A high school diploma with equivalent experience is required; a bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Food Science, or a related field is preferred.
Seven or more years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing, protein processing, and high-speed packaging systems.
Demonstrated experience managing yield and throughput performance, labor and cost control systems, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Strong knowledge of HACCP, USDA/FSIS regulations, SQF standards, and manufacturing key performance indicators, including OEE, yield, and cost per unit.
Ability to lead and develop large, diverse teams in a fast-paced environment.
Strong verbal and written English skills are required.
Experience effectively presenting information and responding to questions from clients, customers, and the general public is required.
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office is required.
Regular presence in production areas, including cold, wet, humid, and noisy environments.
Ability to walk production floors, climb ladders and stairs, and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to frequently stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, talk, and hear.
Off-shift and weekend work may be required to support breakdowns, shutdowns, or project execution.
Strict adherence to safety, personal protective equipment, and hygiene standards is required.
Responsibilities
Lead and optimize all manufacturing operations at the South Windsor facility, owning plant performance across safety, food safety and quality, yield, labor efficiency, and cost control to meet throughput, cost-per-pound, and profitability targets.
Drive continuous improvement, develop frontline leadership capability, and ensure disciplined execution of operational standards.
Partner with FSQA, Supply Planning, Maintenance, and Engineering to deliver a safe, compliant, high-performing operation.
Own plant safety performance; drive a zero-incident culture; ensure compliance with OSHA and company safety standards; and lead hazard identification, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators for total recordable incident rate, near-miss reporting, and injury cost reduction.
Maintain ownership of HACCP execution within operations and ensure adherence to USDA, FSIS, SQF, and regulatory requirements.
Enforce critical control point compliance, verification, and documentation discipline.
Partner with FSQA to reduce foreign material incidents, product holds, and rework, and promote stopping production when food safety risks are identified.
Own and deliver plant targets for yield percentage, OEE, and throughput in pounds per hour.
Identify and eliminate giveaway, inedible loss, and process variability.
Optimize production lines through equipment performance improvements, standard work, process control, and downtime reduction initiatives; partner with Engineering and Maintenance to improve system reliability.
Own labor performance and cost per pound across all shifts; align labor planning with production demand; reduce unnecessary overtime and improve staffing models.
Implement systems to track and reduce direct labor variance and indirect labor inefficiencies.
Lead cost savings initiatives related to labor reduction, yield improvement, and waste elimination.
Lead structured continuous improvement initiatives using root cause analysis, Gemba, and standard work.
Build and maintain a pipeline of cost savings and performance improvement projects.
Establish a data-driven culture through daily performance management and tiered meetings.
Develop superintendents and supervisors into high-performing leaders.
Establish expectations for accountability, communication, and execution; drive engagement, retention, and leadership capability across all shifts.
Ensure appropriate training, onboarding, and skill development systems are in place.
Partner with Supply Planning to align production schedules with demand; with FSQA to ensure compliance and audit readiness; with Maintenance to maximize uptime and equipment reliability; and with Engineering to support capital projects and process improvements.
Desired Qualifications
A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Food Science, or a related field is preferred.
Bilingual ability in Spanish and/or Portuguese is a plus.
Pay Range: $135,000/yr. – $165,000/yr. based on experience and qualifications
The Operations Manager is responsible for leading and optimizing all manufacturing operations at the South Windsor facility. This role owns plant performance across safety, food safety & quality, yield, labor efficiency, and cost control, ensuring the operation delivers against business targets for throughput, cost per pound, and profitability.
This position operates as a key business leader within the facility, driving continuous improvement, developing frontline leadership capability, and ensuring disciplined execution of operational standards. The Operations Manager partners cross-functionally with FSQA, Supply Planning, Maintenance, and Engineering to deliver a safe, compliant, and high-performing operation.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Safety & Risk Management
Own plant safety performance and drive a culture of zero incidents; Ensure compliance with OSHA and company safety standards; Lead hazard identification, root cause analysis, and corrective actions
Maintain full ownership of HACCP execution within operations; Ensure adherence to all USDA, FSIS, SQF, and regulatory requirements
Enforce CCP compliance, verification, and documentation discipline
Partner with FSQA to proactively reduce: Foreign material incidents, Product holds and rework, Drive a “stop production” culture when food safety risk is identified
Yield, Throughput & OEE Performance
Own and deliver against plant targets for: Yield %, OEE, Throughput (lbs./hr.)
Identify and eliminate sources of: Giveaway, Inedible loss, Process variability
Drive line optimization through: Equipment performance improvements, Standard work and process control, Downtime reduction initiatives, Partner with Engineering and Maintenance to improve system reliability
Labor Management & Cost Control
Own labor performance and cost per pound across all shifts; Drive disciplined labor planning aligned to production demand; Eliminate unnecessary overtime and improve staffing models
Implement systems to track and reduce: Direct labor variance, Indirect labor inefficiencies
Lead cost savings initiatives tied to: Labor reduction, Yield improvement, Waste elimination
Lead structured continuous improvement initiatives using CI tools (RCA, Gemba, standard work)
Build and maintain a pipeline of cost savings and performance improvement projects
Establish a data-driven culture with daily performance management (Tiered meetings)
Leadership Development & Team Effectiveness
Develop Superintendents and Supervisors into high-performing leaders
Establish clear expectations for accountability, communication, and execution; Drive engagement, retention, and leadership capability across all shifts
Ensure proper training, onboarding, and skill development systems are in place
Cross-Functional Execution
Partner with: Supply Planning to align production schedules with demand, FSQA to ensure compliance and audit readiness, Maintenance to maximize uptime and equipment reliability, Engineering to support capital projects and process improvements.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:
High School diploma with equivalent experience required; Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Operations, Food Science, or related field preferred
7+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing, protein processing, & high speed packaging systems
Demonstrated experience managing: Yield and throughput performance, Labor and cost control systems, Continuous improvement initiatives
Proven ability to lead and develop large, diverse teams in a fast-paced environment
Strong verbal and written English skills required; Bilingual in Spanish and/or Portuguese a plus
Experience with effectively presenting information and responding to questions from clients, customers and the general public required
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENT:
The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those required to perform this job's essential functions.
Regular presence in production areas, including cold, wet, humid, and noisy environments.
Ability to walk production floors, climb ladders and stairs, and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds.
Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear
Off-shift and weekend work may be required to support breakdowns, shutdowns, or project execution.
Strict adherence to safety, PPE, and hygiene standards are required.
Exciting Benefits Await You!
Enjoy top-tier Medical, Dental, Vision coverage.
Pamper your furry friends with Pet Insurance.
Stay fit with our Wellness Plan and Gym Reimbursement.
Boost your skills with Employee Tuition Reimbursement.
Unlock endless opportunities with College Scholarship for dependents.
Reap the Rewards of Our Bonus Program Available to Our Salary and Hourly Employees.
Receive a Generous 401k Company Match.
Take advantage of Competitive Paid Time Off.
Elevate Your Safety Net with Company-Sponsored Life Insurance Coverage.
Receive Relocation Assistance for a Smooth Transition.
Earn Rewards through our Employee Bonus Referral Program.
Elevate Your Workplace Experience with Community Impact Opportunities.
Celebrate Together with Team Events and Seasonal Workplace Gatherings.
Opportunity Calls! Unsure if you meet all requirements? Don't hesitate, apply!
Our recruitment process is prompt and transparent. Your resume will receive swift attention from our talent professionals. If chosen, you'll undergo a recruiter phone screen, followed by interviews with key team members. We value your potential.
At Home Market Foods, we champion equal opportunities for all, prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, gender, and more. Our commitment extends across all aspects of employment, ensuring a fair and inclusive workplace.
At this time, Home Market Foods will not sponsor applicants for employment authorization for this position for the following work visas: STEM OPT EAD, H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, O-1, J-1, or TN