We are looking for a manufacturing experienced, seasoned senior operations executive to run, lead and improve daily operations in our fast-growing meat processing and freeze-drying plant. This role is ideal for someone with a strong manufacturing background in meat processing or food manufacturing, who knows how and is ready to build teams, improve efficiency, manage floor performance, create accountability, and quickly scale our business to $50M in annual sales and beyond.

This person will work closely with our production managers and executive leadership to build and scale production systems, coordinate materials and labor scheduling, manage maintenance and warehousing, and optimize throughput, KPIs, and overall plant discipline. The right candidate is extremely hard-working, hands-on, practical, organized, and comfortable leading manufacturing teams in a growing, fast-moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with Production to support, coach, and develop supervisors and leads
• Work with Procurement on raw material planning and supply needs
• Work with Warehouse on scheduling and optimal allocation & organization
• Work with Maintenance and preventive maintenance programs
• Work with QA team to improve SOPs, checklists, and reporting tools
• Build better systems for accountability, follow-through, and shift performance
• Maintain a strong food safety, quality, and accountability culture, and a stronger, more professional production team

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in food manufacturing operations
• 5+ years managing supervisors, leads, or production teams
• Meat processing, USDA, FDA, HACCP, GMP, SQF
• Freeze-Drying (lyophilization and/or dessication) experience strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of Lean/SixSigma, basic cost accounting, and ERP/MES
• Comfort with spreadsheets, production reports, and operational data
• Experience using KPIs to manage daily production performance
• Practical, hands-on leadership style; ability to lead from the floor, not just from the office — comfortable moving from spreadsheets to meat grinders and back.
• High EQ; strong communication and accountability skills, both written & verbal
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate has worked in industrial scale food manufacturing and understands the pressure of daily production. They know how to improve a floor without disrupting it. They coach managers, develop leads, hold people accountable, and use numbers to make operations better. We are especially interested in candidates with meat, USDA, or similar food manufacturing experience.

Why Wild Zora?

We’re a family-owned, long-term-minded business — no venture capital roller coaster. You’ll report directly to the CEO and your ideas will travel fast from whiteboard to production to product. You’ll help shape an emerging niche: freeze-drying proteins for premium clean-label foods and supplements. As a member of the Executive Team, you'll participate in all strategic planning sessions, leadership meetings, and our Equity Sharing Plan that will pay generously upon a future liquidity event. This is a truly exciting career-building opportunity for a person really ready to lean-in and work incredibly hard for an amazing payoff in both experience and remuneration!

Pay: $120,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Plant Management: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person