Plant Manager - POSITION FILLED

Victoria Newitt Recruitment Inc has been retained by North by Northwest Foods to search for their next Plant Manager for their facility in Richmond, BC.

Position Overview
The Plant Manager will be responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and operational execution of the manufacturing facility. This role will drive operational excellence across production, food safety, quality, cost control, and team leadership while supporting the company’s continued growth.
The Plant Manager will lead day-to-day plant operations while building the systems, processes, and culture needed to support increased scale and operational complexity. This individual will play a key role in building and developing teams, implementing operational systems and best practices, and creating a strong foundation to support business growth while driving productivity and overall plant performance, including P&L responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Plant Operations Leadership
• Oversee all aspects of daily plant operations, ensuring production runs safely, efficiently, and in alignment with business objectives.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor, working closely with managers, supervisors, and frontline teams to quickly address operational issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure production schedules are executed effectively to meet customer demand, service levels, and inventory targets.

• Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to all departments
• Conduct regular one-on-one and team performance reviews to support development, accountability, and alignment across departments.
• Foster a positive work environment that promotes strong employee relations, teamwork, and responsiveness to operational challenges.

• Monitor and analyze plant key performance indicators (KPIs) including productivity, efficiency, yield, and downtime, identifying trends and implementing improvement initiatives.
• Lead efforts to improve production methods, equipment performance, and product quality through structured problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Stay current on manufacturing best practices and recommend improvements to policies, procedures, and operational processes.

• Direct production planning and scheduling activities by evaluating projected sales volumes, inventory requirements, and raw material availability.
• Ensure appropriate inventory levels of raw materials and finished goods to support production plans and customer demand.
• Work cross-functionally with supply chain and commercial teams to align production with business needs.

• Ensure full compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory standards including HACCP, CFIA, GMP, and third-party/customer audit requirements.
• Partner with Quality and Food Safety teams to maintain strong food safety systems and drive a culture of quality across the plant.
• Coordinate plant inspections and support successful completion of all internal and external audits.

• Champion a strong safety culture across the facility, ensuring policies, procedures, and training programs are effectively implemented.
• Ensure the Health & Safety Committee is properly staffed and meets regularly to review workplace safety performance and initiatives.
• Maintain a safe working environment for all employees and contractors.

• Develop and manage the plant’s annual operating budget, monitoring monthly performance and addressing variances.
• Analyze operational reports and implement corrective actions to improve cost control and operational efficiency.
• Contribute to long-term operational planning and capital investment decisions to support the company’s growth strategy.

• Possess a university education degree/diploma- in business/management
• Excellent Interpersonal Skills.
• Strong Financial acumen, including budgetary management.
• Lean Manufacturing Skills.
• Computer skills including word & excel
• Demonstrated high leadership qualities in leading a business and team, must have ability to motivate employees to keep operations running smoothly.
• Lean Manufacturing skills including background in a consumer goods environment.
• Knowledge of safety systems and processes.
• Ability to identify opportunities and follow through on the execution and improvement
• Excellent Analytical & organizational skills
• Problem-solving, must be able to quickly ascertain a situation and be decisive in solving it, such as identifying defects in a production line.
• Time management, ability to face production deadlines, shipping dates and more, must manage time accordingly.

• Strong critical thinking and communication skills (written and verbal) to share ideas and influence others, including senior management team.
• Ability to implement new business strategies with strong change leadership skills. Learn how to achieve successful strategic change and innovation.
• Coach supervisors and front-line staff to enhance performance and to develop and retain high-potential employees of the future.
• Evaluate business risk, and work with executive committees.
• Create a high performing team with clear direction and realistic but challenging goals.

COMPENSATION:
The range offered for this position is: $140,000 – $180,000 annually, plus bonus.

Compensation offered within this range is based on factors unique to each candidate, including skills, qualifications, experience and credentials.

If this position suits your skills and experience, we want to talk to you!

Please apply by submitting your resume and a covering letter outlining why you are a suitable candidate for this exciting role.