VP, Manufacturing - Fresh Bakery

Since 1869, we've connected people through food they love. We’re proud to be stewards of amazing brands that people trust. Our portfolio includes the iconic Campbell’s brand, as well as Cape Cod, Chunky, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Lance, Late July, Pacific Foods, Pepperidge Farm, Prego, Pace, Rao’s Homemade, Snack Factory, Snyder’s of Hanover. Swanson, and V8. 

Here, you will make a difference every day. You will be supported to build a rewarding career with opportunities to grow, innovate and inspire. Make history with us.

Why Campbell’s…

• Benefits begin on day one and include medical, dental, short and long-term disability, AD&D, and life insurance (for individual, families, and domestic partners).
• Employees are eligible for our matching 401(k) plan and can enroll on the first day of employment with immediate vesting.
• Campbell’s offers unlimited sick time along with paid time off and holiday pay.
• If in WHQ – free access to the fitness center. Access to on-site day care (operated by Bright Horizons) and company store.
• Giving back to the communities where our employees work and live is very important to Campbell’s.   Our “Campbell’s Cares” program matches employee donations and/or volunteer activity up to $1,500 annually.
• Campbell’s has a variety of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support employees.

Job Description

The Vice President, Manufacturing – Fresh Bakery provides strategic and operational leadership for Campbell’s Fresh Bakery manufacturing network, including bakery operations in Bloomfield, Connecticut; Downers Grove, Illinois; Lakeland, Florida; and Denver, Pennsylvania. This leader establishes the manufacturing strategy, operating priorities, performance expectations, and transformation agenda for the network, ensuring consistent execution across safety, quality, service, cost, reliability, productivity, and people.

 

Leading through the Plant Managers, the VP creates alignment across sites while maintaining clear site-level accountability for day-to-day operations and results. The role builds manufacturing capability and organizational talent across the network, identifies and addresses systemic performance opportunities, and drives continuous improvement and transformation to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the Fresh Bakery business.

This leader partners across Supply Chain and the broader organization to align manufacturing strategy, capabilities, capacity, capital priorities, and resources with business needs. The incumbent must be an enterprise-minded business partner who creates direction, enables effective decisions, builds talent and culture, drives disciplined execution, and owns results across the network.

 

Essential Job Duties

 

Manufacturing Strategy & Network Leadership: Define and lead the multi-year manufacturing strategy for the Fresh Bakery network. Translate business and Supply Chain priorities into clear site objectives, integrated roadmaps, operating plans, and performance expectations. Maintain clarity between network-level strategic direction and Plant Manager ownership of daily site operations.

 

Safety, Quality & Operating Integrity: Set expectations and governance for employee safety, food safety, product quality, environmental responsibility, and regulatory compliance across all bakery sites. Ensure effective management systems, standards, controls, and escalation routines are in place, while holding Plant Managers accountable for site execution and results.

 

Network Performance Management & Accountability: Establish the operating cadence and performance-management system for safety, quality, service, cost, labor, yield, waste, reliability, customer service, and employee engagement. Review performance across sites, identify systemic gaps and best practices, define corrective actions, and ensure clear ownership and follow-through.

 

Manufacturing Transformation & Operational Excellence: Lead the transformation agenda for Fresh Bakery manufacturing, creating consistent operating systems, standards, and management routines across the network. Build a culture of continuous improvement and zero loss, and use Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance, equipment reliability, and problem-solving disciplines to deliver sustainable improvements.

 

Cost, Productivity & Business Performance: Deliver network productivity, cost, waste, and efficiency commitments through disciplined planning and execution. Connect operational performance to financial outcomes, evaluate trade-offs, and mobilize cross-site resources to address significant performance gaps or opportunities.

 

Capacity, Capability & Capital Strategy: Shape network capacity, capability, technology, and capital priorities based on demand, growth, service, risk, and long-term business needs. Sponsor major capital and capability initiatives, ensure disciplined prioritization and governance, and partner with Engineering and other functions to achieve intended business outcomes.

 

Talent, Leadership & Culture%: Build a strong and diverse manufacturing leadership pipeline across the Fresh Bakery network. Coach and develop Plant Managers and senior site leaders; strengthen succession, bench strength, workforce planning, engagement, and retention; and create a high-performing culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

 

Cross-Functional & Enterprise Partnership: Partner with Planning, Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Logistics, Research & Development, Commercial, Finance, People & Culture, and other stakeholders to align priorities, solve network constraints, support innovation and commercialization, manage risk, and deliver enterprise outcomes. Serve as the senior manufacturing voice for the Fresh Bakery business.

 

Required Education & Skills

·       Bachelor's degree strongly preferred or an Associate's degree with significant experience.

·       Fresh Bakery manufacturing experience strongly preferred

·       15+ years of progressive manufacturing/operations experience

·       Prior experience as a Plant Manager, General Manager, Director of Site Operations, or comparable senior manufacturing leader

·       Significant people leadership experience, including leadership of senior operational leaders

·       Demonstrated manufacturing leadership experience

·       Multi-site leadership experience, likely something I'd make required or strongly preferred

 

Preferred Experience

·       Multi-site manufacturing leadership experience, including leadership through Plant Managers or comparable senior site leaders.

·       Experience in food manufacturing or consumer packaged goods (CPG) within a complex, high-volume manufacturing network.

·       Demonstrated experience leading large-scale manufacturing transformation and operational excellence, with a track record of driving sustainable improvements in safety, quality, service, cost, reliability, and productivity.

·       Experience applying Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), reliability, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies at scale.

·       Experience developing manufacturing network strategy, including capacity, asset utilization, capital investment, and long-term capability planning.

·       Demonstrated experience developing senior manufacturing leaders and building succession and bench strength across multiple operations.

·       Experience managing significant operating budgets, productivity commitments, capital investments, and/or P&L responsibility.

·       Strong business acumen and demonstrated ability to work across Planning, Engineering, Quality, Logistics, Procurement, Finance, Commercial, R&D, and People & Culture to deliver business outcomes.

·       Advanced degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.

 

Physical Requirements

This role requires regular work in manufacturing environments and a visible presence across bakery facilities, including walking, standing, climbing stairs, and accessing production, warehouse, and office areas. The incumbent must be able to wear required personal protective equipment and work a flexible schedule as business needs require.

 

Travel

This role requires at least 75% travel, primarily to Campbell’s Fresh Bakery manufacturing sites and Headquarters. Regular and sustained on-site presence is expected to provide visible leadership, build strong partnerships with Plant Managers and site leadership teams, understand operating conditions firsthand, and support execution of manufacturing priorities and transformation initiatives

Compensation and Benefits:

The target base salary range for this full-time, salaried position is between 

$221,500-$304,600

Individual base pay depends on work location and additional factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. Total pay may include other forms of compensation. In addition, we offer competitive health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment. Please ask your Talent Acquisition Partner for more information about our total rewards package.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and qualified applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, including consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, protected veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.