Northfield, Minn. is home to two Post Consumer Brands manufacturing plants, the Campbell Mill and Ames Mill, two distribution centers, and more than 750 team members producing a wide variety of Post cereal products. The Campbell Mill plant is 1 million square feet and is home to 7 manufacturing technologies to produce a wide variety of cereal products our customers know and love. Northfield is a town steeped in history, featuring two colleges and the original Ames Mill where the Malt-O-Meal Company got its start.

Role Overview:

Are you stuck in an organization where the path to the top seems unattainable? Post Consumer Brands, a leader in the breakfast cereal category, is looking for a highly visible Senior Manufacturing Manager in Northfield, MN who is on their way to being the next Plant Manager, Director or VP within the company.

Reporting to the Plant Director, this position is equivalent to an Assistant Plant Manager and plays a critical role in managing people and food safety, product quality assurance, schedule attainment and compliance. Developing sound strategies that support production and continuous improvement initiatives while keeping a keen eye on financial performance will help us achieve our goals.

Success Criteria:

Some of the best-selling cereals in the country are made in Northfield! In the first 90 days, you’ll learn the basics of cereal making, tour the plant floors with key leaders, and start to build rapport with team members at all levels. Building trusting relationships is critical in the first year as you coach and develop people, listen and act on their feedback, and look for training opportunities to address skill gaps.

Numbers and metrics don’t scare you. A big part of your performance will be measured by attainment and adherence metrics, headcount and staffing ratios, engagement scores and other measures, like downtime. Holding yourself and others accountable, including constant follow-through on action items, will lead to positive, visible changes in the plant.

You breathe continuous improvement and love bringing others along for the ride. Motivating teams to utilize a CI mentality and finding opportunities to streamline processes will set you up for success. This plant is close to the Lakeville corporate headquarters, so you’ll be able to network with finance, supply chain, marketing, and others, to fully understand how all departments fit together.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Put Safety First: Ensure that our manufacturing activities are compliant with appliable local, state and federal laws with the highest emphasis on safety and quality.
• Act Like an Owner: Be a strategic business partner with all departments to coordinate activities to drive decision quality. Oversee new product commercialization, new installation commissioning, and new process introductions.
• Win as One: Establish environments conducive to high levels of engagement and performance. Identify constraints limiting performance and seek out new and different solutions, leveraging expertise across the company to support.
• Be Bold: Course correct issues in the facility through daily production meetings and develop actionable items. Hold employees accountable for results and behavior. Evaluate plant capacity constraints, ensuring service to customers can be maintained utilizing the manufacturing network as required.
• Do Right: Develop and implement plans that are aligned with continuous improvement and lean manufacturing principles to deliver business results. Create a learning environment leading to the most efficient and effective work processes.
• Bring Joy: Optimize and develop talent at both the hourly and salaried level through planning, assessment and actions. Treat all people with respect and create a work culture aligned with our values.

The Things You’ll Bring

• As one of the top leaders in the plant, a BS/BA degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Management or Science is required. A graduate degree, like an MBA, is beneficial, but not required.
• At least 10 years of manufacturing experience, with a preference in food processing/packaging, is needed as we strive for excellence in plant operations.
• Minimum of 5 years leadership experience in a manufacturing plant is required so you can hit the ground running and successfully mentor Operations Managers and Operations Supervisors.
• Continuous improvement/lean mindset and root cause analysis techniques.
• Able to effectively build relationships and inspire others.
• Exemplifies company values and shows resilience in a variety of situations.
• While this role is in Northfield, MN, future growth opportunities require this candidate to be mobile, to take on broader assignments in the future.

The Things That Will Bring You Joy:

• Ability to make a huge impact on the company’s performance
• Big company opportunities, small company culture
• Executive path potential and career mentorship
• Positive culture sustained through committed team members who strive for excellence
• Excellent compensation, including annual performance bonus
• Generous paid-time off (PTO) plans including paid holidays
• Competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401k participation with 6% dollar-for-dollar match
• We work hard and have fun…joy is a vital ingredient in our food