Regional Operations Director Milling - Decatur, IL

Job Description

Regional Operations Director Milling - Decatur, IL

PRIMARY PURPOSE:
This key operational role is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of multiple plants working to support the company’s overall business mission and goals.  This position is a leading role in driving excellence and developing a high performance teams.  This position will provide leadership to plant management staff, assessing plant operations, overseeing capital expenditures and ensuring proper implementation of Safety, Environmental, Quality, and Production programs at assigned US Milling facilities. The role requires a good communicator who can nurture extraordinary interdepartmental, commercial and customer relationships will be most successful.
This position requires a strategic and process-driven thinker who through collaboration with the Centers of Excellence (CoE) and business leaders will optimize the sites and drive sustainable, high performance for environmental, health, safety, quality, food safety, people, efficiency, cost, and asset optimization. The Director of Regional Operations reports directly to the VP of Milling and Ag Services Operations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Direct operational needs of the business and manage facilities in a manner consistent with good business practices of the Company.
• Provide leadership to location personnel on all Corporate-required programs and policies, including Safety, Environmental, Quality and Production.
• Be a safety champion by promoting safe behavior, implementing safety programs and oversight of safety training requirements.
• Work closely with corporate Quality to help implement food safety/sanitation/quality programs to ensure the facilities are compliant with the law, regulatory requirements, and company programs along with continuously looking for improvements in QA programs. 
• Work with facility managers to develop an annual operation plan to include productivity and efficiency improvements, automation, quality advancements and employee development.
• Ensure all facilities are operating at best capacity and all equipment and inventory assets are maintained appropriately.
• Coordinate and execute capital expenditures and ensure projects are completed in a timely, cost-effective manner.
• Ensure facilities are managing all production-related expenses (payroll/overtime, headcount, inventory, equipment repairs, maintenance, and supplies).
• Responsible for providing leadership to management staff, including hiring, training and coaching of personnel
• Responsible for identifying and executing cost management initiatives.
• Develop and support employees to achieve personal, regional and corporate goals.
• Engage and align with Center of Excellence to optimize growth and asset reliability.
• Partner with commercial to ensure optimal business needs in designated locations.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• University degree (or equivalent applicable work experience)
• Five+ years of experience in Agriculture manufacturing (preferably feed/food plant experience), 2+ years’ experience with multiple plant responsibility, and prior experience with operating and expense capital budgeting, asset realization, and plant project management.
• Must possess proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and basic PC skills.
• Strong leadership and verbal/written communications skills.
• History of working safely and have a reputation for promoting and getting involved in safety improvement efforts.
• Proven experience working successfully in a fast paced environment with the ability to prioritize tasks and be decisive and results-oriented in the interest of maximizing profit potential.
• Must have a proven record of building relationships with people at all levels of the organization.
• Willingness to travel at least 40% of time in order to spend time at assigned operations facilities

Health, Safety & Environmental:

• Maintain the license to operate by developing a strong organizational and site safety culture and by ensuring adherence to safety laws, regulations, rules and sound practices.
• Act as a role model for safety.
• Work with the Safety and Environmental Center of Excellence and the regional and local management on the continued development and implementation of environmental, health, and safety programs, policies and procedures.

Quality, Sanitation, Food Safety:

• Drive toward world-class quality and sanitation standards.
• Continually improve and communicate food safety/sanitation/quality programs across the organization.
• Ensure strong organizational performance in regulatory/