Position Summary
The Meat Plant Manager is responsible for directing SMD operations, Talpa Supermercados' meat processing plant, ensuring compliance with USDA food safety and quality standards, production efficiency, and the performance of a team of approximately 15 people. This role leads production coordination, demand-driven scheduling, and continuous process improvement to ensure the timely supply of finished product to all store locations.
Key Responsibilities
Production & Plant Operations
- Direct daily plant operations: receiving, breaking/cutting, packing, labeling, and finished-product dispatch
- Establish and oversee daily and weekly production schedules
- Optimize labor, equipment, and product yield to meet volume and cost targets
- Ensure preventive and corrective equipment maintenance and plant operational readiness
Demand Planning & Scheduling
- Translate store demand forecasts into executable production plans
- Coordinate with the Meat Buyer to align raw-material availability with the production plan
- Adjust scheduling for seasonality, promotions, and demand variability to minimize shortages and waste
Quality, Food Safety & USDA Compliance
- Ensure compliance with all USDA standards and regulations applicable to the facility
- Implement and maintain HACCP, SSOP, and sanitation programs
- Serve as the primary liaison with the on-site USDA inspector and manage audits, findings, and corrective actions
- Maintain traceability, cold-chain temperature control, and required food safety records
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, train, and evaluate a team of approximately 14 people across production, packing, and sanitation
- Set performance goals, manage shifts, and ensure operational coverage
- Foster a culture of safety, food safety, and accountability; ensure OSHA compliance and safe work practices
Cost, Efficiency & Continuous Improvement
- Control plant operating costs: labor, yield, waste/shrink, and supplies
- Identify and implement continuous-improvement initiatives for process and productivity
- Report key metrics on production, yield, shrink, and compliance to leadership
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Meat Buyer (raw-material flow and product specifications)
- Warehouse Coordinator (finished-product handoff and distribution to stores)
- Procurement and Store Operations (meat category fill-rate and service level)
- Support new store openings and category expansion initiatives
Reporting & Performance Tracking
- Track and report key metrics, including:
- Production output vs. plan
- Yield and shrink/waste reduction
- USDA / food safety audit results
- Labor cost and productivity per unit
- Provide insights and recommendations to leadership
Qualifications
Required
- 5–7+ years of experience in meat processing or food manufacturing operations management
- Proven experience operating a USDA-inspected facility
- Working knowledge of USDA, HACCP, SSOP, OSHA, and food safety regulations
- Experience leading production teams of 10 or more people
- Strong analytical and cost-management acumen (Excel / ERP systems preferred)
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) REQUIRED — the team and community operate primarily in Spanish
Preferred
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Industrial Engineering, Animal Science, Operations Management, or a related field (equivalent experience considered)
- Experience in supermarket retail, high-volume, or Hispanic/ethnic meat operations
Internal note: Recommended Performance Metrics
- Production output vs. plan
- Yield improvement and shrink/waste reduction
- USDA / food safety compliance (audit results, zero non-conformances)
- Labor cost and productivity per unit
- On-time supply of finished product to stores (meat category fill rate)
- Team safety (OSHA incident rate)