Director - Fresno Hygiene Operations

GEA Group, founded in Germany in 1881, is a global leader in engineering solutions, serving industries such as food and beverage, pharma, dairy, and more. With over 18,000 employees worldwide and a strong U.S. presence since 1929, GEA combines the heritage of a well-established company with the innovation of a forward-thinking industry leader. At GEA, we’re not just building equipment, we’re building lasting careers with an average employee tenure range from 5 to over 11+ years, reflecting the strong culture, growth opportunities, and support we provide.

Working at GEA Group has significant benefits:
• Start strong – Medical, dental, and vision coverage begins on your first day
• Recharge and refresh – Enjoy 12 paid holidays, including a flexible floating holiday, and 136 hours of PTO to relax or explore
• Invest in your future – A 7% 401(k) employer match helps grow your retirement savings faster
• Keep learning – Take advantage of tuition reimbursement to further your education or skillset
• Live well – Our wellness incentive program rewards healthy habits
• Get support when you need it – Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Program for personal or professional guidance
• Save smart – Flexible Health Savings and Spending Accounts to manage out-of-pocket expenses

Responsibilities / Tasks

The Plant Manager has full accountability for the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of a hygiene manufacturing facility. This role leads all plant functions—production, quality, maintenance, safety, supply chain, and people development—to deliver consistent product quality, high service levels, competitive cost performance, and continuous improvement.
The Plant Manager creates a strong safety-first culture, ensures strict adherence to hygiene, GMP, and regulatory standards, and drives operational excellence through disciplined execution and engaged leadership.

Plant Leadership & Performance

• Own overall plant performance, including safety, quality, service, cost, and employee engagement.

• Translate business objectives into clear operational plans, KPIs, and daily management routines.

• Lead cross-functional plant leadership team to deliver reliable, high-quality hygiene products.

Safety, Quality & Compliance (Non-Negotiable)

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture and ensure full compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.

• Ensure strict adherence to hygiene standards, GMP, sanitation protocols, and product safety requirements.

• Lead internal and external audits (GMP, ISO, customer, regulatory) and close corrective actions effectively.

• Maintain readiness for customer and regulatory inspections at all times.

Manufacturing Excellence

• Drive operational excellence through Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, or similar continuous improvement systems.

• Improve OEE, throughput, yield, and asset utilization while reducing waste, rework, and downtime.

• Ensure effective maintenance strategies to support equipment reliability and hygiene compliance.

• Lead root cause analysis for quality, safety, and performance issues and ensure sustainable solutions.

Cost & Financial Management

• Own plant P&L performance, including labor, materials, utilities, maintenance, and overhead.

• Identify and execute cost-reduction and productivity initiatives without compromising safety or quality.

• Develop and justify capital investment proposals to improve capacity, automation, quality, or compliance.

People Leadership & Culture

• Build a strong, accountable leadership team through coaching, development, and performance management.

• Foster a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and collaboration across all shifts.

• Lead workforce planning, succession, training, and skills development to support long-term capability.

• Promote employee engagement, inclusion, and clear communication at all levels of the plant.

Supply Chain & Customer Service

• Partner with planning, procurement, and logistics to ensure reliable production and on-time delivery.

• Support new product introductions, scale-ups, and customer-specific hygiene requirements.

• Act as the senior site representative for key customer interactions and escalations.

Your Profile / Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or Business (required).

• 7–10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including full plant responsibility.

• Experience in hy