Operations Startup Manager

Operations Startup Manager

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you'll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman's, and Pangburn's have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let's continue making chocolate lovers happy!

A day in the life...

As the Operations Startup Manager, you will lead the successful startup of new production lines, products, equipment, and facility projects within our food manufacturing plant. You'll work closely with Engineering, Contractors, Vendors, Safety, FSQA, and Plant Operations to ensure all new equipment and products are safely commissioned, properly qualified, and seamlessly transitioned into ongoing operations. Your leadership will ensure each startup meets defined success criteria and delivers sustainable, longterm results. If you're the right person for this role, you will excel at coordinating and executing complex projects, providing strong startup and commissioning leadership, collaborating effectively across functions, preparing the workforce through thoughtful training and readiness planning, and demonstrating strong problemsolving skills with consistent followthrough to maintain stability long after launch.

What you will be doing...

• Working closely with Engineering, Contractors, Vendors, Safety, FSQA, and Plant Operations to deliver project vertical startup success criteria.
• Partnering with Engineering to support design and installation activities for new equipment.
• Developing and executing commissioning, qualification, and verification plans ("startup ladder") to ensure equipment and systems are production ready.
• Identifying plant training needs related to new products, equipment, and production lines.
• Partnering with the Training Coordinator to support the development and delivery of training plans that prepare employees for new processes, equipment, and technologies.
• Coordinating startup activities across safety, engineering, quality, maintenance, and operations teams.
• Ensuring startups meet human safety, food safety/quality, and production requirements.
• Supporting smooth handoff of projects from project execution to plant ownership.
• Leading and managing the development, tracking, and closure of project punch lists prior to project closeout.
• Documenting machine parameters and drafting operating procedures for new equipment, ensuring these are incorporated into training plans.
• Acting as the primary point of contact in the plant for Industrialization, coordinating new product and renovated product trials and first production.
• Ensuring all projects are delivered on time and on budget.
• Adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
• Completing and following FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant's food safety and quality objectives.
• Promptly reporting and taking appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
• Actively contributing to the continuous improvement of the company's Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.

This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Do you have what it takes?

(Basic Qualifications)

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, or capital project startup environments.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, operations, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Knowledge of safety, food safety, and hygienic design.
• Working knowledge of commissioning, qualification, and verification processes.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• 3+ years in a food manufacturing facility
• Experience with industrialization of new products at plant scale
• Experience working with training, operations, and maintenance teams during equipment startups.

Experience Life at Russell Stover Plants!

• Safety First: Your well-being is our top priority, and we've got you covered with protective gear. On day one, you'll dive into Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training, and we'll keep you on your toes with daily safety tips to ensure you're always in the know!
• Surroundings: Get ready to work alongside a variety of equipment like automated packing machines, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and those irresistible chocolate candy banks/steels - it's a dynamic environment where every day brings something new!
• Active & Engaging Work: Whether you're on your feet for extended periods, moving around, climbing ladders, or lifting up to 50 lbs, there's never a dull moment. This is a place where you'll stay on the move!
• Comfortable Climate: In most roles, you will be comfortable year-round with our climate-controlled environment.
• Appealing Smells: The air is filled with sweet aromas of chocolate, and by the time your shift ends, you might just leave smelling like chocolate!
• Dress to Impress (Food Safety Style): A simple yet important dress code ensures safety and hygiene, following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to keep everything running smoothly.
• Allergens: You will be exposed to a variety of ingredients that may be considered food allergens.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.

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