Plant Manager

Position Title: Plant Manager
On Site: Markham, ON

About Our Client

Our client, a leading childcare catering company, is dedicated to providing healthy, delicious, child-friendly meals and snacks to childcare centers and schools. Their mission is to nourish lives through excellent nutrition and flavors children love, combining quality food with exceptional service. The organization is growing and committed to operational excellence, a strong culture, and becoming a dominant brand in the industry.

The Role

The Plant Manager oversees day-to-day operations within the production facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing and distribution of meals and snacks. The role is accountable for productivity, capacity planning, people leadership, cost control, and regulatory compliance across all production areas, including receiving, preparation, cooking, packaging, and quality assurance.

As an operations leader, the Plant Manager manages a multidisciplinary team and partners closely with cross-functional stakeholders to support operational excellence and strategic business objectives.

Success in this role is demonstrated by a well-run, compliant, and high-performing facility that consistently meets customer expectations. The Plant Manager drives continuous improvement, embeds food safety principles, and builds a culture of teamwork, accountability, and operational discipline.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Oversight

• Oversee daily production to achieve volume, quality, safety, and service targets

• Ensure all processes meet regulatory and internal standards

• Manage plant capacity, labor planning, and workflow to meet demand while minimizing inefficiencies

• Partner with FSQA to maintain compliance with HACCP, GMP, GFSI, and relevant regulatory requirements

• Ensure equipment uptime through proactive maintenance planning

• Maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready facility

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Nutritional Services, FSQA, Purchasing, Logistics, HR, and other stakeholders

• Support menu rollouts, process changes, and new equipment implementations

• Provide operational insights to senior leadership

Safety, Compliance & Risk Mitigation

• Ensure full compliance with health & safety regulations and company policies

• Champion a “Zero Harm” mindset, proactively identifying hazards and reducing risk

• Oversee plant security, traceability, and product integrity

• Lead the facility’s response during audits, inspections, and emergency situations

Talent Management

• Lead, coach, and develop staff for maximum efficiency and alignment with objectives

• Supervise and allocate responsibilities across teams

• Ensure proper employee documentation, payroll, attendance, and vacation management

• Recruit, train, and develop team members

• Maintain regular communication with the team through daily huddles, weekly meetings, 1:1s, and feedback sessions

• Conduct performance reviews and manage performance issues professionally

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Make data-driven recommendations for process and efficiency improvements

• Lead change initiatives and encourage team participation in continuous improvement projects

• Explore and implement new technologies to accelerate operations

• Collaborate across functions to support operational and customer-facing improvements

Leadership & Culture

• Model and promote company values and culture

• Lead by example in daily operations, problem-solving, and employee engagement

• Ensure confidentiality, diplomacy, and professional conduct

• Participate in special projects and cross-functional initiatives

Qualifications & Requirements

• College diploma or university degree

• 7–10+ years leadership experience in food manufacturing, CPG, or other high-volume regulated production environments

• 2+ years culinary, food science, or product development experience

• Red Seal Certification and Safe Food Handler knowledge/certification are assets

• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, GFSI, BRC or SQF standards

• Proven ability to manage large teams in just-in-time production environments

• Experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or Six Sigma methodologies is a plus

Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership and team development skills

• Excellent planning and organizational abilities

• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office, ERP systems, recipe management software

• Knowledge of food allergies and safety standards

• Customer-focused and service-oriented

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities

• Able to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Competencies

• Continuous Improvement: Seeks ways to enhance operational efficiency

• Change Management: Embraces and drives change effectively

• Results Focus: Holds self and team accountable to meet objectives

• Motivating Others: Engages and empowers team members

• Communication: Clearly expresses ideas and information

• Customer Focus: Demonstrates strong orientation to internal and external customers

• Digital Literacy: Effectively uses technology and digital tools

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Production volume and capacity utilization

• Safety, quality, and productivity performance

• Labor efficiency and cost management

• On-time, in-full production metrics

Personal Style & Leadership Traits

• High integrity and trustworthy

• Hands-on and willing to roll up sleeves

• Driven, self-motivated, and results-oriented

• Growth mindset with curiosity about data, trends, and processes

• Strong emotional intelligence and low ego

• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
  
  If you’re looking to join a supportive and innovative team culture, we’d love to hear from you!