Plant Director

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With nearly $2B in annual retail sales, fairlife’s portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

job purpose:

The Plant Director is responsible for the overall leadership and management fairlife's Webster, NY plant; a state-of-the-art, greenfield manufacturing facility, planned for start-up in 2025. The Plant Director will be fully accountable for meeting Safety, Environmental, Quality, Production, Efficiency, Service Levels and People objectives for the site. In addition, this role will provide inspiration, direction, coaching and feedback to the plant leadership team which is responsible for meeting the business plan and strategic objectives whilst strengthening the fairlife culture of Believe in Better and fostering a culture of measurement driven continuous improvement. The Plant Director is responsible for the coordination, administration, and all day-to-day management of the operational activities for the production facility. They will develop and implement internal operating protocol, policies, and procedures in accordance with established company policy. They will work closely with the project team throughout installation, commissioning, and start up of the plant as the overall site leader upon start up.

responsibilities:

Responsible for the development of strategic initiatives, projects, plant processes, and management systems to continuously improve results in safety, quality assurance, productivity, cost savings, environmental stewardship, and customer service

Ensure adherence to all health and safety policies, GMP policies, and regulatory requirements

Partner with relevant stakeholders to ensure production plans are in accordance with plant capacities and capabilities. Refine near term plans to maximize productivity, quality, and customer service

Support development of plant operational budgets, capital budgets, organizational structure, and policies and procedures.

Build a strong and capable plant leadership team and workforce able to start and ramp up a new manufacturing facility

Conduct regular meetings with plant employees to communicate state of the business, plant goals, performance against targets, policy changes, and opportunities for operational improvement

Develop ramp-up plan, plant KPI’s, operational standards, and management routines to meet business objectives

Provide dairy science, mechanical, process, and technical problem-solving support to engineers and operators

Communicate and engage with the workforce at every level to build trust and continuity throughout the teams, consistently demonstrating the fairlife culture of Believe in Better

Foster environment of collaboration and ownership across the project team, resources at existing fairlife sites, and new leadership to build a World Class Factory

Meet short term goals while balancing long term objectives

Be an ambassador for the Webster plant, representing the values, culture, and ethos of fairlife with internal and external stakeholders

Lead the team in executing against competing priorities in a fast-paced environment balancing tactical and strategic initiatives in coordination with the overall supply chain objectives

skills/qualifications required:

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related discipline required

A minimum of 10 years of Plant Manager or equivalent experience that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities outlined

Dairy or brewing experience preferred; pharmaceutical or food experience considered. Aseptic processing experience a plus

Proven ability to identify and mitigate food safety risks with a temperature sensitive pathogen risky raw material such as milk

A proven track record of implementing TPM principles creating short- and long-term value in a technical manufacturing environment

Proven ability to lead a team to achieve goals with trust and integrity

Skilled in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures

Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community

Ability to make administrative and procedural decisions and judgments on sensitive, confidential issues

Ability to analyze and assess training and development needs and manage performance

Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing

Working knowledge of information technology and information systems such as ERP, MRP, MES, SCADA and business analytics

Ability to manage relationships with local government and regulatory officials to maintain and improve compliance of federal and state environmental laws, regulations, procedures, and standards

Knowledge of budgeting cost estimating and fiscal management principles and procedures

Ability to handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

position location: Webster, NY

reports to: Vice President, Manufacturing Operations

travel requirements: 50% travel in 2024, 10% in 2025 and beyond

Salary range: $190,000 - $217,000

*Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

fairlife, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment, the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us, please email .