Director of Operations

With a legacy spanning over 35 years, Harris Spice has been a trusted partner and leading supplier of high-quality spices, herbs, and innovative seasoning blends. With international facilities and a global supply chain, we proudly serve multiple channels of trade—including industrial bulk, food service, and retail. Our commitment to excellence, quality and consistency has earned us the trust of some of the nation’s largest and most recognized brands. As Harris Spice continues to grow, we are dedicated to cultivating a dynamic, inclusive workplace where innovation thrives. We're looking for diverse, talented individuals who are ready to grow with us and help strengthen a brand known for trust, quality, and bold flavor solutions.

Position Overview / Job Summary :

The Director of Operations is responsible for overseeing all aspects of plant operations across the Anaheim, KB, and La Palma facilities. This includes leadership and strategic oversight of production, engineering, maintenance, quality, warehousing, shipping / receiving, safety, and regulatory compliance. The Director will provide guidance to functional operations leaders and ensure that products are manufactured safely, efficiently, and in accordance with all food safety and regulatory standards. The role is critical to achieving operational excellence, supporting customer satisfaction, and meeting overall business objectives.

Essential Functions :

• Lead and oversee all plant operations, including production, quality, engineering, maintenance, warehousing, shipping / receiving, safety, and environmental compliance.
• Develop plant strategy and KPIs aligned with corporate goals, ensuring efficient and reliable execution of the production plan.
• Build and lead a high-performance leadership team, providing coaching, training, and succession planning to the next set of operational leaders.
• Define, implement, and control operations metrics and KPIs, setting specific goals aligned with the business plan following the directions provided by executive leadership.
• Provide directions to the production manager to ensure finished goods are produced safely and on time according to the production schedule, within the expected quality and at the budgeted cost.
• Lead Harris Spice’s Safety Program to develop an accident-free safety culture. Act as Harris Spice Safety Champion, leading the team to comply with safety rules and standards.
• Collect and analyze data to identify deviations to the operations plan, finding the root causes and proposing actions to achieve the expected goals.
• Lead the engineering and maintenance teams to maintain the equipment and the facilities in optimum operational conditions.
• Lead the planning, execution, implementation, and maintenance of CI and capital investment projects to improve operations.
• Prepare and deliver the yearly operations budget. Manage and control operational expenses to keep costs within budget.
• Lead warehousing, shipping and receiving operations providing proper direction to warehouse managers and coordinators.
• Manage the operations headcount to execute and deliver the operations plan at the optimum labor cost.
• Follow, promote, and enforce Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Food Safety Standards. Become an active member of the HACCP Team.
• Act as the plant’s Safety Champion, cultivating a strong safety culture and ensuring OSHA and company standards are met.
• Enforce GMP, HACCP, BRC / SQF, and all applicable food safety regulations.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure all products meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Develop and manage contractors and vendors in accordance with Company’s policies and procedures.
• Lead the sustainability and environmental programs
• Ensure finished goods are produced on time, at budgeted cost, and within food safety and quality standards.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including process optimization, waste reduction, and equipment reliability.
• Prepare and manage the annual operating and capital budgets.
• Monitor KPIs, labor utilization, production costs, and yield performance to ensure financial targets are met.
• Develop and maintain vendor and contractor relationships in line with company policies.
• Prepare and deliver the yearly budget. Manage and control operational expenses to keep costs within budget.
• Oversee capital projects and operational upgrades to enhance productivity and efficiency.
• Ensure the facility is adequately staffed, trained, and motivated to meet production and compliance goals. Collect and analyze data to identify deviations from the operations plan, find the root causes, and propose actions to achieve the expected goals.
• Work closely with supply chain and commercialization to support new product launches, strategic initiatives, and customer commitments.
• Serve as a key representative of the plant in corporate reviews and audits.
• Maintain positive employee relations and a collaborative workplace culture.
• Partners with HR to build a comprehensive accountability framework that aligns employee performance with business objectives
• Other duties as assigned

Skills / Qualifications :

Physical Requirements

The statements herein are intended to describe the general natureand levels of the work performed by employees, but are not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, the job description does not constitute a written or implied contract for employment. Harris Spice reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Harris Spice is a certified Minority-owned business. Our business is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, parental status, ancestry, disability, gender identity, veteran status, genetic information, other distinguishing characteristics of diversity and inclusion, or any other protected status.