Manufacturing Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Operations Manager leads day-to-day production, processing, and materials execution at our juice beverage manufacturing plant. Balancing hands-on floor leadership with production planning, budgeting, and cross-functional coordination, this role drives safe, efficient operations and develops high-performing teams. The successful candidate will have opportunities to grow toward future manufacturing leadership responsibilities.

Key Skills Required

• Operational leadership and results management

• Coaching, employee development, accountability, and conflict resolution

• Root-cause analysis, problem solving, and continuous improvement

• Production planning, KPI analysis, and ERP data management

• Budget management, cost control, and cross-functional collaboration

• Food safety, sanitation, CIP, and regulatory compliance

Primary Responsibilities and Essential Functions

• Lead daily production and processing across beverage lines to meet safety, quality, throughput, labor, and schedule goals.
• Set clear expectations and coach supervisors, leads, and operators; manage performance and foster teamwork and continuous improvement.
• Oversee blending, batching, process parameters, batch records, CIP, sanitation, and food safety requirements.
• Track throughput, yield, waste, downtime, and labor efficiency; lead corrective actions with Maintenance and Engineering.
• Coordinate production schedules and material flow with Procurement/Supply Chain and Warehouse.
• Manage departmental budgets, labor and material variances, and cost improvement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate ERP production, batch, labor, downtime, and yield reporting.
• Develop training and succession capabilities; support GFSI audit readiness, CAPAs, and cross-functional plant initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Production schedule attainment and throughput
• Yield, waste, and material utilization
• Labor efficiency and overtime
• Downtime and operational efficiency
• Quality, food safety, and audit compliance
• Department budget and controllable costs
• Training, employee development, and performance
• Continuous improvement and corrective-action effectiveness

Education/Experience

Required:

• 5–8+ years of progressive manufacturing/production experience, preferably in a regulated environment
• Knowledge of CIP systems, sanitation processes, and food safety requirements
• Experience supporting GFSI-recognized audits, such as FSSC 22000 or SQF
• Working knowledge of ERP systems for production, scheduling, and inventory
• Experience managing departmental budgets and controllable costs
• Ability to lead, train, develop, and hold hourly and salaried employees accountable

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Business, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered
• Food and beverage or regulated CPG manufacturing experience
• Experience with blending, batching, or liquid processing operations

About Us

good2grow® is a children’s beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Our mission is to use fun to help kids consume healthier products. And our commitment to this mission has made us a high-growth innovative beverage company, with a large, diverse, and ever-growing set of retail partners. We create better-for-you drinks that give both parents and kids a smile by combining great taste with tons of fun. We partner with some of the biggest names in entertainment including Disney, Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, Hasbro and so many more to top our products with 100s of all of their favorite characters. Our line of products includes snacks, juices, flavored waters, and milks, so there’s something to make everybody smile.

Why join us?

good2grow Bottling offers a competitive benefits package, including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with company match, Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Account, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, 12 Paid Holidays, paid time off and sick time. We value our employees’ experience and the community around us. At good2grow®, you will be consistently challenged, and your opportunities will only be limited by your ambition!

Our Culture

Not only are our products fun, so is our organization! We are visionaries with a growth mindset, built on trust, integrity, and collaboration. Our goal is for every employee to feel empowered, valued, and part of the good2grow family. Our organization is dedicated to leveraging technology to make our work more efficient and to keep our workforce connected. We place value on hard work and pride by encouraging a culture that understands the importance of each individual’s unique contributions.