Plant Manager

A leading global food manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced
Manufacturing Leader
to oversee a highly seasonal, high-volume production facility in California. This role is ideal for a hands-on, people-focused leader who thrives in complexity, embraces Continuous Improvement, and knows how to scale operations up and down without losing momentum.

The Operation:

This facility produces finished goods in a fast-paced, agricultural-driven manufacturing environment. Production aligns directly with harvest cycles, creating a unique operating rhythm:

• Peak season (July–October):
  24/7 operations with headcount scaling from ~100 to ~600 employees.
• Off-season:
  Focus on planning, maintenance, TPM, CI initiatives, and culture building.
• Highly automated operations with significant investment in modernization and digitalization.

The Role

You will lead the site through both intense peak production periods and strategic off-season improvement work. Success in this role requires strong operational discipline, cultural leadership, and the ability to engage a bilingual workforce through change.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading all manufacturing operations with a strong
  TPM / CI mindset.
• Managing significant seasonal workforce fluctuations with confidence and clarity.
• Driving standardization, accountability, and sustainable performance improvements.
• Partnering cross-functionally with agriculture, maintenance, quality, and supply chain.
• Using data and digital tools to improve performance, reliability, and decision-making.

What We're Looking For:

• Proven manufacturing leadership experience in
  food, beverage, agriculture, or produce processing.
• Strong TPM experience is required.
• Experience operating in
  seasonal or peak-driven manufacturing environments.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) – mandatory.
• Demonstrated ability to lead union and non-union teams.
• Change agent mentality — able to influence culture, not just manage outputs.

Why This Role

• Opportunity to lead a critical site with high visibility and strategic importance.
• Ability to make a real impact by modernizing operations and embedding CI principles.
• A business that invests in its facilities, people, and long-term operational excellence.