Operations Manager

Land O' Lakes Inc. is one of America's premiere member-owned cooperatives. They offer local cooperatives and agricultural producers across the nation an extensive line of agricultural supplies, as well as state-of-the-art production and business services. They also are a leading marketer of dairy-based food products for consumers, foodservice professionals and food manufacturers.

As the Butter Operations Manager for our Dairy Foods plant in Tulare, CA, this individual will direct and manage 140 employees (salaried supervisors, non-exempt coordinators, and hourly employees) in all Butter Plant Operations with overall responsibilities for People Safety, Quality/Food Safety, Productivity, Delivery, Raw & packaging yield, and efficiency related activities. The role will also have indirect guidance of employees in the Maintenance, Quality, and Logistics/Warehouse Departments. Individual will also Work closely with the Plant Manager and collaborate with staff members to ensure the direction of the Plant is consistent in execution of processes and procedures. Work with Union Leadership to further enhance the engagement of the Tulare employees. This individual will partner with key corporate leaders in furthering the butter business and execution of delivery to our customers at the lowest cost and highest quality. Attract, develop, and promote Best Talent through engaging in the hiring, development, and promotion of direct reports.

**Experience-Education Required:** * Bachelor's degree required in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering or related field * Minimum of 10 years manufacturing leadership experience (strong preference to dairy and/or food) * Strong leadership and proven history of delivering sustainable results * LEAN / Six Sigma / TMM experience * Labor and Employee Relations experience **Competencies-Skills Required:** * High Integrity * Excellent written and verbal communication skills * Strong thought and people leadership * Ability to improve the organization through people development, succession planning, and leveraging diverse talent **Experience-Education Preferred:** * Master's degree in a relevant field * Dairy manufacturing experience **Competencies-Skills Preferred** * Master's in Business Administration degree (MBA) * Proven team leadership experience * High speed Manufacturing experience * Demonstrated experience with Continuous Improvement Processes and/or Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt * Budget and cost control skills * SAP or other ERP system skills a plus * Change agent skills must motivate and inspire others to see the company mission and vision *