Associate Director Animal Production and Site Lead

Are you a dynamic leader ready to pioneer excellence in operations management at our brand-new site in Seattle, WA? Do you have a passion for fostering a culture of innovation and mentorship?

If you're excited about shaping the future of our organization and leading teams to new heights of success, we want to connect with you! Explore the opportunity to join us as Associate Director of Animal Production and be a driving force behind our journey towards excellence.

Location : This full-time position is based at Taconic's Seattle, WA site. It is a hybrid role, requiring equal parts onsite and remote work each week.

Travel to Taconic's NY or IN sites for training may be required for up to the first 90 days.

The Pay Range : $135,000 - $144,000. Exact annual base salary may vary based on several factors. These factors include geographic location, experience, training, education, and local market conditions and could exceed the advertised salary range, however, please note that the upper end of the range is not guaranteed to be offered.

What we offer :

• Insurance within 30 days or less which includes options for medical, dental, vision, pet insurance and more!
• 20 days paid time off plus 6 additional holidays and 1 floating holiday
• Annual Bonus Program
• Work life balance
• 401(k) plan with up to 4% employer match
• Tuition reimbursement
• Career advancement opportunities
• Commitment to training and providing you with the skills you need for success
• All employees receive access to 24 / 7 telemedicine (including mental health), short- and long-term disability and life insurance

If you are looking for a rewarding career and the opportunity to grow, apply today!

The Role :

We are seeking a dynamic and visionary leader to fill the role of Associate Director of Animal Production at our Seattle, WA site.

The ideal candidate will excel in operations leadership, driving continuous improvements, fostering a lean mindset, and serving as a catalyst for cultural transformation within our organization.

The Associate Director for Animal Production represents the executive leadership team of the company at this site. While main responsibilities focus on the management of Site Operations, which is a critical responsibility to achieve customers satisfaction, they must facilitate cross functional teamwork and collaboration between all business areas located at the site to be successful.

As a leader this individual must be able to work with top management and align at a strategic level, while also being able to translate that strategy to meaningful plans and actions for all levels of the team on site.

The ideal candidate for this role must be well versed in Best-In-class Operations and have the ability to drive the improvement and development of current practices to higher levels of performance.

Core Responsibilities :

• Represent top management at the site and guarantee adherence to business commitments, applicable rules and regulations and Taconic’s culture and values.
• Develop and maintain a good and engaging working environment for all direct and indirect reports at site.
• Develop (in alignment with EHS) and implement all safety rules and processes needed to assure team-member’s health and safety.
• Drive high quality results and customer satisfaction, by ensuring adherence to process specifications and quality standards.
• Allocate resources to effectively operate production at the site, making sure volume and time commitments are achieved according to plan and customer’s needs.
• Control expenses and costs according to budget and in alignment to sales level, to achieve the company’s EBITDA commitments.
• Promote animal welfare in alignment with Quality groups and internal and external regulations.
• Lead change management project and continuous improvement initiatives to develop and transform the site to Best-In-Class results in all Operation’s principles (People, safety, quality, Service, Cost & Animal welfare).
• Lead and champion continuous improvement initiatives utilizing lean methodologies to drive operational efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance overall performance.

Serve as a catalyst for fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the production team.

Other responsibilities

• Mentor and develop direct and indirect reports, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Encourage and support the implementation of employee-driven improvement initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Drive a high level of accountability in direct reports by providing clear measurable objectives and promoting the use of clear metrics to track progress.
• Support and help align the site to any approved tactical or strategic initiatives led by any area of the business, including but not limited to environmental and sustainability initiatives.
• Serve as a top management, business representative, point of contact at site.

Education and Experience :

• Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year college or university.
• Significant technical / managerial experience at an operational level.
• 5+ years of relevant experience and / or training including : Working closely to EHS, Quality, Maintenance, and Production PlanningGood understanding of financial statements and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

Tracking of success metrics and project plans. (People turnover, TRIR, Customer Complaints, Quality Non-Conformances, Production Attainment, On time and Complete customer deliveries, COGS, etc.

Managing cross functional teams.Building collaborative relationships across functions.Developing, leading, & implementing, projects.

Able to see the big picture as well as the details and communicate effectively at all levels of the organization (front line to CEO).

Change management. Inspire and lead change with a Servant Leadership style.Demonstrated experience in driving lean initiatives and implementing continuous improvement methodologies within a production environment.

Proven track record of successfully leading cultural transformation initiatives and driving sustainable change.

Travel :

Regular travel is required, generally not more than one trip per month.

Allergen Disclosure :

Due to the nature of the work performed at Taconic, employees may be exposed to allergens in the workplace, even if their positions do not involve the direct handling of animals or animal bedding.

While individuals with preexisting allergies and / or asthma may be particularly sensitive to these exposures, anyone can experience a reaction.