Director of Operations (4835)

Perricone Juices has joined forces with the esteemed Natalies Orchid Island Juice Company , bringing together two leaders in the premium citrus juice industry. This strategic acquisition combines Perricones expertise in craft citrus juices with Natalies reputation for fresh, high-quality products. Together, the companies are strengthening their market presence and creating exciting opportunities for innovation, operational excellence, and long-term growth.

Perricone Juices is seeking an experienced Director of Operations to lead and advance operations at our Beaumont facility. This position offers long-term stability and a comprehensive benefits package, including health, vision, dental, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan.

Pay Rate: $150,000–$200,000 annually

Shift/Hours: Primarily day shift, with flexibility to support multiple shifts, weekends, holidays, and on-call operational needs as required.

Position Summary :

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading, coordinating, and continuously improving all plant activities related to production, extraction, processing, packaging, maintenance, shipping, and inventory management. This role drives results across safety, food safety, quality, cost, productivity, customer delivery, and employee engagement.

The Director of Operations provides strategic and hands-on leadership to a multi-shift manufacturing operation, ensuring production schedules are achieved, resources are deployed effectively, regulatory and customer requirements are met, and continuous improvement initiatives deliver measurable results.

This position manages five subordinate supervisors overseeing approximately 60–70 employees across Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging. The Director partners closely with Quality Assurance, Human Resources, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and other departments to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent plant performance. This individual will also serve as Plant Manager in their absence, exercising full decision-making authority.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

Production and Operational Leadership

- Direct daily production activities across all shifts to achieve production schedules, volume, yield, quality, and customer delivery targets.

- Oversee production planning, scheduling, workflow, processing methods, packaging, shipping, and workforce utilization.

- Coordinate fruit receiving, extraction, pasteurization or high-pressure processing (HPP), filling, packaging, and cold storage to maintain efficient product flow and protect product quality.

- Lead shift-startup meetings and tiered daily accountability huddles, review performance against targets, address production misses, and ensure timely follow-up on corrective actions.

- Manage production changeovers, line balancing, staffing, and labor deployment to minimize downtime, improve throughput, and control overtime.

- Adjust production schedules and priorities in response to changing demand, equipment availability, labor constraints, and raw material requirements.

- Ensure products are manufactured and packaged on time and within established quality, food safety, and customer specifications.

- Establish clear communication and accountability across departments and shifts.

- Serve as Plant Manager in their absence, with full decision-making authority for plant operations.

- Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, and operational excellence throughout the facility.

Food Safety and Quality Assurance

- Ensure every shift complies with the Juice HACCP plan, food safety plan, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), allergen controls, sanitation requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.

- Maintain compliance with applicable FDA, FSMA, OSHA, EPA, state, and federal requirements, as well as customer, organic, Non-GMO, and other applicable certification standards.

- Partner with Quality Assurance to oversee product holds, process deviations, Critical Control Point (CCP) monitoring, investigations, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

- Ensure verification activities are completed to confirm that finished products meet food safety, quality, and customer specifications.

- Support the Quality Director/Manager in maintaining, reviewing, and improving the plant's food safety and quality management systems.

- Participate in annual food safety system reviews and routine internal audits.

- Maintain continuous audit readiness for regulatory, customer, organic, and Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognized certification audits, including SQF or BRCGS, as applicable.

- Ensure compliance with Non-GMO and applicable supply chain certification requirements.

- Investigate recurring quality issues and implement preventive measures to reduce product defects, waste, and customer complaints.

Safety and Environmental Compliance

- Lead a proactive safety culture focused on preventing injuries, reducing hazards, and achieving an injury-free workplace.

- Conduct or support daily safety talks, floor observations, safety audits, and timely hazard correction across all shifts.

- Enforce compliance with lockout/tagout (LOTO), personal protective equipment (PPE), machine guarding, forklift and powered industrial truck safety, and other applicable OSHA requirements.

- Ensure employees receive appropriate safety training and understand established procedures and expectations.

- Lead or participate in incident investigations, identify root causes, and ensure corrective actions are completed and verified on time.

- Monitor safety performance, identify trends, and implement improvement plans to reduce incidents and unsafe conditions.

- Ensure compliance with applicable environmental requirements and plant policies.

People Leadership and Organizational Development

- Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors and Shift Leads to strengthen leadership effectiveness, accountability, and operational performance.

- Oversee approximately 60–70 employees across Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging.

- Participate in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, recognition, and employee development.

- Partner with Human Resources on scheduling, attendance, performance management, disciplinary actions, employee relations, and policy administration.

- Ensure appropriate staffing, cross-training, and coverage across all shifts.

- Maintain current required training records and applicable trainer qualifications for each shift.

- Establish clear performance expectations, communicate objectives, and hold leaders accountable for results.

- Build employee engagement and retention through recognition, consistent communication, professional development, and fair treatment.

- Support organizational growth, succession planning, leadership development, and workforce capability.

- Resolve employee concerns and operational conflicts promptly, consistently, and in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.

Maintenance and Equipment Reliability

- Partner with Maintenance leadership to prioritize repairs, manage equipment reliability, and support preventive and predictive maintenance programs.

- Coordinate maintenance activities with production schedules to minimize operational disruption.

- Reduce unplanned downtime through equipment performance analysis, root cause investigations, and timely corrective actions.

- Monitor recurring equipment failures and develop plans to improve reliability, availability, and overall equipment effectiveness.

- Ensure production equipment, processing systems, filling and packaging lines, and supporting utilities are maintained in safe operating condition.

- Collaborate with Maintenance and production teams to improve equipment performance, changeover efficiency, and operating consistency.

Continuous Improvement and Performance Management

- Lead Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.

- Implement and sustain practices such as 5S, SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die), standard work, waste reduction, and root cause problem-solving.

- Establish, monitor, and report key performance indicators (KPIs), including:

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

- Production volume and schedule attainment

- Yield and material utilization

- Labor efficiency and overtime

- Scrap, waste, and product loss

- Unplanned downtime and changeover time

- Safety performance and quality deviations

- Customer delivery and service performance

- Use production data, trend analysis, and root cause investigations to identify performance gaps and implement sustainable improvements.

- Lead regular performance reviews and ensure action plans have clear ownership, deadlines, and measurable outcomes.

- Standardize successful improvements across departments and shifts.

- Promote a culture of accountability, problem-solving, and continuous improvement at every organizational level.

Cost Control, Budgeting, and Administration

- Assist in developing, managing, and monitoring the plant operating budget in alignment with business objectives.

- Control labor costs, overtime, supplies, waste, material usage, and other operating expenses.

- Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce cost per unit, and maximize the effective use of labor, equipment, and materials.

- Participate in capital planning and equipment improvement initiatives as needed.

- Ensure accurate and timely production, inventory, labor, and operational reporting through ERP, MRP, shop floor control, inventory management, and timekeeping systems.

- Monitor inventory accuracy, raw material utilization, finished goods movement, and production-related variances.

- Support purchasing and vendor management for plant supplies, equipment, and services.

- Present operational performance, financial results, risks, and improvement opportunities to senior leadership.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Director of Operations manages five subordinate supervisors who oversee approximately 60–70 employees in Maintenance, Shipping, Extraction, and Bottling/Packaging.

Responsibilities include the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of these departments and the execution of supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws. Duties include interviewing, hiring, training, assigning and directing work, evaluating performance, recognizing achievements, administering discipline, addressing complaints, resolving problems, and ensuring consistent adherence to company standards.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications listed below reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, Business Management, Supply Chain, or a related field, or equivalent education and experience.

- At least 10 years of progressive experience in food or beverage manufacturing operations, preferably at the plant management or large-scale operations level.

- At least 5 years of food or beverage manufacturing experience, including 3 or more years of production supervision in a multi-shift environment.

- Demonstrated experience leading multiple production departments, supervisors, and hourly employees in a manufacturing environment.

- Working knowledge of HACCP, Juice HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, and applicable food safety and regulatory requirements.

- Experience supporting GFSI-recognized audit programs, including SQF or BRCGS.

- Solid understanding of OSHA safety practices, including lockout/tagout, machine guarding, PPE, and powered industrial truck safety.

- Hands-on understanding of manufacturing equipment, production processes, and operational systems.

- Demonstrated success using data-driven decisions to improve safety, quality, productivity, yield, cost, and overall plant performance.

- Experience with production scheduling, MRP, ERP, shop floor control, inventory management, and timekeeping systems.

- Experience managing departmental budgets, labor costs, operating expenses, and vendors providing supplies and services.

- Strong leadership, interpersonal, supervisory, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

- Ability to develop and deliver effective training programs in individual and group settings.

- Ability to operate effectively in a changing or less-structured environment while establishing processes and systems that improve operational consistency.

- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, procedures, and business correspondence and present information to employees, managers, customers, and other stakeholders.

- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook.

- Ability to read, write, and speak English fluently.

- Ability to work flexible hours as operational needs require, including nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call coverage.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in juice, citrus, dairy, or other fresh, short-shelf-life beverage manufacturing.

- Advanced knowledge of juice processing, citrus or fresh produce handling, extraction, and cold-chain management.

- Hands-on experience with HPP, pasteurization, high-speed filling and packaging lines, and related processing technologies.

- HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certifications.

- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement training.

- Experience with Lean manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), or similar operational excellence programs.

- Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) certification or related supply chain credentials.

- Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.

Education and Experience

A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Management/Administration, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related discipline is preferred, combined with at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in food or beverage manufacturing. Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will be considered.

Language Skills

- Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking English is required; Spanish proficiency is preferred.

- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret business publications, professional journals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.

- Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.

- Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from employees, managers, customers, clients, and other stakeholders.

Mathematical and Reasoning Abilities

- Ability to work with percentages, ratios, proportions, production yields, costs, volumes, and other operational calculations.

- Ability to apply basic algebra, geometry, and quantitative analysis to manufacturing and business decisions.

- Ability to solve practical problems, investigate root causes, and make sound decisions in situations with varying levels of standardization.

- Ability to interpret written, oral, diagrammatic, and schedule-based instructions and translate them into actionable operating plans.

Computer Skills

- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

- Experience using ERP/MRP platforms, production scheduling and shop floor control systems, inventory management tools, and timekeeping applications.

- Ability to analyze operational data, prepare KPI reports, and use technology to improve plant performance.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

No specific certifications or licenses are required. HACCP, PCQI, Lean Six Sigma, TPM, CSCP, or comparable professional credentials are preferred.

Physical Demands :

The physical demands described here are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee regularly uses their hands to handle or feel objects and communicates verbally and by listening. The employee frequently stands, walks, and uses their senses of taste and smell. The employee occasionally sits, reaches with their hands and arms, climbs or balances, and stoops, kneels, crouches, or crawls.

The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment :

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

The employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts, frequently exposed to outside weather conditions, and occasionally exposed to high or precarious places, toxic or caustic chemicals, and extreme heat. The noise level is typically loud. The role requires regular presence on the production floor and adherence to all applicable personal protective equipment, sanitation, and safety requirements.

This job description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions as associated with a job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties as necessary.