Director, Pet Plant Manager - General Mills

OVERVIEW:

Our Joplin Pet Plant serves as the legacy plant for Blue Buffalo and manufactures several varieties of dry dog food. Our commitment to culture, rooted in the Cohesive Team structure, and our business imperative to unlock capacity, makes Joplin the destination of choice. Our Herd of nearly 350 Buffs produce ~360MM pounds of pet food with a glidepath that will require us to run ~400MM lbs in just a few years. The Pet segment is unique in the General Mills’ portfolio because of the deep integration with our commercial business partners and Supply Chain. 

The Joplin Plant Manager will develop, lead, and serve as a role model to create a culture that demonstrates an unwavering belief in keeping Buffs at the heart of all we do while achieving Manufacturing Excellence through the lends of safety and quality. This leader will serve as the site’s link to General Mills’ Pet segment and the North American Supply Chain organization and will be accountable for all facets of facility performance, including human/food safety, cost, quality, service, organization effectiveness, process rigor, and continuous improvement.

The Plant Manager will drive results by leading, inspiring, and developing all members of the Joplin team to achieve Manufacturing Excellence. They are accountable for ensuring the standardized, effective, and sustainable deployment of General Mills Manufacturing Excellence program. This leadership role will collaborate with business unit leaders on strategies and solutions supporting broader business initiatives.

The Plant Manager is responsible for all aspects of operating the manufacturing site. They will directly lead a plant leadership team of 7 people responsible for Food Safety & Quality, Operations, Continuous Improvement & Environment, Maintenance/Engineering, Human Resources and Finance.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Coach, develop, and inspire all employees to achieve required Human Safety, Food Safety, and Production Results to protect our employees, consumers, and brands
• Ensure the delivery of plant and business goals through engaging leadership and the application of standard processes, effectively prioritizing competing functional and business strategies and initiatives
• Develop short- and long-term strategies to drive, productivity, organizational effectiveness and improvements in key plant priorities and metrics
• Use personal belief, clear vision, inspiration, and strategic plans to ensure the plant lives an undeniable culture where all employees are encouraged and developed to reach their full potential in meeting department and business goals.
• Build organization capability by coaching, leading, rewarding, and developing direct reports and the plant as a whole
• Serve as the business interface and the external voice of General Mills within their respective community
• Ensure compliance with company, state, federal, and environmental regulations
• Coordinate activities with the Business Unit to deliver business growth, cost and quality control, and to expand capabilities to respond to emerging business opportunities
• Optimize operational efficiency while protecting employees and the environment
• Engage with North America Region manufacturing network through regular calls and meetings

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Engineering or Supply Chain Management preferred.
• At least 7 years leadership experience in a manufacturing environment or other applicable experience; experience in food manufacturing preferred
• A bias for action that is demonstrated through high levels of visibility, effectively engaging with team members, building positive employee relations, and loss reduction leadership on the shop floor
• Proven track record of consistently delivering results through others through inspiring, leading, and motivating people to achieve results and drive out loss
• Business acumen and understanding of how the total Supply Chain operates and delivers value to broader business goals for General Mills
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to effectively lead change and create/lead strategic initiatives
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to create and lead strategic initiatives
• Demonstrated understanding of technology and mechanics (i.e. complexities of products, machinery, and costs)
• Good financial analysis and resources allocation skills; experience developing productivity and developing/managing a budget