Reporting to the Executive Vice President of Operations, the General Manager is responsible for all aspects of the manufacturing facility, with full accountability for plant profitability and operational excellence. As we launch a new beverage product line, coupled with existing confectionary line, we are seeking a leader with strong experience in the beverage and confectionery or food manufacturing industry and a proven track record in margin optimization and leadership development. This role requires a hands-on approach to managing operations, driving performance, and fostering an engaged culture of continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead all plant operations: manufacturing, scheduling, warehousing, and quality assurance.

Develop and execute annual manufacturing plans, annual budget, aligned with strategic goals.

Drive improvements in machine efficiency, material yield, labor productivity, and cost control.

Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory standards.

Implement and monitor KPIs to track performance across departments.

Manage plant budgets, working capital, and profitability targets (including EBITDA).

Lead cost-saving initiatives and continuous improvement projects.

Maintain facility and equipment readiness through proactive maintenance planning.

Build and mentor a high-performing leadership team; promote cross-training and succession planning.

Collaborate with corporate functions to align on reporting, compliance, and strategic initiatives.

Champion a culture of accountability, engagement, and operational excellence.

Enforce all company policies, including safety, production, quality, sales, People & Culture, customer service and accounting policies.

Understand the technical aspects of the facility's manufacturing processes so as to provide support to departmental team members.

Drive standardization practices throughout the organization that align with other facilities.

Collaborate with the QA team to ensures that quality standards are understood and meet acceptable limits in the manufacturing and distribution process.

Launch a new beverage line and work closely with product development to optimize the operations of the line.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree, preferably in Industrial or Chemical Engineering, other Engineering or Business.

10 years of progressive manufacturing experience, preferably currently having the same role (GM) in a manufacturing company OR with at least 7 years of increasing management responsibility in a manufacturing environment, with specific experience in the beverage and confectionery or food manufacturing industry.

Strong operational experience with the ability to establish and measure and achieve KPI's.

Proven analytical, evaluative and problem-solving abilities, with a keen attention to detail.

Proven financial acumen with the ability to link operational activities to financial outputs.

Experience in managing continuous improvement projects.

Proven experience leading, developing and motivating a high performing team

Strong interpersonal skills, and excellent written and oral communication skills.

Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.

APICS, CQE, Six sigma or Continuous Improvement credentials preferred

Possess working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing techniques including: Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, Kanban, Visual Management and JIT Lean manufacturing

Proficient in ERP systems and Microsoft Office