Plant Manager / Dairy

Overview

• The Plant Manager is responsible for leading end-to-end dairy plant operations, ensuring efficient production, consistent product quality, food safety compliance, cost optimization, and operational excellence across all processing, packaging, maintenance, warehouse, and support functions.
• The role drives strategic plant performance, continuous improvement, team capability development, and compliance with dairy industry standards, customer requirements, and regulatory expectations.
• ►Responsibilities
• Lead overall dairy plant operations across processing, packaging, maintenance, quality, warehouse, and utilities to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective production.
• Develop and execute strategic production and operational plans aligned with business objectives, volume targets, product quality requirements, and long-term growth plans.
• Ensure strict compliance with dairy food safety systems, including HACCP, GMP, sanitation standards, allergen control, traceability, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Oversee maintenance planning, supply chain coordination, inventory control, and production scheduling to ensure uninterrupted operations and optimal asset utilization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on yield optimization, waste reduction, energy efficiency, downtime reduction, process reliability, and operational cost control.
• Lead, mentor, and develop cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, quality ownership, and high performance.
• Represent the plant during audits, customer visits, regulatory inspections, and executive reviews, ensuring strong engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
• ►Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering, Food Technology, Dairy Science, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in dairy or food manufacturing, including at least 5 years in a senior plant leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of dairy processing operations, including pasteurization, fermentation, UHT, filling, packaging, cold chain, cleaning-in-place, and sanitation practices.
• In-depth understanding of HACCP, GMP, food safety management systems, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and dairy industry audit requirements.
• Proven ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams, manage complex manufacturing environments, and deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, quality, safety, and cost.
• Strong analytical, financial, and decision-making skills with experience managing budgets, production KPIs, operational costs, and performance improvement programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with proficiency in English and the ability to influence at senior management level.