Sr. Manager of Technical Operations

The Sr. Manager leads a support team of technicians and engineers supporting new and existing aseptic manufacturing facilities from engineering handover through commercial production, with focus on thermal processing and batching. This role serves as the primary point of contact and Subject Matter Expert for Plant Directors and Maintenance Managers during start-ups, product launches, and troubleshooting activities. The Sr. Manager partners with Plant Directors to identify opportunities, coordinate projects, and drive completion across OEMs, Engineering, Operations, Quality Assurance, IT/systems, Training, Maintenance, Sanitation, Production Scheduling, Raw Material Management, Inventory Control, and Continuous Improvement. This role is also responsible for maintaining aseptic best practices, sharing key findings, supporting investigations such as system deviations, and identifying innovative technologies that improve aseptic operations. 

The role applies standard engineering methods to design, analyze, test, maintain, repair, and improve aseptic systems, products, components, and assemblies. It also develops new projects, maintains existing systems, and mentors aseptic engineers and plant personnel through targeted training programs. 

Essential Functions 

• Create and manage systems, specifications, procedures, troubleshooting guides, and visual aids for aseptic processing, ingredients, beverage sterilization, VTIS, UHT, Flex, and pasteurization systems. 

• Lead multiple complex projects across aseptic plants, including start-up support, transition from engineering to production, planned overhauls, calibrations, and emergency troubleshooting through the aseptic beverage field service program. 

• Serve as the primary onsite contact, functional leader, and Subject Matter Expert for Plant Directors and plant teams, partnering with HQ, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Process Engineering, OEMs, and other support teams to identify issues, coordinate action items, and drive execution. 

• Train and mentor engineers, Team Members, and plant personnel as the Subject Matter Expert for aseptic beverage production, technical standards, troubleshooting practices, and operational best practices. 

• Analyze sterilization diverts, operational trends, quality data, daily metrics, and business-system workflows to identify root causes, prioritize risks and opportunities, and recommend improvements to safety, quality, line performance, cost, and yield.