Plant Operations Director

Job Title: Plant Operations Director

Location: Mishawaka, IN

Job Type: Exempt

About United Petfood:

United Petfood is a private label producer of high-quality dry & wet pet food, biscuits and snacks. We are a Belgian family business with 25 high-tech pet kitchens in Europe and the US.

Joining us, means joining an international, passionate and driven team with one common goal: a healthy planet filled with healthy pets! But it doesn’t stop there: we truly care about building encouraging, supportive, long-lasting partnerships, both inside as well as outside of our fast-growing family company. By only working with the very best ingredients and most innovative technology available, we ensure a spot in which you can grow, bloom and make thousands of pets happy worldwide!

Position Summary:

The Plant Operations Director is responsible for leading all day-to-day operations across production, quality, safety, planning, maintenance, and warehousing. This role ensures that operational execution is reliable, efficient, and continuously improving to meet customer demand and business targets.

Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Business Director, this role is focused on delivering performance excellence on the shop floor and across operational functions. The Plant Operations Director translates strategic objectives into effective, practical action plans and ensures seamless coordination between departments to support product quality, on-time delivery, and cost control.

Core Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Oversee all plant functions including production, maintenance, quality, planning, warehousing, and safety.
• Ensure efficient and consistent execution of manufacturing processes across all shifts.
• Deliver products on time, in full, and in compliance with all food safety and quality standards.

Performance & KPI Management

• Drive achievement of plant KPIs including OEE, throughput, labor efficiency, waste reduction, downtime, and schedule adherence.
• Lead regular performance reviews and implement structured problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Maintain strict cost control and identify opportunities for operational savings and productivity gains.

People Development & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of department heads and frontline leaders.
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ensure proper training, onboarding, and succession planning across operations.

Compliance & Safety

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture across all operational areas.
• Ensure all operations are compliant with local, state, and federal regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and continuously improve adherence to food safety and quality management systems (e.g., BRC, SQF, GMP).

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Business Director to align capacity, resource planning, and internal sales priorities.
• Partner with Finance, HR, and other support functions to ensure smooth operational support.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership in a manufacturing environment (food or CPG preferred)
• Strong background in production systems, Lean manufacturing, TPM, or Six Sigma
• Proven ability to manage complex teams and drive cross-departmental execution
• Hands-on leader who can operate at both strategic and operational levels
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills

Equal Opportunity Employer: United Petfood Producers USA Inc. is an equal opportunity workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.