Our client operates a food manufacturing and milling facility in Northern California and is hiring a General Manager to own day-to-day plant performance. This is a direct-hire role covering production, people, safety, food safety, quality, maintenance, and plant financial results.

The ideal candidate has hands-on food manufacturing or processing experience and can run a plant to USDA, FDA, OSHA, and customer food-safety standards—not just keep the line moving.

Plant operations

• Lead manufacturing, milling, packaging, warehousing, and shipping to hit volume, yield, quality, and on-time delivery goals.
• Build production schedules that balance mill capacity, incoming raw product, labor, and customer commitments.
• Drive continuous improvement in throughput, yield, shrink, downtime, and cost per unit.
• Oversee preventative maintenance, sanitation, and capital projects so equipment stays reliable and audit-ready.

Food safety, quality, and compliance

• Own the site food-safety program: HACCP/HARPC, GMPs, allergen control, sanitation, and pest control.
• Maintain

FDA, USDA

(as applicable), FSMA, and customer audit compliance (SQF, BRC, or equivalent).

• Lead third-party, customer, and regulatory audits and close CAPAs on time.
• Partner with Quality on specs (grade, moisture, foreign material, pack integrity), holds, complaints, and traceability.

Safety and workforce

• Run a visible OSHA program: LOTO, confined space, forklift, grain-handling/combustible dust, PPE, incident investigation, and training.
• Hire, develop, and hold accountable supervisors and hourly teams in operations, maintenance, sanitation, and shipping.
• Staff for seasonal peaks and enforce California wage-and-hour, meal/rest, and injury-reporting rules.
• Build a floor culture that treats safety and food safety as non-negotiable.

Financial and commercial support

• Own or strongly influence plant

P&L:

labor, yield, supplies, maintenance, and overhead versus budget.

• Partner with sales and logistics on customer requirements, load-out, and service recovery.
• Report operating results to ownership or senior leadership and flag capacity, quality, or cost issues early.