Job Description

Location: Louisville, KY
Job Type: Full Time | Onsite
Industry: Food & Specialty Process Manufacturing
Compensation: Competitive + Annual Bonus

The Process Operations Manager will take full operational ownership of a high-volume plant that manufactures value-added specialty oils for the food and consumer goods industry. This position ensures that production outputs, safety results, product quality, and customer standards are continuously achieved without interruption.

This is a mission-critical leadership role directly impacting:

• Production reliability

• Customer delivery performance

• Cost per pound and profitability

• Plant safety and compliance culture

• Long-term operational improvement and modernization

The right leader will drive both daily operational execution and transformational improvements across personnel, technology, and processes.

• Lead daily operations in refining, bleaching, hydrogenation, interesterification, and deodorization units

• Maintain accurate production scheduling aligned with supply chain requirements

• Oversee equipment changeovers, batch consistency, raw material handling, and finished goods quality

• Monitor KPIs such as OEE, downtime, waste %, efficiency, and throughput

• Ensure customer specs, product integrity, and regulatory guidelines are met at all stages

• Manage supervisors and production teams across multiple shifts

• Conduct onboarding, cross-training, upskilling, and ongoing development programs

• Build a culture of accountability, communication transparency, and high engagement

• Participate in talent planning including hiring, succession, and career development

• Champion a zero-incident environment through proactive safety policies

• Maintain compliance with:

  • OSHA

  • Food safety regulations

  • Environmental controls and standards

• Facilitate audits, hazard reviews, root-cause investigations, and compliance reports

• Ensure strict adherence to SOPs, GMPs, and customer-driven quality requirements

• Work closely with technical and customer service teams to resolve product issues efficiently

• Support customer satisfaction by maintaining reliable and responsive operations

• Lead Lean/CI, Six Sigma, and TPM initiatives across production lines

• Reduce rework, scrap, and unplanned downtime through predictive and preventive tactics

• Collaborate with engineering teams on capital improvement and technology upgrades

• Identify & implement initiatives that reduce operational cost per pound

• Maintain 5S compliance with structured audits and corrective actions

• Empower operators in autonomous maintenance and reliability ownership

• Track KPIs related to:

  • Audit performance

  • Preventive maintenance completion

  • Root cause elimination for recurring failures

Category Requirements

Bachelor's in Engineering, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, or similar

10+ years in industrial process operations; 5+ years people leadership

Strong knowledge of refining or chemical/food/batch processing

Hands-on CI systems like Lean/TPM/Six Sigma (preferred certification not required)

Understanding of OSHA/Environmental regulations

Strong communicator, team motivator, and data-driven decision maker

• Able to lead through influence and energize cross-functional teams

• Excels in fast-paced environments where priorities shift based on customer needs

• Track record of measurable operational improvement

• Passion for modernizing legacy systems and developing technical talent

• Competitive salary + 10% Target Bonus

• Medical, Dental & Vision coverage from Day 1

• HSA with employer contribution ($1,000 $1,500 annually)

• 401(k) match - 100% of first 3%, 50% of next 3%

• Life & Disability Insurance provided

• Supplemental options:

  • Pet Insurance

  • Identity Theft

  • Legal Assistance

• Paid training & certification reimbursement

• Paid community involvement & recognition events

• Discounts: Travel, entertainment, and lifestyle perks

This position directly influences:
Plant growth strategy
Long-term operational reliability
Customer trust and market competitiveness
Sustainability and better-for-the-planet product innovation

You will help supply essential ingredients used in:

• Chocolate & confectionery products

• Bakery and dairy items

• Plant-based foods

• Specialized nutrition & personal care products

This leader will play a key role in serving global brands and improving the quality of products used by millions every day.

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