Plant Manager

Company Description M.C.I. Foods, Inc., parent company of Los Cabos® Mexican Foods, is a leading manufacturer and marketer in the frozen Mexican entrée category, with a strong focus on K–12 nutrition nationwide. The company partners with many of the largest school districts in the U.S., offering a broad range of CN-labeled items such as burritos, tamales, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and breakfast entrées in bulk and individually wrapped formats. As an approved commodity processor and longtime SNA member, M.C.I. Foods is committed to food safety, nutrition, and meeting evolving School Food Service requirements. With over 120 SKUs, SQF-certified facilities, and recent investments in tamale production and leadership, the company continues to grow and innovate. Team members contribute to delivering authentic Mexican flavors at scale, with an emphasis on quality and care.

About the Role

The Plant Manager will plan, direct, and monitor plant operations while partnering with Supply Chain, R&D, Engineering, Human Resources, Quality, Maintenance, Sanitation, and Fleet Transportation teams. The ideal candidate is a hands-on, entrepreneurial operations leader who can improve line performance, reduce waste, manage costs, strengthen food safety systems, and coach teams through continuous improvement methods.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily plant operations with accountability for Production, Quality, Maintenance, Sanitation, and Internal Trucking Fleet performance.
• Promote a safe plant environment, chair safety initiatives, support OSHA and DOT compliance, and maintain strong housekeeping standards through 5S.
• Ensure food safety readiness, GMP compliance, SQF and HACCP program effectiveness, and regulatory compliance across facility operations.
• Drive quality performance, including audit scores, First-Time Quality results, hold reduction, complaint reduction, and the transition toward paperless shop-floor quality systems.
• Improve productivity through line performance, labor efficiency, material yield, waste reduction, downtime tracking, and cost control.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts using Lean, 5S, SPC, KPI management, and best-practice sharing across the organization.
• Develop, coach, and motivate supervisors and team members while reinforcing company policies, procedures, and performance expectations.
• Partner with leadership on capital planning, vendor performance, operational systems, and plant financial performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related science or engineering field preferred.
• 10–15 years of progressive manufacturing experience with strong leadership skills and a proven record of delivering sustainable results.
• USDA experience required; frozen food manufacturing experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food plant GMPs, SOPs, SQF, HACCP, OSHA, DOT, and related regulatory requirements.
• Demonstrated success with Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, 5S, Visual Factory Management, and SPC implementation.
• Strong coaching, facilitation, presentation, communication, and team-building skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• High-energy leader with the ability to analyze information, coordinate priorities, delegate effectively, and develop people.

Why Join Us

This is an opportunity to help lead a growing food manufacturing operation, influence plant-wide performance, strengthen a culture of safety and quality, and make a measurable impact on operational excellence.

To Apply: Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter for consideration.