THE OPPORTUNITY
Our client is a 100-year-old American manufacturer of pet, livestock, and aquaculture nutrition products, recently spun out as an independent global company and positioned for substantial growth. The new leadership team is rebuilding from a strong foundation, and this Production Manager role sits at the center of that effort.
This is not a caretaker role. The facility is scaling, investing in automation, and raising its production standards. The person who fills this seat will shape how the plant operates for the next decade, and will have direct visibility to senior leadership including the C-Suite.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH IN THE FIRST YEAR
Here is what a strong first year looks like in this role:
1\. Own Daily Plant Performance. Within 90 days, you have full command of the production floor. Shift handoffs are clean, downtime is tracked and acted on, and your team knows exactly what "a good day" looks like. Safety incidents trend down. Quality holds its spec.
2\. Build a Functioning Lead Pipeline. Within six months, you have identified your best frontline leads and are actively developing them. You have a documented coaching cadence. At least two leads are ready to absorb more responsibility as the facility grows.
3\. Reduce Cost Per Unit Produced. By the end of year one, you have baseline data and a clear improvement story on labor efficiency and material yield. You have implemented at least one process change that shows measurable cost reduction or throughput gain, supported by production data.
4\. Lead a Successful GMP Audit Cycle. You partner with the Quality team to ensure the plant clears its regulatory and internal quality audits without major findings. Corrective actions from prior cycles are closed. Documentation is current.
5\. Deliver the Annual Operating Plan for Your Area. You participate meaningfully in budget development, own your labor and material cost lines, and finish the year on target or with a clear explanation of variance. Capital needs for your area are documented and prioritized for the engineering review.
WHAT YOU BRING
Non-negotiables:
3+ years managing a production team in a feed, food, or comparable regulated manufacturing environment
Demonstrated track record of hitting safety, quality, and cost targets simultaneously — not trading one for another
Experience running performance conversations, coaching leads, and dealing with underperformance directly
Hands-on familiarity with GMP compliance and regulatory requirements in a manufacturing context
Comfort with production data: you use numbers to manage, not just to report
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams) for reporting and communication
Strong differentiators (not required, but they matter):
Experience implementing Lean manufacturing or a structured CI methodology
Background in pet food, livestock feed, or aquaculture manufacturing specifically
Experience contributing to capital planning and equipment justification
History of managing through a facility expansion or automation upgrade
THE ENVIRONMENT
The plant is in Buhl, Idaho. The company is growing fast. Automation and modernization are already underway, and they will continue. The Production Manager will need to bring their team along through those changes, not just manage the current state. Compensation is at or above market, with a full benefits package and performance bonuses.
This company has a 100-year track record of making products that matter to farmers, pet owners, and aquaculture operations. The new leadership is building on that heritage with a clear growth agenda. The right person for this role respects where the company has been and is motivated by where it is going.