Who We Are

FedUp Foods, one of the nation's early producers of kombucha through the Buchi brand, and one of the largest functional beverage manufacturers in America, offers a diverse portfolio of organic private label functional beverages for top global retailers

Position Summary

The Plant Manager is responsible for the results and oversight of all manufacturing operations and personnel in our Marshall, NC and Erwin, TN facilities. This process-focused leader drives results via collective accountability by establishing and refining a meaningful operations system with clarity, consistency, and connectivity. The Plant Manager is accountable for delivering against KPIs and production goals while fostering a welcoming culture that prioritizes safety, people, quality, and compliance through responsibility, respect, and relentless improvement. The Plant Manager is directly responsible for leading and developing the functions of site packaging, brewing, product processing, warehousing, site projects, utilities, technical systems, and maintenance, while collaborating with the Food Quality and Safety, Finance, Supply Chain, and HR teams and various individuals from other FedUp Foods' facilities to attain production and company-wide goals.

The ideal candidate is an engaging, results-driven leader with a growth-minded attitude, tenacity, and a commitment to agility with high standards of quality and integrity.

Skilled Duties/Responsibilities

• • Operational Excellence: Direct all plant operations, including brewing, processing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution, optimizing cost-to-service and customer fulfillment. Drive quality execution, continuous improvement and asset reliability.
  • Team & Talent Development: Model a leadership style that promotes collective accountability. Establish clear performance expectations, provide coaching, and ensure managers build talent plans and self-directed work structures. Partner with HR for recruitment and champion life-long learning and training.
  • System Architecture: Build and influence effective standard work at all levels of operations. Collaborate cross-site and cross-functionally to deliver workflows and programs that reliably deliver against safety, quality, service, and cost metrics. Create managed feedback loops for sustainment and improvement.
  • Compliance & Safety: Ensure site compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, EHS policies, SQF, GMP, HACCP, and OSHA practices. Proactively identify safety risks and ensure production practices align with food safety and quality assurance.
  • Strategic & Financial Leadership: Develop a clear vision to drive production targets and operational KPIs. Manage financial, operating, and capital budgets to deliver year-over-year savings and thoughtful ROI.
  • Cross-Functional Partnership: Develop strong, collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders, including commercialization, R&D, finance, planning, and supply chain to deliver end-to-end operational excellence. Collaborate with external parties (vendors, community/government represnetatives, etc.) and drive supply chain efficiencies. Provide senior sponsorship for maintenance and asset reliability strategy.

Food Safety and Quality Responsibilities

• Follow GMP policy when in the production facility and encourage your team to do the same.
• Understand our SQF policies relating to pest control, visitors, allergen management, and cleaning and sanitation.
• Demonstrate awareness of Management's Commitment to SQF and work towards Food Safety and Quality and help the company meet this commitment.
• If there is a problem that involves food quality and safety, partner with QC Manager so that the CAPA (corrective action, preventative action) log may be filled out, the situation be investigated, and resolved with the goal of continuous improvement of food quality and safety.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Experience leading manufacturing operations (food/beverage required)
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop managers, hold teams accountable to KPIs, and drive operational excellence
• Strong track record of achieving or exceeding production goals and performance metrics in a fast-paced, quality-driven environment
• Demonstrated experience building, right-sizing, and implementing manufacturing program management systems such as TPM, QMS, LSS, etc.
• Experience implementing or managing continuous improvement initiatives
• Production planning, warehouse logistics, and inventory control understanding
• Commitment to employee safety practices and maintaining food safety regulation compliance (e.g., GMP, HACCP, FSMA)
• Experience fostering a positive, inclusive, and accountable workplace culture
• Leadership style that is results-driven with empathetic engagement
• Familiarity with sustainability practices in production and waste reduction
• Strong data-driven analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proficient in ERPs (Netsuite a plus), production scheduling tools, Google Workspace
• Excellent cross-organizational level communication skills
• Experience with SQF, FDA, HACCP, GMPs, SOPs, AIB, Organic, and Hazard Analysis
• Knowledge of wastewater compliance, boiler compliance, and SWPPP Plan preferred

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required
• Minimum 8–12 years of progressive experience in operations required
• Experience in turnarounds, scale-up, or high-growth environments required
• 5-8 years of experience in an FDA regulated environment required
• 5-8 years of experience managing leaders of leaders in manufacturing required
• 5-8 years experience leading operational plans to budget required
• 3-5 years experience managing facility investment and capital expenditure projects

Work Environment/Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Ability to work in a crowded, noisy manufacturing production facility, navigate extremes in temperatures, walking on uneven, and slippery surfaces
• Standing, walking, pushing, pulling, and occasionally lifting and maneuvering heavy equipment and/or parts, up to 25 pounds at times, 50lbs of shared lifting
• Ability to safely navigate around manufacturing equipment, and forklift / pallet jack traffic
• Up to 20% travel may be required

Our Values

Agility • Collaboration • Communication • Lifelong Learning • Community • Gratitude

Our Benefits

• Health Insurance (80–90% of individual premium covered)
• Group Term Life Insurance (100% company-covered)
• Short-Term Disability (100% company-covered)
• Long-Term Disability (50% company-covered)
• Voluntary Dental, Vision, Life & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• 9 Paid Holidays, PTO & Sick Time

Pay

We are committed to fair, equitable, and market-rate compensation. New hire offers that meet the full responsibilities, skills and experience levels expected in this role are typically positioned around the market midpoint for the role, with final compensation determined based on experience, scope of responsibility, and overall fit. Higher placement within the range is achieved over time through sustained impact and long-term contribution of existing team members.

EEO Statement

AKM provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as directed to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.