Plant Manager - COO

Hale & Hearty Soups is seeking a hands-on Plant Manager / COO to lead daily operations at our USDA-inspected, SQF-certified fresh prepared foods facility in Brooklyn, NY. This is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing production, packaging, purchasing, warehouse, maintenance, R and D, Sanitation and QA, with full responsibility for plant performance, efficiency, and team leadership.

This is an opportunity to take a senior leadership role in a growing fresh foods company with significant expansion opportunities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage oversight of a USDA-inspected fresh prepared foods facility
• Build and manage production schedules to meet customer demand and maximize throughput
• Implement and track KPIs: labor efficiency, yields, throughput, cost per pound, on-time shipments, and waste
• Improve operational efficiency, margins, and plant performance
• Supervise and develop department managers and production staff
• Ensure compliance with USDA, SQF, HACCP, and food safety standards
• Partner with ownership on strategic growth, capacity expansion, and new product launches
• Reports directly to the CEO

Qualifications:

• 10+ years operations leadership in food manufacturing
• Strong experience in USDA-inspected operations required
• Experience in refrigerated foods, soups, sauces, or ready-to-eat meals
• Proven leadership managing production teams, warehouse, and QA
• Strong background in cost control, process improvement, and KPI management

-

About the Facility:

• USDA inspected
• SQF certified
• Fresh refrigerated foods manufacturing
• Hot fill packaging (cups and bulk foodservice)
• Retail and foodservice customers
• Located in Brooklyn, NY
• uction or restaurant industry is highly desirable