Associate Director, Operations

Full Time
Aurora, IL, USA
7 months ago

Associate Director, Production 

The AD of Production drives the culture & leads the site strategy for a high-volume food manufacturing, pick, pack, & ship Fulfillment Center. You will be responsible for delighting our loyal customers’ taste buds, providing optimal nutrition to elevate their performance, while maintaining restaurant quality and integrity presentation. You will work directly with our Director of Operations to be in charge of building out & leading the operational road map for our largest facility. Your time will be spent between managing the daily operational logistics of the kitchen, production and fulfillment center, creating a positive workplace culture for over 700 employees, mentoring the leadership team, and driving continuous improvement. This person will have a seat at the table and be given the opportunity to make decisions that will impact the company as a whole.

You will...

  • Build & establish a strong team with a leadership pipeline; coach and develop talent within each functional area of fulfillment (Kitchen, Prepping, Plating, Food Safety & Quality and Fulfillment)
  • Develop trust, credibility, effective and collaborative relationships with Factor_ peers and direct reports
  • Provide direction and leadership for day to day operational challenges
  • Develop trust, credibility, effective and collaborative relationships with supply chain peers and direct reports.
  • Balance quality, productivity, cost, safety and morale to achieve positive results in all areas. 
  • Be the liaison between the site operations and other functions within the corporate leadership teams, helping your team to identify the key priorities for the site
  • Develop high standards for execution to meet all KPI’s & financial metrics while supporting your team in achieving daily, weekly, monthly and annual goals
  • Ensure adequate communication of company goals and priorities to full Production team, including leading monthly meetings to engage and inspire a diverse, growing workforce
  • Drive continuous improvement when it comes to Safety, Quality, Cost, and Delivery.
  • Demonstrate capability to create new processes that ensure consistency, premium taste, and appearance of every meal leaving our high-volume kitchen

You are…

  • Bold: you’re adventurous, outgoing and optimistic; you’re confident making decisions and taking calculated risk
  • Entrepreneurial Spirit: you have the vision, passion, and imagination; you are not afraid to ask, ‘what if’ and constantly challenge the status quo
  • Versatile: you roll with the punches and don’t get overwhelmed easily; you enjoy grinding away at issues and have a knack for delivering results in hyper-growth, constantly changing environments
  • Analytical: data is your friend; you're able to translate numbers into action and pave the way for efficiency
  • Team-oriented: you have a track record of leading cross-functional teams and cultivating collaborative partnerships at all levels and departments of an organization
  • Strategic: you recognize and resolve situations that are ambiguous or challenging and use logic to identify alternatives, evaluate, and present approaches to solving complex problems while thinking in terms of contingency plans
  • Customer-focused: slightly obsessive-compulsive when it comes to customer experience and strive to deliver a product that is second to none

At a minimum, you have...

  • 8+ years of management experience leading a fulfillment operations center; preferably in food service, food production or kitting
  • Bachelor's Degree or Master's preferred
  • Ability to think strategically and communicate at the executive level, coupled with top-notch organizational skills and an attention to detail
  • Familiarity with FSMA, HACCP, SQF
  • APICS CPIM or CSCP certification (preferred)
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively motivate, develop and manage 1200 employees a day - our culture is a critical part of our success, and you are directly responsible for driving it
  • Deep knowledge of Lean and Agile Production
  • Comprehensive background in Manufacturing,Fulfillment, Shipping, Receiving, and Warehousing
  • Inventory control management with a background in building/improving warehouse management or inventory tracking systems (WMS implementation a plus)
  • Excitement for working in an environment with a high level of ambiguity and change
  • Interest in spending most of your time on the shop floor and working directly with all levels of staff
  • Demonstrated success at delivering new product initiatives in both a large company and start-up environments
  • Strong continuous improvement skills
  • A customer service obsession and a willingness to do whatever it takes to satisfy customer needs
  • Effective communication and are a leader for employees, direct reports, cross-functional teams and executive leadership
  • Proven ability to quickly adapt to business needs
  • Willing to work weekends and/or night shifts when needed
  • High level of integrity and ethics

You’ll get…

  • Competitive salary, 401k with company match that vests immediately upon participation, and company equity plan based on role
  • Generous PTO, including sabbatical, and parental leave of up to 16 weeks
  • Comprehensive health and wellness benefits with options at $0 monthly, effective first day of employment
  • Tuition reimbursement for continuing education
  • Up to 75% discount on subscriptions to HelloFresh meal plans (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Everyplate, and Factor_)   
  • Access to 7 different Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) including those for BIPOC, women, veterans, parents, and LGBTQ+
  • Inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment within a fast-paced, mission-driven company that is disrupting the traditional food supply chain

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities. However, the Company reserves the right to adjust, modify, or reassign work tasks and responsibilities as needed to meet changing business needs, operational requirements, or other factors.