General Manager (Food/Beverage)

EXECUTIVE SEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT

GENERAL MANAGER

Our client is a rapidly growing innovator and distributor of aseptic food and beverage products, including dairy and dairy alternative beverages, soups, broths, teas, nutritional drinks, wine and spirits in Tetra Pak aseptic cartons.

Performance Profile

TITLE: General Manager (JH18587)

REPORTS TO: CEO

LOCATION: California

The General Manager will be responsible for the overall leadership, management and effective operation of the manufacturing, plant engineering/maintenance, distribution, warehousing, quality, human resources, customer service, purchasing, and accounting to meet regulatory, customer and company expectations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

· Effectively meet all internal and external regulatory compliance requirements for the facility. Includes regulatory requirements related to environmental, health, employee safety, product safety and transportation issues.

· Ensure that on time shipments, product fill rate and product quality provided by the facility will meet the expectations established by the company, customers and the marketplace.

· Manage the people assets at the facility in a manner that maximizes the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of the operation. Treat all employees with dignity and respect, meet all legal and ethical obligations accorded them and develop the team and individuals to their highest potential.

· Maintain and improve the physical assets at the location in an effective manner. Provide a safe work environment for all employees, an effective facility to meet product specifications and an efficient operation that can meet cost and service expectations.

· Develop, implement and maintain effective and efficient processes that optimize the quality, service, regulatory, safety and cost requirements outlined for the facility.

· Implement effective procedures for inventory management, accounting control and transaction integrity that ensures inventory tracking, quantity & valuation are consistently maintained.

· Manage operational, inventory and administrative costs to meet budgetary guidelines and cost objectives.

· Communicate and implement processes, programs and procedures that promote and advance the strategic plan and overall objectives of company and customers.

Key Accountabilities

People/Talent. Work with staff to set and meet/exceed performance standards around each function to deliver results, develop talent and a culture of continuous improvement to improve sustainable performance in production, purchasing, maintenance, Quality, HR, Scheduling, distribution and warehouse activities in accordance with established policies and procedures to meet facility goals and budgetary commitments.

Mechanical downtime reduction. Work with the Maintenance Manager, coordinate Maintenance activities to insure timely reaction and an on-going reduction of equipment related downtime.

Increase plant Efficiencies. Meet a daily with Maintenance and Production Manager to review the current issues and set/revise corrective action plans relating to downtime.

Upgrade Quality Program. Review the plant quality program and adjust as needed to insure compliance with all customer and regulatory and company requirements. Instill a sense of urgency to meet company and customer needs.

Safety. Develop, set and insure compliance with annual plant goals for safety.

Production scheduling. Insure development of a plan that efficiently utilizes plant equipment, materials and staff.

Comply with regulatory requirements. Insure compliance with all regulatory and company requirements including, external auditors, Kosher, Organic, local, state and federal agencies, OSH, wastewater, sanitation and good manufacturing practices.

Regularly meet with staff. Lead the daily staffing meetings to inform, review issues, set change the weekly production plan, control costs and identify corrective actions to be taken to address issues and reduce or eliminate unnecessary downtime or product losses.

Reporting. Provide weekly activity reporting to the COO. Some items that may be included are, key performance indicators, capital project updates, plant efficiencies, plant yields, safety quality issues, employee issues, financial issues, major causes of plant downtime, corrective measures being pursued, compliance with the production schedule, etc.

Approve purchases. Approval of all purchases made for the plant. May be delegated as necessary by setting signing authority for plant personnel.

Manage Warehouse. Direct activities in the warehouse in support of the Operation.

Cost Reduction. Work with Staff and Vendors to review all facility costs and direct cost savings initiatives. Strive to be the low-cost producer.

Qualifications Desired

· Minimum five years of plant management or similar experience in aseptic food/beverage manufacturing & filling environment that would include safety, quality control, inventory management, process/packaging optimization, and plant engineering/maintenance accountability

· Bachelor degree or equivalent experience

· Ability to work in a high growth, results-orientated, fast paced, team centric manufacturing environment

· Ability to organize and execute on multiple projects and priorities at one time

· Excellent communication skills, strong leadership capabilities and customer service orientation

· Experience in FDA regulated manufacturing

Hunt Executive Search Project Team www.huntsearch.com

Joe Hunt

Managing Partner

212-861-2680

joehunt@huntsearch.com