Business Unit Leader

Job Location: Memphis, TN 

Summary: 

The Hershey Company Memphis plant is a Non-Union plant producing products such as Ice Breakers, Breath Savers, and Good & Plenty, in a high-speed complex environment. 

The Business Unit Leader, reports directly to the Plant Manager, serves as a member of the Plant Leadership Team, and is responsible for providing production leadership in assigned area(s). This role has full responsibility and accountability for all aspects of managing a Business Unit, including but not limited to people safety; food safety; quality; cost; service; people leadership; maintenance; and project implementation. 

This role is also responsible for daily and long-term plant and company goals by providing proactive, efficient, and reliable leadership for one to three shifts in a seven-day working environment, while effectively collaborating at all organizational levels within and outside of the plant site. Demonstrated success in this role over 3-5 years can provide career advancement opportunity to compete for higher level roles within the Supply Chain, including Plant Manager at other facilities within The Hershey Company’s global network. Depending on size and complexity of the site, this role is usually directly responsible for approximately 100-200 employees as well as development, management, and delivery of approximately $100M-200M annual budget.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for ensuring a culture that places high value on employee safety and food safety. This also includes compliance to OSHA and FDA regulations.
• Independently leads teams and executes projects to eliminate root causes of manufacturing failures.
• Coaches, directs, facilitates, trains, and develops supervisors to work efficiently while supporting the manufacturing mission.
• Effectively work as part of or lead cross-functional teams to deliver against business objectives.
• Oversees the annual budget preparation, directs the implementation, and maintains strong budgetary control of direct, indirect, and unit costs.
• Ability to make department assessments, identify problems, develop solutions, as well as articulate a plan to Plant Manager, peers, and direct reports that yields performance improvements.
• Ensures effective employee relations, measured at least in part through the annual employee engagement survey results specific to the assigned Business Unit. This should be accomplished through significant floor time and consistent application of work rules.
• Demonstrates genuine concern for employees’ well-being.
• Coordinates, organizes, and delivers communication activities, concerning objectives, results and plans within and between the department and all other plant functions. Makes necessary judgment calls on specific goal alignment to achieve manufacturing excellence.
• Accountable for performance management of salaried staff. Ensures appropriate employment decisions and issue resolution through proper investigation and involvement of key stakeholders.
• Responsible for management, development and/or assessment of training plans that ensure all members of the department are aligned with company, plant, and department objectives. Leads and maintains the team as a world-class organization.
• Primary owner of the Continuous Improvement process within the Business Unit in support of goals and objectives of The Hershey Company. Accountable for adherence to defined processes and systems.
• Responsible for determining appropriate delegation of assignments, ensuring follow up and taking ownership of the delegated assignments.

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities:

• Preference for gum manufacturing or relevant experience such as extrusion, mixing, batching
• High energy, enthusiastic, positive attitude
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Team building skills
• Ability to inspire and provide excellent leadership to broad and diverse workforce teams, including supervisors and large hourly teams
• Ability to overcome resistance to change, adapt to change, and lead change
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Possesses the hunger and humility to learn
• “Hands on”/lead by example type of approach to provide leadership and problem solving in a high-speed manufacturing, team-based environment
• Proven track record of ability to positively motivate others and deliver business results with a high level of urgency
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Budget creation and application of cost controls
• PC skills: SAP, Excel, Word, Power Point, social media, and other contemporary internet tools, etc.
• SAP or other ERP system skills a plus
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task
• Familiarity with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and OSHA standards
• Possesses a desire to advance and grow career
• Willingness to consider future assignments within and outside of Manufacturing and/or to relocate within The Hershey Company to broaden your experience, develop your career, and to fill critical business needs

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline preferred  
• 5 years of experience in manufacturing or equivalent work experience preferred
• 3 years in a leadership role preferred

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