Operations Manager - Food Manufacturing

About Oat Haus

Oat Haus is a growing food manufacturing company and the creator of Granola Butter, an innovative oat-based spread sold at major retailers nationwide, including Target, Whole Foods Market, and Costco.

We operate a 44,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in the Cleveland area, producing Granola Butter, granola, and other food products for our own brand and private-label partners.

We're looking for an experienced, highly organized, and hands-on Operations Manager to oversee daily manufacturing operations, manage inventory and production planning, and lead our production team.

About the Role

The Operations Manager will be responsible for ensuring that our manufacturing operation runs efficiently, inventory is properly managed, and production is planned and executed to meet customer demand.

This role combines production management, inventory control, demand planning, and team leadership. You'll be responsible for translating sales forecasts and customer orders into production schedules, ensuring materials are available, and managing the team to execute those schedules efficiently.

We're looking for someone who is equally comfortable working with spreadsheets and production data as they are leading employees on the manufacturing floor.

The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, mechanically inclined, and capable of independently managing the many moving pieces of a growing food manufacturing business.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop and manage daily, weekly, and longer-term production schedules based on customer orders, sales forecasts, inventory levels, and manufacturing capacity.
• Translate demand forecasts into finished goods production requirements.
• Balance production priorities, available labor, equipment capacity, and material availability.
• Coordinate production runs to minimize changeovers, downtime, and manufacturing inefficiencies.
• Monitor progress against production schedules and proactively adjust plans as priorities change.
• Coordinate with sales and leadership to anticipate upcoming production needs.

Inventory Management & Forecasting

• Own inventory planning and management for raw materials, packaging components, work-in-process, and finished goods.
• Forecast inventory requirements based on sales projections, historical demand, lead times, and production schedules.
• Establish and maintain appropriate inventory levels, reorder points, and safety stock.
• Monitor inventory accuracy and oversee cycle counts and physical inventory reconciliation.
• Identify and prevent potential material shortages, excess inventory, and obsolete stock.
• Coordinate with purchasing and suppliers to ensure timely availability of production materials.
• Track inventory usage, manufacturing yields, and discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate inventory records and improve inventory management systems and processes.

Manufacturing Operations

• Oversee daily manufacturing and packaging operations.
• Ensure production meets scheduled quantities, quality standards, and delivery deadlines.
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks.
• Implement process improvements to increase capacity and reduce manufacturing costs.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures.

Qualifications

Required

• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, production planning, inventory management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience building production schedules and managing inventory.
• Experience leading manufacturing or warehouse employees.
• Strong proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets, including working with forecasts, inventory data, and production reports.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and respond to changing production requirements.
• Mechanical aptitude and comfort working around manufacturing equipment.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of operational results.

Preferred

• Experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
• Familiarity with MRP, ERP, or inventory management systems.
• Understanding of BOMs, material requirements planning, inventory forecasting, and production capacity planning.
• Knowledge of SQF, GMP, HACCP, and food safety standards.
• Experience with automated filling, packaging, or food processing equipment.
• Experience implementing process improvements in a growing manufacturing business.

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role?

The right person will be able to:

• Anticipate inventory requirements and ensure materials are ordered before they become a production constraint.
• Build realistic production schedules that account for demand, inventory, labor, equipment, and capacity.
• Maintain accurate inventory records and identify discrepancies before they create problems.
• Keep production on schedule while adapting quickly to unexpected challenges.
• Lead and hold employees accountable while maintaining a positive team environment.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement solutions without constant oversight.
• Take ownership of problems and drive them through to resolution.

Why Join Oat Haus?

Oat Haus offers an opportunity to play a critical role in the growth of an innovative food manufacturing company.

You'll have direct responsibility for production planning, inventory management, and manufacturing operations, with the autonomy to improve systems, develop processes, and help build a more efficient and scalable operation.

We value initiative, accountability, practical problem-solving, and people who take pride in making things run better.

Pay: $64,600.00 - $79,900.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person