Operations Manager
Gay Lea Foods · Hamilton, ON
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- On site
- Full-time
- CA$100,000 / year
- Hamilton, ON
Job highlights
- Oversee daily plant operations and ensure safety and quality.
- Manage and develop plant leadership and operational teams.
- Drive performance, efficiency, and cost reduction initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with regulations and company standards.
- Support continuous improvement and employee relations.
About the role
Operations Manager
Department: Operations
Reports to: Director of Operations
Status: Full-time
Location: Hamilton, Onsite
Job Scope
Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing daily plant operations—including processing, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution—while ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. This role manages operational teams, drives performance against key metrics, ensures compliance with regulations and company standards, and supports continuous improvement initiatives within the facility.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee daily operations with regards to safety, efficiencies, production volumes and KPIs
- Foster and sustain a positive employee relations environment by ensuring all employees are treated with respect, concerns and feedback are addressed in a timely and consistent manner, and communication remains open, transparent, and supportive.
- Manage the performance and development of plant leadership team
- Provide guidance to Operations leaders on staffing, workload planning, performance and conduct management, and coordination with maintenance and safety teams to ensure labour efficiency, KPI achievement, and consistent, people‑focused leadership.
- Report production volumes, efficiencies and yields to senior executives
- Prepare proposals and justifications for capital and operational budget
- Maintain and improve health & safety and environmental standards in the work place
- Lead meetings and projects to optimize production operations
- Liaise with various external customers such as CFIA and local municipality officials
- Utilize DAX for Project Management of capital expenditures
- Ensure plant compliance to government regulations and company specifications for HACCP, sanitation and safety through supportive collaboration with appropriate personnel
- Monitor and maintain the Quality, Food Safety and SQF systems
- Responsible for signing all Pre-requisite Programs (PRP) and HACCP plans
- Implement Total Production Manufacturing (TPM) principles across the plant
- Drive significant cost reductions across all aspects of manufacturing including increased line efficiency, waste control and higher labour productivity
- Drive cost savings goals through the use of sustainable continuous improvement tools such as 5S and Kaizen, focusing on total plant OEE percentage
- Responsible to train operators on all changes in the Food Safety & Quality system as communicated by Management and QA
- Maintain a balanced budget and explain any budgetary discrepancies
- Attend all training and course as requested or required
- Other duties as assigned by management
Qualifications
- University degree in one of the following disciplines: Food Science, Business, Engineering or Operations Management
- Minimum 8 years’ facility management experience in a food manufacturing environment
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to mitigate conflict and build teams
- Flexibility to adapt to a 24 hr/ 7 day operation schedule
- Leadership experience in a unionized environment an asset
- Proven decision making ability using various analytical tools, such as variance reports and down time analysis
- Extensive knowledge in GMPs, HACCP and health and safety standards
- Cultural sensitivity and an ability to build rapport with a diverse workforce in multicultural settings
- Strong proficiency in computer programs such as Microsoft Office (Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel) and WMS/ERP
About Gay Lea Foods
Gay Lea Foods is a leading Canadian dairy co-operative renowned for producing high-quality, nutritious dairy products that Canadian families love and trust. From farm to table, our 1,200 farmer members in Ontario and Manitoba, and more than 1,200 employees across four provinces, work together to nourish communities through award-winning brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Bothwell Cheese, and more. As part of its deeply rooted, balanced commitment to people, profit, and planet, Gay Lea Foods proudly invests one percent of pre-tax earnings back into Canadian communities through a national food security partnership with Second Harvest, and the community-building efforts of the Gay Lea Foundation. To learn more, visit gayleafoods.com.
Gay Lea Foods is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in our workplace. Reasonable accommodation is available upon request throughout our recruitment and selection process. Gay Lea Foods may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support aspects of the recruitment process, including screening and assessment. We are currently accepting applications for this open position.
Thank you for your interest in Gay Lea Foods. Wishing you all the best with your career search!
Key skills/competency
- Operations Management
- Food Manufacturing
- Team Leadership
- Process Optimization
- Quality Assurance
- HACCP Compliance
- Budget Management
- Continuous Improvement
- Health & Safety Standards
- Employee Relations
Skills & topics
- Operations Manager
- Plant Management
- Food Manufacturing
- Process Optimization
- Team Leadership
- Quality Assurance
- HACCP
- Continuous Improvement
- Supply Chain Management
- Dairy Industry
- Hamilton Jobs
- Ontario Jobs
- Full-time
- Operations
- Management
- Leadership
- Food Science
- Engineering
- Business Management
- Facility Management
- KPIs
- Budget Management
- Health and Safety
- Employee Relations
- Unionized Environment
- GMPs
- SQF
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 8+ years of food manufacturing facility management experience and leadership skills.
- Showcase relevant experience: Emphasize your knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, health & safety, and unionized environments.
- Demonstrate leadership potential: Provide examples of how you've managed teams, driven KPIs, and fostered positive employee relations.
- Prepare for interviews: Be ready to discuss your decision-making process using analytical tools and your experience with continuous improvement methodologies.
- Research Gay Lea Foods: Understand their commitment to people, profit, and planet, and their community involvement.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What are the key responsibilities of an Operations Manager at Gay Lea Foods?
- The Operations Manager at Gay Lea Foods is responsible for overseeing all daily plant operations, including processing, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution. This involves ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency, managing operational teams, driving performance against key metrics, and ensuring compliance with regulations and company standards. They also support continuous improvement initiatives and liaise with external agencies.
- What qualifications are essential for the Operations Manager role at Gay Lea Foods?
- Essential qualifications include a university degree in Food Science, Business, Engineering, or Operations Management, and a minimum of 8 years of facility management experience in a food manufacturing environment. Strong interpersonal skills, leadership experience, knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, health & safety standards, and proficiency in computer programs like Microsoft Office and WMS/ERP are also required.
- Is leadership experience in a unionized environment required for the Operations Manager position?
- Leadership experience in a unionized environment is listed as an asset, meaning it is beneficial but not strictly required. However, given the nature of operations management in manufacturing, experience in such environments can be highly advantageous.
- What kind of continuous improvement tools is Gay Lea Foods interested in seeing from an Operations Manager candidate?
- Gay Lea Foods emphasizes the use of sustainable continuous improvement tools such as 5S and Kaizen to drive cost savings and improve overall plant efficiency (OEE percentage). Experience with Total Production Manufacturing (TPM) principles is also sought.
- How does Gay Lea Foods approach diversity and accommodation in its recruitment process for the Operations Manager role?
- Gay Lea Foods is an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity. They offer reasonable accommodation upon request throughout the recruitment and selection process for all positions, including the Operations Manager role. They may also use AI tools to support recruitment.
- What is the work arrangement and location for the Operations Manager position at Gay Lea Foods?
- The Operations Manager position is a full-time, onsite role located in Hamilton, Ontario. The job also requires flexibility to adapt to a 24-hour/7-day operation schedule.
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