We're looking for a Director of Operations to oversee production, quality, maintenance, sanitation, planning, packaging, and warehouse/logistics for a growing food manufacturer in Milwaukee. The leader needs to be hands-on and technically engaged, with strong people leadership skill and prior food manufacturing site leadership experience. Key Responsibilities: • Lead plant operations across production, ingredient preparation, processing, packaging, production planning, QA, sanitation, maintenance, and finished-goods warehousing. • Build a visible, people-first leadership presence through plant walks, meetings, coaching, performance management, and clear communication with employees and managers. • Maintain food safety and quality systems, including HACCP, SQF, SOPs, sanitation, customer requirements, and regulatory compliance. • Manage employee safety and OSHA requirements; support incident reduction and safe work practices. • Improve productivity, cost control, conversion costs, waste, and cost of goods sold. • Oversee preventive and reactive maintenance, parts inventory, plant equipment, and facility improvements. • Coordinate new product and packaging changes with R&D, QA, procurement, IT, sales, and customers. • Maintain accurate production, paperwork, inventory, and finished-goods fulfillment processes. • Develop operational depth and documentation across the plant. Required Skills: • Fluent Spanish and English communication. • Plant or site operations leadership in food manufacturing. • Hands-on understanding of production, food safety, quality, sanitation, and maintenance. • People leadership in a production environment, including workforce engagement and accountability. • Operational problem-solving, cost control, and continuous improvement. • Ability to work onsite in the Milwaukee plant and adapt hours to business and production needs. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree in operations management or equivalent experience preferred. • 10 years in operations and 5 years in plant leadership • Strong communication, analytical, decision-making, and financial skills. • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Power BI, and Nav; ability to use AutoCAD Viewer Preferred Experience: • Continuous improvement training or a strong CI track record. • Consumer packaged goods manufacturing. • Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, deli, or other perishable food production. • HACCP, SQF, food safety, and audit experience.