Manufacturing Site Director

Manufacturing Site Director

The Manufacturing Site Director role provides overall direction for the Melrose, MN facility in all areas of safety, quality, sanitation, cost, customer service, cheesemaking, employee relations. Responsible for driving improved performance in all these areas that meets business targets and supports growth.  Accountable for cheesemaking, cheese quality, plant asset utilization, and positive employee relations.

Melrose is a 24/7/365 milk receiving facility that produces a variety of cheese products. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to developing and executing the site budget within corporate guidelines. Manage all plant resources to optimize profitability to meet or exceed internal and external customer expectations. Creating a positive work environment that supports continuous improvement, reinforces company philosophy and policies, and ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce. Develop the skills and capabilities of both salaried and hourly team members.

Experience-Education (Required):

• 10+ years progressive food/dairy manufacturing experience with proven leadership qualities and a history of delivering sustainable results

• Bachelor's degree in Science/Food Science, Agriculture, Business Administration, Engineering or related education is required.    

• Demonstrated success managing positive employee relations.

• Dairy experience is required, Cheese processing highly desired. 

• Develop teamwork and collaboration that improves plant culture, drives business results with people leadership and development

• Ability to develop strategic plans and implement actions for the site

• Proven track record with Mfg Transformation/change management that drive costs savings and enhanced plant culture

• Milk Receiving highly preferred

Competencies-Skills (Required):

• Ability to effectively lead the plant staff of managers, supervisors, engineers, cheesemakers, as well as the union hourly team to achieve all plant goals.

• Ability to effectively interact with cross functional team in corporate including EHS, Quality, R&D, SO, Finance, sales and the business team.

• Technical acumen to solve problems and lead engineers and supervisors that results in high quality, cheese products

• Be outgoing and authentic to build and sustain Member and Cooperative Relations, as well as employee relationship and engagement.

• Possess a passion for diversity and inclusion, including a proven record of accomplishment of leading diversity initiatives and delivering results.

• Provide a clear and strategic direction and executes with excellence.

• Define and present to Operations Management the plant's viewpoints and recommendations on long-term operating goals and programs and drives performance in all key areas including Cost, Quality, Safety, People, and Environmental to drive profitability and customer requirements.

• Ability to lead the team to innovate, develop, and implement cost savings initiatives that drive improved cost/lb performance year on year

• Prioritize Human Safety and Food Safety as the First Priority.

• Determine the need for organizational changes to meet current budgetary and longer-term TMM operating objectives.

• Possess solid financial background and experiences to understand daily, monthly, and annual to date impact of line efficiency, material yield, and labor productivity for the overall Plant, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain performance.

• Experience in developing and executing capital budget.

• Determines best course of action in problem solving for quality, logistics, sourcing, and engineering requirements in a matrix's organization.

• Defines and directs activities in Employee Relations and other manufacturing policies and procedures.

• Effective interaction and integration of support functions of EHS, Quality, Eng, TS, SO, Logistics, Sourcing, Human Resources and Community relations. Work effectively with all functions to ensure plant and business objectives are met.

• Review existing GMP program and revise and implement as needed

• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills

Experience-Education (Preferred):

• Prefer Master's degree in related field.

• Progressive manufacturing experience in cheddar cheesemaking, dairy, or food related.

• Lean/Continuous Improvement certifications

• Demonstrated success in LEAN/Six Sigma/TMM

• Prior experience managing a 24/7, 365 manufacturing facility

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

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