ASSISTANT PLANT MANAGER – THE LITTLE POTATO COMPANY (EDMONTON, AB)

THE ORGANIZATION

Our client, The Little Potato Company, began its journey in 1996 with the owners (Jacob and Angela – father and daughter) wanting to be able to produce little creamer potatoes, like what Jacob knew from his Dutch roots.. They grew their first acre by hand; planting, weeding, harvesting and washing it themselves. They then packed them into the back of Angela’s hatchback, setting off to farmers markets and restaurants.  The potatoes were popular with chefs early on, with one of their first accounts being the Banff Springs Hotel.   Jacob and Angela bought their first plant in 2000 and with their continued success, have expanded to increasingly larger facilities over the years with their current production facility located in west Edmonton.  With further expansion and growth into the United States, the decision was made to open a second production plant in January 2017 in Deforest, Wisconsin. Today, Angela leads the organization as CEO and Jacob runs a research and breeding company for little potatoes. The Little Potato Company has  grown to over 400 employees across Canada and the United States.

The Little Potato Company continues to experience growth year over year.  They continue to set their sights high with their purpose being to “Save the Potato. Feed the World, better” where “everyone, everywhere deserves to have healthy, great food”.  At the Little Potato Company, they believe in living by a set of deeply held core values representing both their history and how they strive to live every day to make the world a better place.  The core values that guide their corporate family are:

Importance of Family:  We are a family-based Company and since our prime support comes from our family, we encourage a healthy work-life balance. We honor the place that family has in our employees’ lives.

Go Beyond:  We acknowledge that employees come to us with their own experience and resources.  We support and encourage our employees to go beyond what they bring, beyond what they envision they can do, and certainly beyond a mere job description. We trust in our employees’ passion and creativity so that they can extend themselves not just for the Company, but for themselves.

Elevate others:  We are a diverse and inclusive work environment that embraces new ideas and ways of doing. When we enhance another by recognizing their skills and expertise we contribute to an overall feeling of worth.

Down To Earth:  We are approachable and recognize the common humanity of all.  We do not pretend to be other than what we are. Whether we are in the office, in the plant, in the field or with a customer we are approachable, genuine, and warm.

Do What You Say:  We walk our talk.  Being honest and impeccable really means that we waste no time in pretending, glossing over, or making unfounded promises.  We are reliable, accountable and our words communicate an actual reality.

With this, it is a great time to join The Little Potato Company as they continue to grow and be a global supplier of their unique, healthy, and delicious Little Potatoes! For further information on The Little Potato Company, please visit their website at www.littlepotatoes.com

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Little Potato Company is looking to hire an Assistant Plant Manager for their Edmonton production facility. This role is responsible for managing a team of up to 6 Supervisors and an overall staff of approximately 150 people that work on 3 shifts, along with all plant production including sorting, washing, and packaging the various product varieties.  This role has opportunity to progress to a Plant Manager position as the organization continues to experience growth.

A critical responsibility of the Assistant Plant Manager will be to grow and develop their supervisory team, lead process improvement initiatives, develop strong relationships amongst their peers and others within the organization; along with managing a diverse workforce with representation from over 34 countries. Exceptional leadership and equal/ fair treatment of all staff along with the ability to resolve internal conflicts will be key to success in this role.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversight and management of day to day workflow through coordination of production and maintenance activities, to meet production requirements.
• Lead through example at all times by adhering to and promoting Little Potato Company procedures and policies, including developing and maintaining a high trust work environment.
• Conduct daily assessment of self-values and values of the team.
• Administer everyday activities of all plant personnel.
• Performance management of staff through goal setting, motivation, monitoring and feedback on KPI’s and any behavioral issues.
• Ensure compliance to all Company policies and regulations.
• Encourage the professional development of subordinates by establishing goals, motivating, monitoring, and providing guidance on individual employee performance.
• Facilitate implementation of employee engagement initiatives across the entire production department, to drive higher levels of employee engagement for improved operational excellence.
• Continuously develop and maintain adherence to Health Environmental and Safety legislative requirements and internal standards within the plant.
• Coordinate production and maintenance activities.
• Analyze all customer requirements and maintain optimal level of quality for all production activities.
• Monitor labour levels in conjunction with anticipated volumes.
• Prepare all paperwork and reports for plant activities, assist supervisory staff in overseeing all activities of production employees, and evaluate all plant requirements.
• Coordinate operations to meet sales and planning activity.
• Collaborate and develop effective relationships with internal departments to support the development and implementation of new manufacturing processes, strategies, plans objectives and new product development.
• Ensure a collaborative environment where employees are engaged in continuous improvement and encouraged to share suggestions and feedback;
• Work in partnership with the Plant Manager to recommend operational improvements, processes, and facilitation of cost reduction initiatives.
• Manage all communication with employees and Plant Manager and ensure optimal utilization of all analytical tools.
• Hire and train all shift Supervisors and provide support to all Plant Manager activities.
• Provide holiday relief for the Plant Manager as required.
• Flexibility is required in this role as the Assistant Plant Manager is required to observe and be involved periodically with all shifts; morning, afternoon and night, and overtime weekend shifts as required.

FIRST YEAR – MEASURES OF SUCCESS

• Living the core values of The Little Potato Company;
• Leadership development of the Supervisory team;
• Relationship building across all shifts and peers within the organization;
• Meeting KPI’s (key performance indicators) and cost containment with all staff and operational budgets;
• Attaining desirable run-rates;
• Demonstrating continuous improvement within the operations;
• Leadership of an engaged, motivated workforce.

THE INDIVIDUAL

Given the pivotal role this individual will be expected to play in achieving the operational objectives of The Little Potato Company and in supporting the success of the organization, it is essential that the successful candidate possess the following education, experience, and personality profile:

Education

• Post secondary education or Certification in a manufacturing discipline would be preferred and/or relevant experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Certification would be an asset.
• Health and Safety training would be an asset.
• HACCP Certification and/or other food safety and quality courses would be ideal.

Experience

• 5 – 10 years of leadership experience in either a Plant Management, Assistant Plant Management, Superintendent or at a Supervisory level is required;
• 5 years of experience in a high-speed manufacturing, production environment or distribution organization;
• Experience in the food industry would be beneficial;
• Exemplary leadership skills in a multi-cultural environment demonstrating patience, understanding, employee development and leading through example and core values.

Personal Profile

• Respectful and engaged business leader;
• Health and Safety focused;
• Strategic thinker that is goal oriented;
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills;
• Excellent interpersonal, decision-making, and communications skills;
• Process improvement aware;
• Ability to work in a fast-paced team environment;
• Strong team and organizational skills;
• A strong business acumen;
• Is an advocate for the business, team, and brand.

Compensation

An excellent compensation package awaits the successful candidate.

Location

Edmonton, Alberta

How to Apply

For the opportunity to join The Little Potato Company in the role of the Assistant Plant Manager, please email your resume to lgoddard@profoundtalent.com referencing Position ID # ACPM-841017.

Should you have an inquiry regarding this position, please contact Lisa Goddard at 587-200-0114 Ext. 102 or Terri Davis at Ext. 101.  For further information on ProFound Talent Inc. please visit the following:

Website: www.profoundtalent.com

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Podcasts on iTunes: ProFound Talks with Terri