Plant Manager

Department: Supply Chain
Reports to: Vice President of Manufacturing
FLSA Status: Exempt
Travel: Approximately 0–5%
Location: Rexburg, ID

Position Overview

Basic American Foods is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead all aspects of performance at one of our manufacturing facilities. As a key member of the manufacturing leadership team, the Plant Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership across safety, food safety, quality, production, maintenance, continuous improvement, cost management, and employee development.

The successful candidate will be a visible, hands-on leader who can translate operational performance into business results, build a strong leadership team, and create a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and employee development.

Key Responsibilities

Safety, Food Safety, and Quality

• Provide leadership and direction for plant safety and food safety programs.
• Maintain a safe working environment for all employees.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, operating standards, customer requirements, and applicable state and federal regulations.
• Model behaviors that consistently prioritize employee safety, food safety, and product quality.
• Partner with technical support teams to identify and eliminate the root causes of safety and quality concerns.
• Ensure unsafe conditions are corrected promptly and plant security or food safety concerns are appropriately escalated.

Operational and Financial Performance

• Oversee plant manufacturing operations and ensure products are delivered on time, at the lowest total cost, and in accordance with customer requirements.
• Execute the production schedule and ensure customer expectations are consistently met.
• Translate operational metrics into financial performance and business priorities.
• Promote the efficient use of labor, raw materials, equipment, and other plant resources.
• Evaluate future production capacity and develop plans to reconcile supply and demand.
• Maintain accountability for plant uptime, reliability, and overall manufacturing performance.
• Ensure preventive maintenance and precision maintenance practices are established and consistently followed.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead, coach, and sustain continuous improvement efforts throughout the facility.
• Model The Basic Way and reinforce its principles across all levels of the plant.
• Lead the plant's daily management system and establish clear improvement priorities.
• Use key performance indicators to establish objectives, measure progress, and drive accountability.
• Identify and eliminate waste through structured continuous improvement practices.
• Lead projects that reduce costs while improving safety, quality, reliability, and operational performance.
• Ensure improvements are implemented, documented, and sustained.

Team and Culture Leadership

• Develop a high-performing, team-based culture that balances operational productivity with employee growth and well-being.
• Empower leaders and employees to make decisions, take ownership, and remain accountable for results.
• Maintain a strong focus on frontline employees and ensure they have the tools, resources, training, and support needed to succeed.
• Lead employee selection, performance management, development planning, coaching, motivation, and compensation decisions for direct reports.
• Build leadership capability and create meaningful professional development and career-growth opportunities.
• Establish a clear vision for the facility and communicate expectations honestly, openly, and constructively.
• Identify and remove barriers that prevent employees and departments from achieving results.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or higher, preferably in engineering, manufacturing, operations, or a related field.
• At least ten years of progressive leadership experience in a manufacturing environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Food manufacturing experience is strongly preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated experience leading and motivating high-performing teams.
• Proven record of implementing and sustaining continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong and proven leadership capabilities.
• Servant-leadership approach with the ability to coach employees and leaders at all levels.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Ability to act with urgency, adjust plans, and deliver results that meet or exceed expectations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects with a high level of independence.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to recommend a sound course of action based on available data.
• Comfortable operating in an evolving environment and leading others through ambiguity and change.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and share best practices across facilities and business units.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing or production-planning software.
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish is preferred but not required.

Work Environment

This position works regularly in an office environment located within a production facility and will also spend significant time in manufacturing areas. The employee may work near moving mechanical equipment and may be exposed to wet or humid conditions, elevated work areas, airborne particles, chemicals, extreme heat, and loud noise requiring hearing protection.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

About Basic American Foods

At Basic American Foods, we believe strong results begin with strong people. Our leaders are expected to model our values, support employee development, continuously improve how work is performed, and maintain an unwavering commitment to safety, food safety, quality, and customer service.

 

At BAF, we are an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and strive to create a supportive and inclusive community of individuals committed to helping each other and our company thrive. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.