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Plant Manager

Job Details

Job Location

Boone - Boone, IA

Description

Position Summary

The Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a dairy manufacturing facility, ensuring the production of high-quality dairy products in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner. This role leads all plant functions including production, quality assurance, safety, maintenance, sanitation, and employee engagement. The Plant Manager drives continuous improvement initiatives, regulatory compliance, and fosters a culture of operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

+ Lead and manage all manufacturing activities to meet production goals, quality standards, and customer expectations.

+ Monitor and optimize production processes, throughput, yields, and labor utilization.

+ Ensure consistent execution of manufacturing plans, maintenance schedules, and inventory management.

People Management

+ Direct and develop plant staff including Production Supervisors, Maintenance, QA, and support personnel.

+ Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and performance excellence.

+ Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching, and development plans for team members.

Quality & Compliance

+ Ensure all dairy products meet or exceed company and regulatory quality and food safety standards (e.g., FDA, USDA, SQF).

+ Partner with Quality Assurance to maintain audit readiness and compliance with HACCP, GMPs, and other food safety programs.

Health & Safety

+ Champion a strong safety culture by ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations and company policies.

+ Lead incident investigations, implement corrective actions, and support proactive safety training.

Financial & Strategic Management

+ Develop and manage plant budget, control costs, and drive cost-saving initiatives.

+ Identify and implement operational improvements using lean manufacturing principles.

+ Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support product launches, capacity planning, and capital projects.

Communication & Reporting

+ Maintain clear and regular communication with corporate leadership, supply chain, and support departments.

+ Generate and analyze plant performance reports including KPIs, downtime, waste, and productivity.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

+ Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Engineering, Business, or related field required; Master’s preferred.

+ Minimum of 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in a large food or dairy manufacturing facility, with at least 3+ years in a plant manager role.

+ Strong working knowledge of dairy production processes, pasteurization, sanitation, and regulatory requirements.

+ PCQI certification a plus

Skills & Competencies

+ Proven leadership and team-building skills.

+ Strong knowledge of food safety systems (e.g., HACCP, SQF, GMPs, FSMA).

+ Familiarity with ERP and production software systems.

+ Data-driven decision-making and strong problem-solving skills.

+ Excellent communication, planning, and organizational abilities.

There will be a need for 50-75% travel to other Daisy facilities for onboarding for the first 6-9 months. Once onboarding is complete the ongoing travel expectation is up to 25% until plant startup. Post plant startup travel is as needed.

Company Overview

For five generations spanning over a century, Daisy Brand has been a family-owned company committed to providing the freshest, most wholesome dairy products. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas with manufacturing facilities in Garland, Texas (1998), Casa Grande, Arizona (2008), and Wooster, Ohio (2015).

Daisy is the market leader in two billion-dollar categories, sour cream and cottage cheese, and generates over half a billion in revenues annually. Daisy Sour Cream represents 1 out of every 2 sour cream purchases in the United States and is the largest sour cream brand in food service, military, and club. It is recognized by consumers for A Dollop of Daisy, a tagline that put this once small brand on the map. Daisy Cottage Cheese is America’s #1 cottage cheese brand and continues to bring new consumers into the category with its innovative single serve packaging and consistent high quality. Daisy recently expanded into a new category with the launch of two dip products and is in the process of expanding distribution.

Daisy's core values, Clean and Trust, resonate in all aspects of our business operations. In 2008, the Foundation for Financial Service Professionals awarded Daisy the prestigious American Business Ethics award.

While maintaining a strong culture of curious and innovative problem-solvers, Daisy Brand has more than doubled employment over the last 15 years and is continuing to grow. Currently, we are proud to employ over 650 full-time staff across more than 25 states throughout the United States.

At Daisy Brand, we value longevity and aim to foster a working environment where employees can envision a long-term career. Companywide, the average employee tenure stands at over seven years. Our corporate office and sales team each boast an average tenure exceeding eleven years, while our manufacturing facilities also demonstrate strong employee retention with tenures averaging over seven years.

Daisy Brand offers an industry leading benefits package that includes:

+ A no-deductible, $0 premium option for employee-only health coverage.

+ 401(k) with 50% company match on first 8% of earnings you contribute.

+ Safe harbor and profit-sharing company contributions to 401(k).

+ Company paid short- and long-term disability coverage.

+ Company paid 2X annual salary life and AD&D insurance.

+ 4 weeks annual paid time off.

+ 20 floating holiday hours and 6 company paid holidays.

+ Extra time off for volunteering.

+ Tuition reimbursement.

+ Fitness membership reimbursement.

+ And more

Daisy Brand is a nicotine-free company. Daisy Brand is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Veterans and disabled encouraged to apply.