Plant Manager

Plant Director

Location: Becker, MN
Company: Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed

About Us

Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed is a regenerative grass-fed beef company committed to improving human health, environmental stewardship, and supply chain transparency. We operate with a high standard of quality, compliance, and operational excellence — and we are experiencing growth!

We are seeking an experienced Plant Director to lead daily operations in our USDA-inspected processing facility.

Position Summary

The Plant Director is responsible for overseeing daily production operations, food safety compliance, team leadership, inventory control, and equipment reliability within our beef processing facility.

This individual will ensure that production targets are met efficiently while maintaining strict adherence to USDA, HACCP, and company quality standards.

The ideal candidate brings strong meat industry experience (preferably beef), small team leadership experience, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Production

• Lead daily production activities including grinding, portioning, trimming, cutting, packaging, and production order coordination
• Execute and oversee production planning in alignment with demand
• Monitor throughput, yields, and labor efficiency
• Ensure on-time production and shipment goals are met

Food Safety & Compliance

• Verify and monitor HACCP plans and prerequisite programs
• Ensure compliance with USDA regulations and audit requirements
• Oversee documentation, recordkeeping, and corrective actions
• Maintain high standards of sanitation and food safety culture

Inventory & Materials Management

• Manage raw material, WIP, and packaging inventory
• Oversee replacement parts inventory and critical spare parts planning
• Coordinate with packaging procurement to prevent stockouts or overages

Quality & Standards

• Ensure product quality meets company specifications and regulatory standards
• Oversee in-process quality checks and finished product verification
• Drive root cause analysis on deviations or non-conformances

Equipment & Maintenance

• Troubleshoot processing and packaging equipment
• Coordinate preventive maintenance schedules
• Work with vendors and technicians as needed

Team Leadership & Staffing

• Supervise and develop production staff
• Manage staffing levels based on production needs
• Oversee employee time clock tracking and labor reporting
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of experience in meat processing (beef strongly preferred)
• Experience in a USDA-inspected facility
• Hands-on knowledge of HACCP implementation and monitoring
• Experience managing smaller production teams (10-15) in a manufacturing environment
• Strong understanding of inventory control and production flow

Preferred

• Background in Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, or Six Sigma
• Experience in beef or further processed meat production
• Familiarity with ERP/WMS systems
• Mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting ability

Leadership Competencies

We are looking for someone who:

• Thinks in systems, not just tasks
• Uses data to drive decisions
• Is proactive in solving problems before they become bottlenecks
• Can balance regulatory rigor with production efficiency
• Leads with clarity, accountability, and respect

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance-based bonus potential
• Health benefits
• Paid time off
• Opportunity to grow within a scaling regenerative food company

Pay: From $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person