Director of Manufacturing Operations

The Impact You’ll Make

In this high-visibility role, you’ll lead & evolve the strategy and operations of our Fresh area with a focus on operational efficiency, product quality, and team-member safety. With over 800 team members in your scope, your leadership will contribute to shaping the culture of our team while also steering the performance trajectory of our business.

You’ll be accountable for delivering measurable results across key operational KPIs— team member safety, product yields, labor efficiency, and food safety—while building a culture of excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

• Lead day-to-day and long-term operations for our Fresh production area
• Develop people and performance—from frontline teams to operational leaders
• Drive strategic improvements in safety, cost, quality, and efficiency
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Sales, R&D, QA, Supply Chain, and Engineering
• Ensure regulatory excellence, including USDA, HACCP, SQF, and internal SOPs
• Represent operations with executive leaders, customers, and partners

You’ll spend your time combining high-level planning with hands-on engagement—walking the floor, solving problems, mentoring teams, and shaping the future of Fresh Operations.

What Makes This Role Exciting?

• Your voice will be heard. You’ll shape operations and influence company direction.
• Big scope, bigger impact. With teams on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shifts under your leadership, your success directly drives our business results.
• Growth without a ceiling. This role is a launchpad for future executive leadership within CFG.
• Culture meets execution. You’ll help build a winning team culture while delivering tangible results.

What We’re Looking For

You’re a seasoned operations leader who thrives in complex, fast-paced manufacturing environments. You bring strategic thinking, accountability, and a passion for developing people. Ideally, you’ve led operations in the protein, RTE, or food manufacturing space—but we also value talent from adjacent industries with strong process leadership.

Skills & Mindset

Must-Have Experience:

• 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, ideally in food or protein, but would consider other volume manufacturing production.
• Proven success leading large teams (~200+), across all shifts, including sanitation
• Firm grasp of operational KPIs, lean practices, and performance systems
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent industrial experience

Key Traits

• Results-driven and persuasive
• Strategic thinker who rolls up sleeves & uses data to solve problems
• Pragmatic & solution driven (eliminate the problem)
• Culturally aligned with servant leadership and team development

Your Future at Clemens

Your first year will be focused on learning, leading, and building:

• 3 months: Understand our operations and their business impact
• 6 months: Identify improvement opportunities and define strategy
• 12 months: Fully integrated, driving business alignment and team development

Success means more than hitting metrics—it’s about leading with integrity, inspiring people, and leaving a lasting impact.

Application Note

Clemens Food Group is not accepting unsolicited resumes from search or staffing firms. All resumes submitted by search or staffing firms to any employee at Clemens Food Group via email, the Internet, or directly without a valid written search agreement for this role and without having been asked to participate in this by Talent Acquisition will be deemed the sole property of Clemens Food Group. No fee will be paid if the candidate is hired. Firms not authorized to submit candidates will not be eligible for any fee or ownership claim.