Director, Potato Operations

Utz Quality Foods is seeking a Director, Potato Operations, to join our team in Hanover, PA. As Director, Potato Operations, you’ll lead the strategy and execution behind our raw potato supply—building strong grower partnerships, driving quality and sustainability, and ensuring our plants have what they need to keep production moving. You’ll collaborate across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, and ESG/Compliance while leading critical sourcing decisions that influence cost, service, and product performance across the network.

 

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Lead end-to-end potato procurement operations, from grower relationships and scheduling to receiving, quality monitoring, and issue resolution.
• Set the strategy for supply, cost, quality, and service to support production across the network.
• Oversee daily, weekly, and seasonal delivery plans, balancing plant demand, agronomy realities, and logistics constraints.
• Manage contract balances and seasonal supply plans to ensure receipts align with commitments.
• Drive raw potato quality performance by reviewing incoming results, identifying trends, and leading corrective actions with suppliers and internal partners.
• Build supplier scorecards and performance reporting that create accountability and continuous improvement.
• Partner cross-functionally on supplier strategy, contract renewals, risk mitigation, and long-term sourcing plans.
• Coach and develop direct reports while helping build a high-performing, accountable team.
• Represent the business in field inspections, grower visits, and industry meetings to strengthen relationships and stay ahead of market trends.
• Support variety trials and turn insights into recommendations that improve yield, quality, and processing performance.
• Advance supplier compliance and sustainability efforts, including GAP, traceability, food safety, and ESG-related initiatives.
• Provide on-call leadership support for supply disruptions, receiving interruptions, and quality issues across plant operations.
• Champion a culture of safety, quality, and accountability in everything you do.

WHAT YOU BRING

 

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience in agricultural operations, potato or produce supply, food manufacturing, supply chain, or procurement.
• Leadership experience with a track record of guiding teams and influencing cross-functional partners.
• Strong knowledge of potato agronomy, seasonality, and how raw material quality impacts processing and finished product performance.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret schedules, contracts, scorecards, and performance data.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with growers, brokers, haulers, and internal teams.
• Experience with quality systems, problem solving, and driving corrective actions that improve performance.
• Comfort with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and the ability to learn supplier management and traceability tools quickly.
• Willingness to travel for grower meetings, field inspections, and industry events as needed.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and participate in shared on-call support outside normal business hours.

External Recruitment Process  

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started. 

• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours. 

• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture. 

Continuously Pursuing Excellence! 

Here at Utz, we have a passion for exciting and delighting consumers with delicious snack foods made from high quality ingredients.  After over a century with a strong family heritage, our diverse