Operations Manager I - Post Consumer Brands

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets.

At Post Consumer Brands, we take pride in our longstanding legacy of making one of every five breakfast cereals families eat daily. Today, we’re just as focused on our future as we expand our grocery business with different shelf-stable foods, including snacks and peanut butter. We are committed to providing accessible and delicious food for families, and we’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio. As we soar to new heights, we need creative, determined individuals from all walks of life to join our team, where your unique perspective and ideas are acknowledged and valued. Be a part of a company that empowers you to make a difference that’s evident on grocery store shelves and families’ tables across North America.

Post Consumer Brands in Battle Creek, Mich., the cereal capital of the U.S., is the company's largest manufacturing plant and home to about 600 team members. When you join the team here, you'll be helping to produce some of the most iconic cereal brands, including Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, PEBBLES cereal, Grape-Nuts and Honeycomb cereal. The Battle Creek plant is also unique as it is home to the original barn where C.W. Post started the Postum cereal company in 1895. The Battle Creek team has deep community roots, supporting the city's Cereal Festival, local elementary schools, and hosting several on-site volunteer events throughout the year.

The Operations Manager is accountable for managing people safety, food safety, quality, financial performance, morale, customer service and compliance. It is important to develop strategies and practices that support production, continuous improvement initiatives and product quality assurance through communicated objectives and day to day operational goals. Seeks to reduce variances in organizational processes and leverages technology to positively impact quality and results. A key deliverable is to support and drive change necessary to deliver on all operations results in alignment with business strategies while leveraging and developing front line leadership. Support, implement, and maintain food safety and quality practices as required through SQF.

Responsibilities:

• As the Operations Manager for the building, you are effectively the Plant Manager of that facility.
• As the functional plant manager for the building, you are the source of the operational strategic vision for that business.
• Establish environments conducive to high levels of engagement and performance.
• Represent Operations as a strategic business partner with all departments to coordinate activities within the company to drive decision quality.
• Develop and implement plans that are aligned with continuous improvement and Lean Manufacturing principles to deliver business results.
• Develop budgets, labor plans, staffing and capital expenditures.
• Ensure operations resources are focused and aligned on accomplishing key manufacturing tasks and are accountable for making sure they understand how it relates to the business strategy.
• Through their teams, identify constraints limiting performance and seek out new and different solutions, leveraging expertise across the company to support.
• Optimize and develop talent at both the hourly and salaried level through planning, assessment and actions.
• Course correct issues in the facility through the use of daily production meetings and develop actionable items that will enhance deliverables.
• Hold employees accountable for results and behavior in accordance with company values.
• Is dedicated to providing organizational or enterprise wide common systems for designing and measuring work processes
• Creates a learning environment leading to the most efficient and effective work processes
• Where applicable, honor and respect the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to provide for prompt and peaceful adjustment of differences which may arise between bargaining unit employees and the company.
• All other duties as assigned.

Leadership Competencies: Drive for results; command skills; action-oriented; builds effective teams; managerial courage; conflict management; problem solving; customer focus; developing direct reports; managing vision and purpose; interpersonal savvy; business acumen, total work systems.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Management, Science field.

EXPERIENCE:

• Would prefer a minimum of 10 years of combined related experience, with a preference in food processing/packaging, including at least 10 years of supervisory and leading experience
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing systems and processes.
• Strong knowledge of continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Able to build relationships and inspire others.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement through empowerment and management by data

Must be mobile and able to take on broader assignments for additional development opportunities.