This role provides overall leadership and operational direction for cheese production and associated processing areas, including intake, concentration, and downstream operations. The position is accountable for delivering safe, high-quality dairy products while optimizing yield, efficiency, cost, and workforce performance. The manager builds a disciplined manufacturing environment capable of meeting current production demands and supporting future improvements through process optimization, people development, and cross-functional collaboration. The role emphasizes technical ownership of cheesemaking processes, operational execution, and continuous improvement while maintaining strong alignment with safety, quality, and customer requirements.
Manufacturing & Operational Leadership
- Direct day-to-day production activities across cheese and related processing areas, ensuring performance targets for safety, quality, cost, delivery, and employee engagement are achieved.
- Oversee production planning and execution, including daily and weekly scheduling to meet customer and business requirements.
- Ensure manufacturing operations are executed efficiently while maintaining compliance with food safety, quality, and sanitation standards.
- Analyze operational metrics and trends to identify risks, opportunities, and improvement priorities.
Process Control & Product Quality
- Provide technical oversight of cheesemaking processes, formulations, and processing parameters to ensure consistent product performance and yield optimization.
- Lead troubleshooting efforts for process deviations, equipment challenges, and quality issues, utilizing structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Partner with quality leadership to determine appropriate disposition of product based on specifications and customer requirements.
- Ensure equipment, utilities, and facilities are maintained in sanitary and production-ready condition.
Continuous Improvement & Systems Development
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, waste reduction, labor efficiency, and process reliability.
- Apply lean manufacturing principles and structured improvement tools to enhance operational performance.
- Ensure standard operating procedures are developed, documented, maintained, and effectively deployed across manufacturing activities.
- Lead change management efforts related to new processes, trials, recipes, and operational updates.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with maintenance and engineering teams to plan and execute capital projects, equipment upgrades, and preventative maintenance activities.
- Coordinate with supply chain, purchasing, and logistics partners to ensure material availability and timely order fulfillment.
- Act as a collaborative partner across departments to align operational priorities and support enterprise initiatives.
People Leadership & Development
- Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to supervisors, team leads, and operators.
- Develop leadership capability within the supervisory team to strengthen execution and accountability.
- Support effective staffing, training, performance management, and succession planning.
- Ensure consistent application of company policies, including corrective action processes, in partnership with human resources.
Safety, Compliance & Administration
- Promote and enforce safety programs and safe work practices to reduce incidents and improve overall workplace safety.
- Ensure compliance with GMPs, HACCP, sanitation, and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain accurate production, quality, safety, and sanitation records.
- Develop and manage departmental budgets, monitoring labor, materials, overhead, and shrink to meet financial objectives.