What You Will Do
You will be the on-site Chomps Ops lead at the new Mexico, MO contract manufacturing facility starting in August 2025. Your primary responsibility is to oversee the operation of our third party (3P) co-manufacturing facility and work with them to plan capacity, ensure material availability, and produce consistent product to defined standards. Leading up to the startup, you will travel to other Chomps contract manufacturing (co-man) sites to support line startups and productivity initiatives. In addition, you will be involved in the new site project meetings, prepare commissioning documentation, identify ramp up plans and be point of contact for our partner. During site ramp up period, you will be responsible for meeting ramp up plans, identifying corrective action for opportunities and tracking action plans. You are ultimately responsible for quality, efficiency and on-time delivery of all Chomps products in Mexico, MO. You will collaborate with leadership, internal functions, and manage key 3P co-manufacturing stakeholders. You will be a game changer by driving manufacturing excellence and implementing your recommendations to achieve continuous quality, process, throughput, and cost structure improvements.
Responsibilities
Prep for new facility opening
- Build and maintain strong relationships with existing contract manufacturers.
- Support operations by identifying and removing roadblocks to ensure business needs are met without compromising product quality.
- Collaborate with partners at the Mexico, MO facility to develop a startup ramp-up curve for production and yield.
- Create and implement action plans to achieve production goals and yield targets.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for contracted partners, facilitating communication and supporting project decisions.
- Ensure projects remain on track and milestones are met through effective project management.
- Travel as necessary to existing and potential third-party (3P) co-manufacturing locations.
- Learn manufacturing processes and provide hands-on support for ongoing projects
- Prepare commissioning documentation and collaborate with 3P partner to define ramp-up plans.
Post New Facility Opening
- On site Chomps contract manufacturing lead, supporting production startup and day to operation in Mexico, MO along with other facilities in the region
- Lead the commissioning process for new production lines at the facility.
- Conduct site acceptance tests for packaging lines and coordinate necessary corrective actions.
- Qualify equipment and confirm adherence to product packaging specifications.
- Qualify product processing lines and ensure compliance with quality standards as approved by cross-functional teams.
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with all levels of staff at third-party (3P) co-manufacturing partners.
- Facilitate effective communication to enhance collaboration and operational efficiency.
- Facilitate weekly production planning sessions and KPI scorecard review meetings.
- Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to assess performance and strategy.
- Establish KPIs and ensure supplier performance tracking against defined KPIs via supplier scorecard
- Collaborate with Quality Assurance (QA) and Research & Development (R&D) to facilitate new product launches and line start-ups
- Ensure all company owned equipment are proactively maintained and properly serviced
- Operate with a LEAN mindset to drive continuous improvement in quality, performance, and cost-efficiency.
- Travel as necessary to existing and potential 3P co-manufacturing locations
- Ensure product quality, operational efficiency, and on-time delivery at the new facility, while upholding Chomps' defined standards.
Who You Are
- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Operations or related field
- Minimum of 5+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, including 3P management and continuous improvement practices
- Able to travel 50% to various 3P co-manufacturing locations during the first year and 25% after facility startup.
- Able to work based out of a 3P location in Mexico, MO
- Prior industry experience in food manufacturing required
- Outstanding communication (both verbal and written) and relationship management skills
- Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (with emphasis in Excel), ERP (cloud based is a plus), and MES
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills with demonstrated success in driving results through influential leadership and lean manufacturing tools
- USDA and meat experience preferred
- Experience with commercial ovens and thermoforming packaging equipment preferred
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Strong ability to project manage and lead goals to completion
Position: Manager, Contract Manufacturing
Reports to: Director, Manufacturing
Location: On-site - Mexico, MO + Travel
Type: Full-Time, exempt
Salary Range Opportunity:
- The salary range for this role is $120,000 - $125,000 + 20% annual bonus
Compensation Philosophy & Total Comp:
- Our salary ranges are based on verified market data and our philosophy of paying competitively for our size and industry
- Individual pay rate decisions are based on several factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company
- In addition to base salary, full-time team members receive medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401K 6% match, and monthly reimbursements for wellness and home office.
Other Perks:
- Ability to make an impact: Join a rapidly growing and entrepreneurial-spirited team at a pivotal point to positively impact the food industry.
- Opportunities to grow: Advance within Chomps quickly based on outstanding performance.
- Unlimited PTO and 11 paid holiday days. Hybrid & flexible remote schedule. Chicago office open to those in the area.
- Paid maternity and paternity leave.
- Bi-annual total team in-person activities.
- Company-wide Continual Education budget.
- An abundance of snacks: Enough meat sticks that if you wanted to eat your body weight in them you could (no judgment here).
