "We are excited to welcome Douglas to the Company and look forward to the business impact his leadership and expertise will have across our operations and supply chains," said Ferguson. "Douglas brings a strong track record of delivering results and driving transformation while fostering high-performing teams and a culture of continuous improvement." The appointment follows a February leadership restructuring in which Smucker eliminated its chief operating officer position and created the chief product supply officer role Ferguson now holds, centralizing supply chain, manufacturing and procurement. The J.M. Smucker Co. offers brands across North America including Folgers, Dunkin', Café Bustelo, Jif, Uncrustables, Smucker's, Hostess, Milk-Bone and Meow Mix. The Shelby Report delivers complete grocery news and supermarket insights nationwide through the distribution of five monthly regional print and digital editions. Serving the retail food trade since 1967,... More by Shelby Team

PR Newswire
Jul 20th, 2026
J.M. Smucker appoints Douglas Guilherme as senior VP of operations and supply chain

The J.M. Smucker Co. has appointed Douglas Guilherme as Senior Vice President, Operations and Supply Chain, effective 29 July. Guilherme will report to Rob Ferguson, Chief Product Supply Officer, and will focus on advancing operational and supply chain excellence across the company. Guilherme brings over 30 years of global supply chain and operations leadership experience in consumer goods, food, and chemicals industries. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain at The Hershey Company, where he led manufacturing, engineering, planning, logistics, and digital supply chain transformation. He previously held leadership roles at Procter & Gamble and served as Global Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Ecolab.