Associate Director of Operations
Ripple Foods
Operations
Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posted on Jun 7, 2026
About the Company
The Associate Director of Operations is responsible for leading all plant operations, including Production, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and Warehouse functions. This role drives safety, quality, productivity, employee engagement, and continuous improvement while ensuring customer expectations and business objectives are met
.
About the Ro
le
The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who is highly visible on the plant floor, builds strong teams, and drives operational excellence in a fast-paced manufacturing environme
nt.
Responsibili
- ties
Lead all day-to-day manufacturing operations and plant perform - ance.Drive safety, quality, productivity, and continuous improvement initiat
- ives.Develop, coach, and hold managers and supervisors accountable for res
- ults.Monitor key performance metrics and implement improvements to increase efficiency and reduce c
- osts.Manage plant budgets, capital projects, and resource plan
- ning.Ensure compliance with all safety, quality, environmental, and regulatory requirem
- ents.Partner with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and other departments to achieve operational g
- oals.Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and foster a culture of accountability and engage
- ment.Support staffing, workforce development, and succession planning eff
- orts.Serve as the primary plant contact for audits, inspections, and emergency situat
ions.
Qualific
- ations
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, Supply Chain, or a related - field.8+ years of manufacturing leadership expe
- rience.Previous experience leading Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Warehouse oper
- ations.Food manufacturing experience strongly pre
- ferred.Experience in a 24/7 manufacturing envir
- onment.Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, or other continuous improvement methodo
- logies.Proven ability to improve productivity, reduce costs, and lead high-performing
- teams.Supply chain experience is
a plus.
Require
- d Skills
Hands-on, floor-focus - ed leaderStrong people manager and cultur
- e builderContinuous improvemen
- t mindsetExcellent communication and problem-solvi
- ng skillsAbility to balance strategic planning with daily operational