Director, Plant Operations

Position Summary

The Director, Plant Operations is responsible for leading all aspects of plant operations (Paragon Plant & Chip Plant) to ensure the efficient production of high-quality washed and packaged potato products that consistently meet customer expectations. This role is accountable for driving operational excellence while controlling costs and maximizing departmental profitability. The Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of production, quality, maintenance, shipping, and inventory functions, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant operations. Working closely with potato storage leaders, this position coordinates product flow and movement to optimize inventory, meet production schedules, and support customer demand.

Qualifications

Accountabilities

Competencies and Success Factors

Operational Excellence & Plant Performance: Drives day-to-day plant effectiveness, production efficiency, and overall operational execution across both facilities. Understands production planning and execution, ensuring optimal equipment utilization and minimizing downtime through effective maintenance coordination. Maintains high standards of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance while consistently meeting output and performance targets.

Financial & Business Acumen:Focuses on profitability, cost control, and long-term value creation for the organization. Manages and reduces operating costs while improving margins, as well as leading initiatives that support revenue and production volume growth. Demonstrates capital investment planning and return-on-investment decisions, while also supporting broader organizational goals related to return on family capital.

Leadership & Talent Development: Builds a strong organizational culture and develops high-performing teams. Leads large, multi-functional teams while actively coaching, mentoring, and supporting individual development and succession planning. Establishes accountability through effective leadership structures and driving employee engagement, cultural alignment, and adherence to Core Values throughout the organization.

Strategic Alignment & Cross-Functional Integration:Ensures that plant operations are fully aligned with broader business objectives and external partners. Coordinates closely with sales, storage, and customer demand to ensure seamless product flow and inventory management. Actively participates in strategic planning and leadership discussions, as well as translating organizational strategy into effective operational execution across both plants.

Physical Activities/Demands: This position involves a moderate level of walking while tending to various areas in the production line. Ability to react quickly to product jams and machine malfunctions is necessary. This position requires the ability to: ascend/descend various types of ladders and stairs; move oneself into different positions in various environments (sometimes tight); bend, stoop, squat and kneel; reach for product; walk moderate distances on concrete floors; lift up to 20 pounds and occasionally up to 50 pounds; communicate with others via voice, listening and verbal response; read and write to receive instruction, document work and heed safety warnings; repeat motions with the wrists, hands and fingers; operate machinery and digital controls; visually inspect work in near/distant scenarios including need for peripheral vision and depth perception.

Environmental Conditions: Physical activities are performed in temperature controlled indoor environments which could include noisy environments; slippery and wet floor conditions, exposure to regulated chemicals; dusty or poorly ventilated environments.

Wysocki Family Farms is an EEO Employer

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