Director of Operations (Cheese / Food Division)

Job Description

Job Description

Description :

Ready to take charge at the heart of Midwest manufacturing? Berner Food & Beverage is searching for a bold, hands-on Director of Operations to fuel growth, drive innovation, and empower our people. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, love making things better, and crave seeing your ideas come to life, this is your chance to lead a smart, hungry crew shaping some of America’s favorite ready-to-eat cheese products and ready-to-drink beverages. Let’s create something great—together!?

Summary :

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Operations, the Director of Operations is a key leader responsible for driving operational excellence within Berner Food & Beverage’s cheese division. This role partners with cross-functional leaders to maximize production performance, elevate product quality, and continually enhance business processes and systems. The Director maintains a hands-on presence across all departments, ensuring that plant operations align with company goals and strategic objectives. Flexibility in shift coverage and scheduling is required to support round-the-clock cheese production and provide effective oversight.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

• Champion Berner’s values, positive workplace culture, and team-based approach.?
• Develop, implement, and track KPIs, SOPs, GMPs, and enforce best practices for SQF and HACCP compliance specific to cheese manufacturing.?
• Plan, manage, and optimize production schedules and forecasting to meet demand efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Monitor and analyze inventory levels in collaboration with demand planning, procurement, and sales, ensuring alignment with customer requirements.
• Oversee workforce management—including manager and supervisor follow-ups, employee training, shift performance, staffing, attendance, and continuous improvement initiatives such as OEE.?
• Collaborate with quality, sales, procurement, R&D, and sales to develop and manage budgets, control product costs, and drive profitability.
• Monitor and manage production schedules to ensure customer orders are completed accurately and on time.
• Adjust production runs as needed to meet changing customer requirements or demand forecasts.
• Collaborate directly with customers to clarify specifications, resolve issues, and ensure satisfaction with product quality and delivery timelines.
• Communicate effectively with internal departments to align production activities with customer expectations and priorities.
• Analyze order trends and customer feedback to anticipate demand changes and proactively adjust operational plans.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of various customer requirements, specifications, and regulatory standards.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, quality systems, and customer audit standards to remain audit-ready at all times.
• Ensure accurate use of Berner’s ERP systems to support planning, reporting, and operational tracking.
• Set clear, measurable goals for production teams and maintain accountability for a staff of approximately 150 employees.
• Develop and maintain robust employee training programs focused on safety, compliance, and process improvement.
• Conduct regular staff meetings and communicate expectations, initiatives, and results division-wide.
• Drive data-based decision-making to optimize operations and achieve business targets.
• Maintain expertise in retorted and thermal processes relevant to cheese production.
• Work proactively with the safety director to lead and reinforce safety culture throughout the division.
• Stay current with all regulatory and food safety requirements (SQF, HACCP, USDA, FDA).
• Partner with HR / Talent Acquisition to ensure proper staffing for all shifts and production lines.
• Collaborate with QA and R&D to ensure all products meet or exceed client and regulatory specifications.
• Review production, maintenance, and operational documentation for accuracy and compliance.
• Coordinate with the Maintenance and Reliability teams to maximize equipment uptime and yield.
• Lead and participate in strategic meetings with operations, supply chain, quality, sales, and R&D to review performance, solve challenges, and launch improvement projects.
• Monitor and analyze production yields, identifying variances in conjunction with warehousing, quality, and supply chain.
• Attend and, when appropriate, lead key operations meetings, nurturing communication and alignment across all relevant business units.

Educational and Experience Requirements

Pay Range : $150,000.00 -170,000.00 - Salaried (based on experience);

Benefits Offered : Medical, Vision, Dental, Flex Spending, Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment; Short and Long Term Disability, EAP, and 401k.

All job duties and responsibilities outlined in this job description must be performed onsite at our designated workplace location. This position does not offer remote, hybrid, or telecommuting work options. Applicants must be able and willing to work in person as a condition of employment.

Note : This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. An employee may perform other related duties as needed to meet Berner Food & Beverage’s ongoing needs.

Requirements :