Packaging Manager

Position Title: Packaging Manager
Location: Fort Morgan, CO

Position Overview

The Western Sugar Cooperative has a challenging opportunity for a Packaging Manager. This position will report to the Director of Supply Chain and lead the sugar packaging operations at our Fort Morgan, CO facility. The ideal candidate will be exceptionally detail oriented and able to lead a team, serving as liaison between plant workers and upper management. This person must be dedicated to achieving operational excellence and have a genuine interest in helping the company succeed. This person needs a strong mechanical knowledge, Lean manufacturing experience, and an understanding of Total Production Maintenance (TPM.)

Essential Functions

• Live our Core Values of: Being a Safety Leader, Integrity, Openness & Trust, Teamwork, Entrepreneurship, and Social Responsibility,
• Be a safety leader with solid safety behaviors and committed to the goal of establishing a zero injury workplace.
• Lead the effort with others to maintain a clean and safe production environment.
• Plan, organize and direct packaging operations to optimize performance.
• Work closely with your team to motivate and improve their knowledge of the packaging lines.
• Create Standard Operating Procedures, then train and hold people accountable for using them.
• Understand and utilize Key Performance Indicators to drive optimal performance on the packaging lines.
• Must have a Continuous Improvement mindset and approach to hold yourself and your team accountable to achieve company goals.
• Use Root Cause Analysis to permanently solve problems.
• Establish effective shift exchanges and develop appropriate shift schedules to properly run the department.
• Hold formal two-way performance reviews with direct reports twice per year.
• When needed, hold people accountable by administering the collective bargaining agreement. Ensure employee grievances are addressed in a timely manner.
• Establish a strong relationship with the Purchasing Department to ensure packaging materials are always available and performing at a high level.
• Work closely with the Maintenance Manager to support and drive a strong TPM program.
• Track and manage expenses versus agreed upon annual budget.
• Work closely with the Director of Supply Chain in the capital planning process for your department.
• Help to implement a Customer Focused Strategy of Leading Customer Service, Competitive Cost Position, and High Quality & Innovative Products. This includes supporting Good Manufacturing Practices and Third Party Audit requirements.
• This position requires you to passionately support and utilize the Visual Daily Management process to engage with your team and to ensure proper support is provided to the lines.
• To be successful, this position often requires more than 40 hours per week and weekend work.

Skill & Experience Requirements

• Friendly, results oriented, and collaborative
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, industrial technology or business preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years as a proven leader in packaging operations preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with improvements in safety, productivity, and quality.
• Great communication skills working with all levels, including hourly workforce and senior management.
• Experience using continuous improvement processes like Lean Sigma and Root Cause Analysis.
• Excellent computer competence (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Strong customer focus mind-set.

Working Relationship:

• Reports to Supply Chain Director and Factory Manager

Leadership skills:

• Solid leadership skills, independent thinking, strong organizational and planning abilities and excellent analytical and problem solving capabilities are essential.

Travel Requirements:

• 10% or less

Position Type: Non- Union

Status: Non-Exempt

Benefits:

Medical, Vision, Dental, LTD, Life Insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), 401K with match opportunity and the Company also contributes an additional 6% discretionary amount into each employee's 401(k) at the end of the calendar year. Vacation, Salaried Continuance Plan, Holidays, and Paid Sick Leave if required by applicable State Law.

It is the policy of The Western Sugar Cooperative not to discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment because of age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, developmental disability, sexual orientation or national origin. This policy shall include, but not be limited to, the following: recruitment and employment, promotion, demotion, transfer, compensation, selection for training, layoff and termination.

Western Sugar Cooperative is a Drug Free workplace