Your Opportunity as the Operations Manager
In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead a critical manufacturing operation in support of delivering the trusted food and pet products consumers rely on every day. The Operations Manager will provide leadership across safety, quality, cost, reliability, sustainability, and people development while helping to advance a culture of continuous improvement. This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for someone who is energized by plant operations, team development, and driving strong business results in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Location: Orrville, OH
Work Arrangements: 100% on-site
- Willingness to work extended hours and flow to the work as needed.
In this role you will:
- Champion Operational Excellence (OpEx) behaviors and contribute to building a high-performing organization.
- Lead overall operational performance across safety, quality, cost, reliability, sustainability, and organizational capability.
- Drive issue resolution to root cause and promote a zero-loss mindset throughout the operation.
- Contribute to the annual master planning process in support of business objectives.
- Lead, coach, and develop the manufacturing team to deliver strong engagement and operational results.
- Partner closely with HR and the Plant Manager to address labor relations matters effectively and consistently.
- Support participation in union contract negotiations.
- Oversee the development and management of operational budgets.
- Provide leadership for Safety and Quality key element systems and coach sub-key element owners to drive effectiveness.
- Serve as a professional representative of the Orrville plant with internal stakeholders, customers, vendors, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
What we are looking for:
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree is required.
- Food or Pharma manufacturing experience is required.
- Experience implementing TPM, Lean, Six Sigma, or other high-performance work systems is required.
- Demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing leaders is required.
- Strong leadership capabilities with the ability to manage and facilitate change effectively.
Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:
- Knowledge of GMP, PC, OSHA, and FDA regulations is strongly preferred.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to assess information and challenge ideas constructively.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Demonstrated strengths in leadership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong working relationships.
- Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
The Right Place for You
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
Stay connected with us on LinkedIn®
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
The J.M. Smucker Co. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The J.M. Smucker Co. and has not been reviewed or approved by The J.M. Smucker Co..
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are described as strong, with a company 401(k) match, immediate vesting in some materials, and access to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. These elements contribute to a favorable view of total compensation value.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents and on-site childcare at key locations signal a family-forward approach. Additional supports such as adoption assistance and pet-related leave reinforce this emphasis.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, seasonal compressed schedules, and flexibility options are highlighted across materials. The ability to start with substantial PTO and buy additional time enhances perceived time-off breadth.
The J.M. Smucker Co. Insights
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What We Do
Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets with products found in 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers®, Jif® and Milk-Bone® and new favorites like Café Bustelo®, Smucker’s® Uncrustables® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer and pet parent preferences for food, how it’s purchased and how the companies that make it should operate, we will maintain the important role we play in their lives. This will allow us to continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on all of those who count on us.
