Senior Manager of Manufacturing Operations

Summary

As a member of the La Colombe Norton Shores Leadership Team, the Senior Manager of Manufacturing will provide strategic leadership and oversight to the Norton Shores MI plant . The leader will have extensive experience in manufacturing, operational excellence, continuous improvement, driving business results and collaborative leadership to assure plant performance reaches established expectations. This role has the responsibility and the accountability of ensuring the highest level of safety and quality for Chobani and La Colombe's employees and products.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Support the development and execution of manufacturing strategies aligned with company goals and objectives. Lead initiatives that improve productivity, operational efficiency, quality, and overall manufacturing performance.

  Leadership & Talent Development: Build a strong leadership pipeline by developing managers and supervisors, establishing clear expectations, strengthening accountability, and creating meaningful development and succession plans.

  Operational Excellence: Identify and execute opportunities for process optimization, cost reduction, and waste elimination. Champion lean manufacturing principles and standardized processes to improve operational efficiency and consistency.

  Continuous Improvement: Lead and support cross-functional teams in identifying and implementing continuous improvement initiatives. Foster a culture of problem-solving, innovation, accountability, and operational excellence throughout the manufacturing organization.

  Sales & Operations Planning: Partner with the Vice President of Operations and La Colombe's Sales & Operations Planning team to align production capabilities with customer demand and improve operational responsiveness.

  Capacity & Workforce Planning: Lead capacity and workforce planning to ensure staffing, equipment, and production capabilities are appropriately aligned with current demand and future growth.

  Performance Management & Analytics: Establish, monitor, and report key manufacturing KPIs, including safety, quality, productivity, labor efficiency, waste, downtime, schedule attainment, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Analyze performance trends and take corrective action when results fall below expectations.

  Quality Assurance: Partner closely with the Quality Assurance team to maintain strong quality control standards and procedures, ensuring products consistently meet or exceed company and customer expectations.

  Manufacturing Optimization: Identify and implement opportunities to improve labor utilization, production flow, changeover performance, material usage, equipment effectiveness, and overall manufacturing efficiency.

  Capital Projects & Operational Readiness: Partner with senior site leadership on capital projects, equipment installations, process changes, and site expansion initiatives to ensure operational readiness and successful implementation.

  Safety & GMP Compliance: Champion Chobani’s safety procedures and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), reinforcing a culture where employee safety, food safety, and product quality are fundamental operating expectations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in engineering, manufacturing, business administration, or related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive experience in manufacturing, production, or operations leadership, preferably within the food and beverage industry, including 3–5 years of experience leading managers and/or supervisors; experience in a fast paced, multi-sku product environment preferred.
• Willing to spend significant time on the production floor; interacting with employees at all levels.
• Experience leading or participating in a site transformation preferred.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire and empower teams to achieve goals and objectives.
• In-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes, quality systems, and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to optimally collaborate with cross-functional teams and partners.