Contract Manufacturing Operations Manager

Conagra Brands is one of North America's leading branded food companies. We have a rich heritage of making great food, and a team that’s passionate about innovation and growth. Conagra offers choices for every occasion through iconic brands, such as Hunts, Aylmer, Marie Callender's®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim®, VH Sauces, Pogo and Vlasic®, and emerging brands, including Angie's® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, Duke's®, Earth Balance®, Gardein®, and Frontera®.

Conagra Brands est une des principales entreprises d’aliments de marque en Amérique du Nord. Son histoire est jalonnée de grands succès alimentaires qui sont le fruit du travail d’une équipe passionnée par l’innovation et la croissance. Conagra offre des choix pour toute occasion grâce à des marques réputées comme Hunt’s®, Aylmer®, Marie Callender's®, Healthy Choice®, Slim Jim®, les sauces VH®, Pogo®, Vlasic® et des marques émergentes, dont Angie's® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, Duke's®, Earth Balance®, Gardein® et Frontera®.

**Job Summary**

Reporting to the Director of Contract Manufacturing you will be responsible for quality, customer service, inventory, finished goods production, material planning, cost control, cost reduction and vendor relations at the Contract Manufacturing facilities. Provide project management for business growth and productivity improvement projects at Contract Manufacturers. Develop business relationships with Contract Manufacturers responsible for manufacturing our products. Lead teams to oversee all aspects of operational performance that meets the quality, food safety standards, regulatory policies, customer service and cost requirements of the organization. Be the liaison between Contract Manufacturers and the functional departments within the Operating Groups. Ensure use of resources and communication of priorities by coordinating efforts between Marketing, R&D, Manufacturing and Product Supply departments..

**Position Responsibilities**

Product Commercialization:

- Manage Projects through execution to ensure specifications are established before production and all parameters are achieved during the qualification, verification and commercialization steps. Ensure adequate technical representation (Quality, R & D and Procurement) is present during project phases.
- Project driver on manufacturing projects, e.g., new product introduction, rationalization of facilities.

Ongoing maintenance:

- Report KPI's for co-manufacturers on quality, food safety, customer service and financial reporting. Develop strategies to improve performance. Conduct regular Operational Improvement reviews with Contract Manufacturers to improve production efficiency and reduce production cost.
- Analyze manufacturing best practices within facilities and look to implement these practices into the Contract Manufacturers.

Continuous Improvement:

- Be the primary source for obtaining Operational savings at Contract Manufacturer facilities and ensure that savings are tracking according to expectations through validation to implementation.
- Provide focus and coordination to resolving and communicating immediate business issues (i.e., recalls, product going on hold, or other unusual occurrences). Manage inventory discrepancies and claims for excess losses or supplier issues between Contract Manufacturer and Corporate functions to control costs and ensure quick resolution of outstanding issues.

Capital:

- Engage business partners and establishing a communication flow across all functional groups in the management of the capital strategy for short
- and long-term goals.

Collaboration:

- Liaison with the Operations function for internal manufacturing to align with Company manufacturing strategy to maximize leverage between Contract Manufacturing, Marketing, R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, Procurement and Logistic departments.
- Work with the Procurement function to help develop manufacturing and capacity strategies that are consistent with the current and future marketing strategies.

**Position Qualifications**
- Bachelor's degree required (Preferably in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management or Operations Management)
- Diverse management experience (7+ years of plant operations, engineering, supply chain, distribution, or procurement experience preferred).
- Superior project management capabilities
- Negotiation and Contract Manufacturing development. MSA, Service level agreement
- Continuous Improvement experience
- Travel required 15% to 30% (Valid passport required)
- Excel (can perform complex functions)
- Business intelligence (BI) Data mining, process analysis, performance benchmarking, and descriptive analytics.
- Computer skills - Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Access
- Valid G License required

**Our Modern Workplace**

Conagra’s culture of collaboration enhances our ability to meet critical business goals, deliver value to customers and consumers and provide you with the flexibility you need to achieve a better w