Senior Operations Manager at CREATIVE WERKS LLC – Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Job Summary:

As the Senior Operations Manager at creative werks (CW), you will lead co-pack Production and Maintenance teams across a 24 hour, 5–7-day environment, overseeing a large, diverse frontline organization through a team of Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors. Reporting to the Plant Director, you will be responsible for the performance of up to 500+ employees across the site ensuring each site operates safely, efficiently and in alignment with company goals.

This is a high-impact leadership role that will help shape operations scale, strengthen frontline leadership capabilities and drive meaningful improvements in safety, performance and employee experience across multiple sites. You will translate strategy into daily execution by driving Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, labor optimization, waste reduction and capital improvement initiatives.

What You’ll Own and Achieve:

• Champion Lean and TPM manufacturing principles, policy deployment and continuous improvement to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost and overall production performance
• Own operational performance against KPIs, including productivity, labor efficiency, scrap, waste reduction, on-time delivery and margin performance
• Optimize labor planning, crew scheduling and headcount while supporting cost control and overtime reduction goals
• Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, state, and federal regulations across all sites
• Lead waste reduction and sustainability efforts, including progress towards CW’s “Zero to Landfill” initiatives
• Identify, prioritize, and drive capital investments and process improvement projects in partnership with Engineering
• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration within co-pack Production and Maintenance teams, guiding clear priorities and capability advancements (Partnering with Engineering, Quality, and Sanitation Leadership)
• Support customer expectations through disciplined execution of quality systems and on-time delivery commitments
• Lead and participate in continuous improvement events, workshops and cross-functional project teams
• Provide executive-level visibility into risks, performance trends, and improvement opportunities to Operations leadership

What You Bring:

• High school diploma or GED required; additional education or technical training is a plus
• 10+ years of effective leadership experience in manufacturing, production, and maintenance teams; ideally within food, packaging, or high-volume consumer goods environments
• Strong working knowledge of Lean or TPM Manufacturing, continuous improvement (CI) and operational excellence practices
• Proven ability to lead through frontline leadership teams; building capability through coaching, accountability, and consistent communication
• Experience managing labor planning, crew scheduling, productivity improvement, and cost control
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort using production reporting and performance dashboards
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization, from frontline teams to executive leadership
• Demonstrated success leading large, multi-site or multi-shift operations in high-volume manufacturing settings
• Working knowledge of food safety and regulatory requirements (GMP, SQF/HACCP, HARPC, FDA, USDA, OSHA, EPA) a plus but not required
• Willingness and flexibility to support operations across shifts and travel between sites as needed
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred, but not required

Food Safety Responsibilities:

• Attend all food safety training sessions (GMP, SQF, HACCP, Allergen, Food Facility Security, Preventing Foodborne Illness)
• Participate in company GMP walks
• Enforce company rules regarding food safety and monitoring
• Attend Food Safety Team meetings

Physical Requirements:

• Operate standard office equipment
• Active position that requires standing, walking, reaching and bending
• Able to operate industrial equipment and company specific equipment
• Associate must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move objects that weigh more than 100 pounds
• Ability to work between an office setting and warehouse environment with temperature range of 55 – 80 degrees

Benefits of Werking for CW:

• Fun, creative, and inviting atmosphere – plus the perk of working with cool food brands!
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• 401K and company match
• Paid Time Off
• On-site gym
• Audible Subscription
• Continuous learning and development opportunities

The approved annualized base compensation range for this role is established at $120,000 - $165,000. Final offer amounts will be determined based on candidate skills, qualifications, experience and domain expertise.