Director of Operations

About the Company

Our client is a leading poultry processing company with a strong reputation for operational excellence, product quality, and innovation across both raw and further processed product lines. As they continue to grow, they are seeking an experienced Director of Operations to provide strategic leadership across multiple manufacturing facilities and drive best-in-class operational performance.

This is a senior leadership role offering the opportunity to shape operational strategy, improve efficiencies, and lead high-performing teams within a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

Position Summary

The Director of Operations will oversee multiple poultry processing facilities, with responsibility for raw and further processing operations. Reporting to executive leadership, this role will lead plant management teams to deliver outstanding results in safety, food quality, customer service, operational efficiency, and financial performance.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience leading multi-site poultry manufacturing operations and a proven track record of driving continuous improvement across complex production environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across multiple poultry processing facilities, including both raw and further processing operations.
• Drive operational excellence by improving safety, quality, productivity, yield, throughput, customer service, and profitability.
• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the company's long-term business objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Plant Managers and senior operations leaders, building a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure all facilities operate in compliance with USDA, FSIS, HACCP, FSMA, OSHA, GMP, SSOP, and all applicable regulatory and customer requirements.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive operational performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the organization.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Sales, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Human Resources, and Finance to optimize business performance.
• Lead capital investment planning, facility expansions, automation initiatives, and operational improvement projects.
• Drive improvements in labor productivity, yield optimization, waste reduction, and cost control while maintaining product quality and food safety standards.
• Support new product introductions and process improvements within further processing operations.
• Ensure succession planning and leadership development across all operational functions.
• Foster a culture centered on employee engagement, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related discipline required; Master's degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience within poultry processing or protein manufacturing.
• Significant experience leading both raw poultry processing and further processing operations.
• Proven success managing multiple manufacturing facilities or large-scale processing operations.
• Extensive knowledge of USDA, FSIS, HACCP, FSMA, GMP, SSOP, and OSHA requirements.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen with responsibility for P&L performance, budgeting, and capital planning.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, or other Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed operational teams.
• Strong strategic planning, organizational, and change management capabilities.
• Excellent communication, executive leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Key Competencies

• Executive Operations Leadership
• Multi-Site Manufacturing Management
• Poultry Processing Expertise
• Raw & Further Processing Operations
• Strategic Planning & Execution
• Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement
• Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance
• Financial & Operational Performance
• Leadership Development
• Change Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

What Our Client Offers

• Highly competitive executive compensation package
• Annual performance bonus and long-term incentive opportunities
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and retirement benefits
• Relocation assistance (where applicable)
• Career progression within a leading poultry processing organization
• Opportunity to shape operational strategy and lead large-scale manufacturing operations across a growing business