Plant Manager

Join the Snack Revolution at Utz Brands!

Be the heartbeat of our associate experience.
At Utz, we're not just making snacks-we're crafting moments of joy. With iconic brands like Utz, Zapp's, Boulder Canyon, and On the Border, we've built a legacy of flavor and innovation. Now, we're looking for a passionate and detail-driven professional to help us take care of the people who make it all possible-our associates.

Plant Manager - Lead, Innovate, Transform

Are you ready to take the reins of a high-performing manufacturing facility and drive excellence across every dimension of operations? We're looking for a strategic and hands-on Plant Manager to lead our team in delivering top-quality products, optimizing performance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

What You'll Do:

Direct all phases of plant operations including production, sanitation, quality control, maintenance, and continuous improvement activities while leading performance improvement efforts, diagnosing operational opportunities, and developing corrective action plans as required.

Your mission:

• Direct the manufacturing of products at the highest quality and lowest cost.
• Lead plant operations with production supervision to ensure a consistent, superior-quality product is produced efficiently and customer demands are met.
• Maintain appropriate staffing across all shifts. Authorize recruitment, termination, and promotion of associates in consultation with Human Resources; determine standards of behavior and ensure disciplinary procedures are carried out consistently and according to company policies.
• Execute the Performance Management System and ensure plant KPI targets are achieved.
• Work with production planning and other departments to ensure customer requirements are fulfilled.
• Monitor all plant operations regularly and systematically to assess overall efficiency and recommend methods and procedures for improvement in safety, quality, cost, and productivity.
• Provide leadership, direction, and support to plant personnel to drive maximum efficiency and performance. Set clear, executable performance standards and mentor employees to achieve their full potential.
• Initiate capital spending recommendations to support future growth and profitability. Recommend and participate in capital project planning and execution, working closely with Engineering and Project Management to ensure success and return on investment.
• Maintain responsibility for food safety within the facility. Enforce policies and procedures related to quality, good manufacturing practices (GMPs), and the SQF system.
• Develop and maintain a safe workplace in accordance with regulatory and plant policies. Build and maintain an effective safety team within manufacturing and related departments.
• Direct production area cost functions, including budgets, daily variances, scrap, and downtime. Review budgets and standards with managers and submit revisions as appropriate.
• Coordinate with production planning, procurement, and maintenance to ensure adequate resources and supplies are available to meet demand.
• Maintain a long-term focus on continuous improvement utilizing data systems to identify, design, and execute improvement projects. Work closely with the Continuous Improvement (CI) team to achieve goals.
• Review maintenance records and schedules with plant supervision to minimize downtime and support equipment reliability.

What You Bring:

• A bachelor's degree (preferred) and 5+ years of leadership experience, ideally in food manufacturing, preferably in the food manufacturing industry.
• Proven success in managing large-scale operations and capital projects.
• Expertise across manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, and preventative functions.
• A passion for developing people, solving problems, leading change as well as excellent interpersonal presentation, and communication skills.
• Strong knowledge of safety, quality, and HR practices.

External Recruitment Process:

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Why Utz?

We're proud to offer a supportive, inclusive environment where associates can grow their careers and live their healthiest lives. Our benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Employer-match 401(k) and profit-sharing
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Career development programs and more

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.