Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Our client is a multi-generational privately owned dairy company with three plants in upstate New York. They support their employees with great benefits, incentives, and appreciation every day. They treat their employees as members of a quality-driven team that is family-based and encourages great ideas and quality workmanship. They manufacture and co-pack ice cream, aseptic and ESL products.
The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is responsible for directing, administering, and coordinating the activities of the organization in support of policies, goals and objectives established by the President. The COO does this by directly overseeing the capacity planning of distribution, production, purchasing and engineering of the Byrne portfolio of warehouse and manufacturing operations. The COO also is responsible for day-to-day operating activities that includes expense, cost and margin control; and monthly, quarterly, and annual financial goal management, production planning, project management, and engineering. The COO completes these functions in the support of the manufacture and distribution of dairy related products.
Job Responsibilities:
- Direct and coordinate production and distribution components of the company to include: Ultra Dairy, Ice Cream Center, Syracuse Cold Storage, Dry Storage Warehouse, Procurement, Demand Planning, Project Management Office, and Engineering departments.
- Participate in formulating and administering company policies and developing performance goals/objectives.
- Establish and implement departmental goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures.
- Review and analyze strategic plans for all operating companies while comparing goals and completion target dates and providing guidance for missed goals.
- Review and analyze the activity, cost, operation, and forecast data to determine department or division progress toward stated goals and objectives.
- Implement and/or support various changes within the company needed to improve the organization’s effectiveness using lean initiatives.
- Organize the management talent base for efficient operations; promote opportunities for management to upgrade skills while continually assessing the management team.
- Develop and install procedures and/or controls to promote communication and coordination between departments.
- Monitor all production reports to ensure achievement of financial, safety, quality, and on-time delivery goals.
- Responsible for P&L for operations and execution of strategic plan; develop budget and cost controls, establish human capital plans, workforce planning parameters, and overall manufacturing key performance indicators.
- Work with the Finance Department to develop operations budgets, HR to develop human capital plans and with marketing/sales to develop product innovations.
- Complete monthly reports for the senior management group.
- Work with Quality Director to direct the improvement of quality systems.
- Ensure that all organizational activities and operations are carried out in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and laws governing business operations.
- Support a mindset of continuous improvement in all areas while balancing quality, productivity, cost, safety, and morale to achieve positive results.
- Ensure team members achieve and remain compliant with all applicable policies, SOPs, rules, regulations, and GMP guidelines, applying coaching and corrective action as necessary.
- Ensure projects and initiatives achieve compliance with all legal requirements regarding dairy processing, industry best practices, and workplace safety/ergonomics.
- Support SQF compliance by setting a high standard for food safety and food quality.
- Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with key suppliers, vendors, customers, and industry peers.
- Establish and maintain a positive work environment, including but not limited to maintaining the open door program and resolving moderate to complex workplace concerns.
- Ensure safety compliance and accident investigations are conducted and corrective actions are taken in timely manner.
- Interview and hire for assigned areas of responsibility.
Essential Knowledge, Skills:
- Read, write, and communicate using English language sufficient to perform job functions (Other preferences will be given for special language skills when there is a business need).
- Knowledge of company’s mission, purpose, goals and your role in achieving each of them.
- Satisfactorily complete all company training requirements.
- Ability to interpret company documents and literature and UPC/code information.
- Knowledge to implement and support various change management activities needed to improve the organizations effectiveness.
- Ability to apply moderate to complex mathematical and concepts to sufficiently handle job tasks.
- Understand and respond appropriately to moderate to complex employee, vendor, and customer inquiries.
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and problems of operating business functions.
- Knowledge of general computer functions such as Microsoft Office programs, spreadsheets, etc.
- Knowledge of GMP’s, OSHA and EPA regulations relative to plant operation and maintenance.
- Ability to implement and support Continuous Improvement method and concepts.
Education/Experience:
- Minimum of BA/BS degree in business administration, engineering discipline and/or related field
- Minimum of 10 years of related experience in a manufacturing or distribution operations within the dairy and/or food industry
- Versed in Sigma six, 5S and lean manufacturing concepts.
- MBA desirable.
For more information, please contact Moira McGrath at moira@foodscience.com or call (954) 428-3888.