Plant Director

Job Title: Plant Director

Location: 184 Black Diamond Road, Belleville ON K8N 5A1

About Us:

Welcome to Lactalis Canada – where we take pride in being recognized as one of Forbes' 2022 top employers Our journey revolves around enhancing the lives of Canadians through a rich variety of dairy delights, including some of Canadian’s favourite dairy brands such as Black Diamond Cheese, Lactantia Milk, Astro Yogourt, Balderson Cheese, and Cheestrings. In fact, we’re proud to say our products grace the shelves of an incredible 94% of Canadian households

With a 140-year legacy driven by innovation and unwavering quality, we’re seeking like-minded individuals to join us in shaping our next chapter.

About the opportunity:

The Plant Director has overall accountability for designated manufacturing plant(s) that are complex with multiple product lines and multiple departments. The position delivers on the annual operating plan(s), including safety, operating costs, quality, customer order fill, environmental requirements, capital projects and organizational development to help ensure the plant business objectives are met. The incumbent has ownership of short to mid-term (1-3 years) of strategy execution and operational direction.

The attributes we are looking for:

• Manage the overall operation of the plant(s) to ensure that goals & KPI’s included in the operating plan are met, including health and safety, production, material and inventory planning, standard costs, productivity, quality, continuous improvement, sanitation, customer and consumer satisfaction, and capital/technology improvements. This is done through regular measuring and monitoring of performance reports. Due to the complexity of the plant(s), decisions have a serious impact on the overall success or failure on all of operations.
• Provide leadership to improve health and safety performance by being a role model in safety and demonstrating due diligence through applying the corporate health & safety program elements. These focus on incident prevention through hazard identification, implementing necessary controls, training, education, and audits. Where necessary, take corrective action to address unsafe situations and employee behaviours, uphold Lactalis cardinal and other safety rules and procedures, and communicate with appropriate resources to address any hazardous conditions or unsafe employee conduct.
• Provide leadership to plant management staff by hiring, reviewing performance and providing feedback, determining training and development needs, and providing coaching and work direction. Support managers and teams in attainment of objectives contained in the operating plan. Promote and enhance a positive team environment, including efforts to establish and maintain high levels of employee involvement and communication. Develop a succession plan with HR for the facility and update regularly
• Develop, implement and measure innovative programs for raw material loss reductions, cost, quality and customer service improvement. Develop, manage and measure capital projects to ensure success in delivering expectations within budget and timelines.
• Identify and champion the execution of operational strategic projects/opportunities.
• Actively participate with Technical Services and Engineering to develop and implement Strategic Manufacturing plan.
• Promote excellence in all manufacturing practices, including those required to support optimal quality, yield and cost containment, with minimal rework or downgrades.
• Support the development, implementation and continuation of all product development initiatives and quality assurance programs, including PQMS, HACCP and associated GMP’s Review monthly reports and ensure effective remedial plans are implemented to address issues.
• Coordinate with other functions (e.g. Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Finance) to maximize overall effectiveness and efficiency on multifunctional initiatives.
• Provide detailed review of weekly scorecard & monthly performance reports and variance explanations.
• Manage the plant(s) operating budget by determining and preparing annual budget, obtaining approval, reviewing monthly spending variances, and taking appropriate action when necessary.

What you will bring:

• University degree in Engineering, Dairy Science, or Food Science
• Five (5) to ten (10) years’ experience in a dairy or food processing or manufacturing environment including: cost management, production planning, inventory control, quality; and continuous improvement at site leader level, and leading and developing staff in unionized environment
• Experience in developing, reporting and analyzing financial measurement of plant performance
• Significant experience in technical and economic evaluations of processes, products and production systems
• Experience in advanced dairy/food processing technologies

What Lactalis will offer:

Lactalis Canada believes in rewarding its people with the following comprehensive benefits package and perks:

• A Competitive Base Salary
• A Performance-Based Bonus System
• 5 Weeks of Vacation
• Benefits starting day 1
• A Pension Program with an Employer Match at 100% of up to 6%
• Tuition reimbursement plan of up to $3,000/year
• A Volunteer Day to give back to your community
• Learning and Development opportunities
• A commitment to internal career advancement with potential for international mobility

Our ESG commitment:

Our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) roadmap drives our sustainability mission. We aim to positively impact communities and the planet by enabling stakeholders including our people, consumers, customers, suppliers, dairy farmers, government, and industry partners to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our communities and the planet through all that we do.

At Lactalis Canada, we value our employees as catalysts for positive change. Together, we will create a sustainable future, promote belonging, and make a lasting impact on the world.

Our commitment to DEI:

Fuel Our Culture with Your Uniqueness Lactalis thrives on the value each person brings. We're dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, inviting personal and professional growth, and embracing everyone's true selves. We're committed to crafting an environment that genuinely welcomes all, reflecting the richness of our people and communities.

Our promise extends to accessible processes and spaces. If you require accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary, or permanent), please inform our Talent Acquisition team – confidentiality will be maintained.

Note: Lactalis Canada does not conduct credit or background checks through LinkedIn. If required, we'll contact you after signing a Job Offer.