Senior Operations Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Reporting directly to the Director of Operations, the Senior Manager, Operations oversees all culinary and production operations functions, including ingredient prep, cooking, plating, and pick and pack operations on the East Coast. Working closely with the Director, this role will be responsible for scaling and continuous improvement of our operations. This role will require an incredible amount of flexibility, resourcefulness, and an entrepreneurial spirit to transform our operations and develop a team. If you are an operations generalist (food background preferred) who loves leading teams, building, and problem-solving in an ever-changing, fast-paced environment, this role is for you! 

This role is 100% onsite, based in Burlington, NJ.

How you'll make a difference:

• Lead excellence in Culinary and Production functions
• Within Culinary and Production: plan, organize, and map kitchen, plate, and pick and pack functions throughput for all shifts; schedule/assign team members based on throughput targets and forecasted demand for maximum efficiency and safety
• Ensure all KPIs across cost, quality, credits, and OTIF are met in accordance with Thistle’s operational plans
• Identify and implement best practices using lean manufacturing principles to improve overall efficiency and quality
• Research, select, and implement new equipment and technologies to transform operations 
• Create, institute, and review SOPs to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and discipline. Iterate and adjust processes and training ahead of growth
• Foster a culture of inclusion, high performance, accountability, and safety; ensure appropriate team recognition and support learning opportunities for all employees by modeling behavior in line with company Core Values
• Support accountability with effective and timely training, guidance, feedback, and motivational corrective action
• Provide support to internal and external audits; assist the QA Director in ensuring proper team member training, compliance, and enforcement of all company policies including food safety, GMPs, SOPs, SSOPs, HACCP, and all local, state, and federal laws 
• Review all Incidents or Safety Concerns with Supervisors, and work with the Safety Committee to conduct regular Hazard Audits/ Assessments and implement corrections to prevent accidents.
• Ensure compliance with Company policies and all federal, state, and local employment laws and OSHA regulations

Who you are:

• 5+ years of progressive people management experience in fast-paced food production, manufacturing, or distribution environment 
• Proven ability to set and achieve aggressive KPI goals for cost, quality, and productivity
• A track record of building new systems and scaling for rapid growth
• Strong leadership skills with proven ability to motivate people, provide support, and give feedback to direct reports and employees at all levels of the organization
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles including 5-S,Six Sigma,and Root Cause Analysis with clear examples of process improvement implementation 
• English and Spanish (preferred but not required) > Ability to manage a multilingual workforce
• Clear communication, verbally and written (bonus for working with digital mediums to communicate internally and cross-functionally)
• Tech-savy approach to everyday tasks and communication; we use G-Suite and Slack
• Ability to effectively work with, lead, and facilitate cross-functional teams

Get to Know Thistle

Thistle was founded in 2013 with a mission to make it easy to get and stay healthy while improving the sustainability of our food system. We deliver delicious, ready-to-eat plant-forward meals, snacks, and cold press juices to our customers’ doorsteps to empower our customers to improve personal and planetary health by eating more plants. To date we’ve delivered over 20 million nourishing meals to customers across the West and East Coast and we’re just getting started! The San Francisco Business Times named us one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area in 2023. Inc. awarded us Best in Business in 2022 among companies that “go above and beyond” in both food and sustainability sectors, and recognized us in the 2024 Inc. Regionals list of the fastest-growing companies in America by region.

We are mission-driven and share a growth mindset. Our values guide our approach to crafting our healthy products, solving problems, and working collaboratively. As a Thistler, you'll help transform the health of people and the planet by living our core values every day.

Be Human: We’re always willing to learn and aim to empower the people around us. 

Think Bigger: We’re here to do more today than we did yesterday, and we figure it out together. 

Build the Future: We tackle every day with the positive attitude of someone who can see the future and knows how bright it is. 

Make a Lot with a Little: We get creative and look for ways our resources can take us as far as possible.

Lead with Purpose: Our mission guides our decisions and gives our work meaning.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values at Thistle. We know we do our best and most impactful work when we feel we are represented and belong. We're proud to actively recruit and hire talented people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.