Operations Manager - Food Manufacturing

COMPANY OVERVIEW

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one another and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.​

About the Role

The Operations Manager owns production operations at the Pet Treating facility in Joplin, Missouri. Reporting to the Plant Manager, you’ll lead three supervisors and their hourly teams to deliver safe, high-quality products on time and within budget.

This role combines people leadership, production execution, food safety and quality, financial management, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement. You’ll develop frontline leaders, set clear performance expectations, use data to prioritize action, and lead improvements that strengthen safety, service, productivity, and cost performance.

What You’ll Do

• Lead daily production through three supervisor direct reports and their hourly teams.
• Set priorities, coach leaders, document performance, and hold employees accountable while maintaining trust.
• Build team capability through onboarding, job-transfer training, corrective and preventive actions, and ongoing development.
• Plan production to meet volume, efficiency, service, safety, quality, and cost objectives.
• Review daily, weekly, and monthly KPIs; identify trends; and convert findings into focused improvement plans.
• Lead practical lean initiatives, including Kaizen events, loss analysis, spaghetti diagrams, SMED, standard work, and visual management.
• Establish and sustain Operations-owned Autonomous Maintenance routines, including basic-condition restoration, cleaning, tightening, lubrication checks, and early identification of equipment abnormalities.
• Partner with Maintenance on equipment conditions and significant breakdowns while maintaining clear ownership of routine operator care.
• Use Redzone or a similar system to identify top losses, track actions, and improve equipment performance.
• Partner with Engineering to identify productivity opportunities, capacity constraints, and potential capital investments.
• Conduct or support facility capacity analysis and use the results to guide production planning and improvement priorities.
• Review existing bills of material for accuracy and partner with Finance on BOMs for new products after production trials.
• Analyze yield, waste, labor, downtime, and other cost drivers; then implement plans to improve performance.
• Own the department’s operating expenses, support annual budget planning, monitor results, and partner with Accounting on reviews.
• Partner with Quality to maintain product quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance, including FDA, FSIS, SQF, USDA, and GMP requirements.
• Champion a strong safety, food-safety, and quality culture through training, communication, audit follow-up, and procedural updates.
• Prepare operational reports, track issues and actions, and collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Finance, and other support teams.
• Cross-train to provide manufacturing continuity and assume applicable Quality Assurance responsibilities when needed.
• Complete other assigned projects and responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations, manufacturing, or a related field is preferred.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible manufacturing experience, including experience in the food industry.
• 1+ year of experience directly managing salaried employees.
• Experience leading production or operations teams with responsibility for safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost.
• Experience leading or facilitating Kaizen events or other hands-on continuous improvement work.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and their application in a production environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop teams, set expectations, and hold people accountable without damaging trust.
• Experience managing operating expenses, developing budgets, and reviewing performance against plan.
• Knowledge of project management principles and practices.
• Ability to analyze operational data and prepare reports for reviews and issue tracking.
• Ability to work in hot, cold, or wet conditions, including temperatures below 50°F or above 90°F for periods of up to three hours.
• Ability to follow safety and PPE requirements when working with harsh cleaning chemicals.
• Ability to occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds and work at elevation, including on a ladder, lift box, or scissor lift.

Preferred Qualifications

• Food manufacturing leadership experience in a regulated production environment.
• Experience managing multiple people leaders and hourly teams.
• Hands-on Autonomous Maintenance experience, including restoring equipment to basic condition and establishing operator-owned routines.
• Experience with Redzone or a similar digital production or loss-management system.
• Formal training in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, Kaizen, or Total Productive Maintenance.
• Practical use of spaghetti diagrams, SMED, 5G/5S, standard work, loss analysis, and visual management.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt training paired with practical application.
• Training Within Industry (TWI) experience, especially in standardized work, employee training, and change management.
• Experience analyzing capacity, equipment losses, yields, waste, labor, and other operating constraints.
• Experience reviewing or creating bills of material.
• Experience partnering with Engineering on productivity improvements and capital expenditure opportunities.

Additional Considerations

• International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered.
• Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for this position for work visas.

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is:

At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. ​

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Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet a minimum 18-year age qualification.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER (EOE)​

General Mills is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital or familial status, status regarding public assistance, or membership or activity in a local human rights commission.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodation request form by following this link: Accommodation Request.