The Plant Manager is the strategic and operational leader of our 24/7 yeast manufacturing facility - a high-performing partially automated site serving a diverse and evolving agri-food market. This role drives cross-functional excellence across production safety quality engineering and people development. Through strong leadership proactive problem-solving and a passion for continuous improvement the Plant Manager ensures safe efficient and cost-effective operations while shaping a culture of accountability innovation and performance.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Oversees and ensure the proper functioning efficiency and cohesion of all site activities (production maintenance engineering quality health and safety environment human resources training) to accomplish site objectives in a timely and cost-effective manner.
- Collaborates daily with key centralized functions (such as finance quality assurance laboratory engineering purchasing logistics sales and distribution).
- Champions a strong health and safety culture focused on prevention as well as regulatory compliance
- Monitors Key Performance Indicators in all relevant areas and manages performance for cost efficiency quality flexibility and productivity; Leads routine data-driven reviews with their team using a variety of platforms (Safety Chain Unix Cognos Grafana LEMS Alchemy etc.)
- Maintains existing plant facilities and equipment; manage capital assets through acquisition and maintenance.
- Develops the annual facility budget manages operational costs through continuous improvements in processes implements cost effective systems of control over capital operating expenditures manpower wages and salaries; updates a forecast of same in response to changes.
- Coordinate the investigation and the resolution of plant non-conformities customer issues and/or complaints in close collaboration with the quality manager and initiates corrective actions in a timely manner against non-conformity.
- Accompany site management team in problem solving employee mobilization and the application of the site rules and/or collective agreement within a framework of continuous improvement.
- Provide leadership for employee relations through effective communications coaching training and development; Ensures the day-to-day management of human resources in collaboration with site leadership team including the selection and hiring processes of the sites personnel and succession planning for all functions.
- Ensure compliance with all federal state/province and local regulations including environmental compliance and the renewal of all appropriate production licenses and permits.
- Represent Lallemand in external communications such as the neighborhood the community at large relevant authorities and our sister plants (in collaboration with Lallemand corporate communications).
- Serve as back-up for another site Manager functions when required.
Technical skills
Required - Bachelors degree in a related discipline in Science/Engineering/Operations management with emphasis in process control helpful
- A minimum of 10 years of experience in operational management within a fast-paced production-driven environment
- Knowledge of principles and practices of supervision and management. A demonstrated ability to lead people and get results through others with integrity and respect. Ability to work successfully with unionized personnel where applicable.
- Understanding of the procedures surrounding food industry standards. Working knowledge of GMP HACCP Food Safety and GFSI programs. Demonstrated ability for continuous process improvement using modern approaches to problem solving: Lean RCA PDCA.
- Technical skills in materials and inventory management production scheduling and preventative maintenance.
- Basic understanding of industrial equipment: pumps conveyors valves PLCs variable frequency drives etc.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
An asset
- Experience with food or biological processes would be an asset
- Fermentation Knowledge is a plus
- Experience in Yeast industry Dairy industry or Brewery / Distillery is a plus
Personal abilities
Required - Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong leadership with a collaborative mindset; ability to develop and maintain productive and positive relationships with federal/state/local agencies vendors customers and employees other Business Units etc.
- Ability to successfully negotiate contractual agreements by reading analyzing and interpreting complex documents.
- Ability to effectively gather relevant data evaluate and present information and respond to questions from internal/external customers deliver results etc.
- Good stress management adaptability and ability to prioritize tasks; strong organizational skills for the performance of a variety of complex administrative duties.