Job Description

Position Summary

The Technical Services position is responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of food manufacturing operations, ensuring product quality, regulatory compliance, process optimization, and technical innovation across the facility. This role provides strategic direction, technical expertise, and cross-functional leadership for product, performance, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Position Responsibilities

Develop and lead the long-term technical strategy for the organization, ensuring alignment with business objectives, growth plans, and operational capabilities. Serve as the senior technical advisor to executive leadership, providing direction on product quality, process innovation, technology investments, and regulatory risk management. Oversee the design and implementation of technical standards across all manufacturing areas, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and world-class quality performance. Drive continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging data analytics, lean methodologies, and advanced process technologies to achieve long-term operational excellence. Lead strategic technical assessments to identify future capability needs, equipment modernization opportunities, and areas for innovation within the manufacturing network. Direct large-scale technical projects, including process optimizations, new equipment installations, technology evaluations, and major product launches or reformulations. Establish and govern technical KPIs, setting performance expectations and using metrics to guide strategy, investments, and process improvements. Provide executive oversight for root-cause analysis (RCA) and corrective action programs, ensuring systematic, preventive solutions that strengthen operational reliability. Champion a culture of technical excellence, fostering innovation, continuous learning, and cross-functional collaboration across the organization. Shape and influence long-term capital planning, ensuring investments support capacity growth, efficiency improvements, risk mitigation, and technical innovation. Represent Technical Services at the senior leadership table, communicating technical risks, opportunities, and forward-looking business impacts. Perform other strategic leadership duties as required to support organizational goals and long-term technical direction. Perform other duties as assigned in support of operational and strategic requirements.

Essential Skills and Experience

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field preferred; equivalent technical experience considered. 20+ years of progressive experience in food manufacturing, with deep technical expertise in processing, formulations, quality systems, and regulatory requirements. Extensive knowledge of food safety regulations and industry-specific certification standards. Advanced problem-solving abilities, with a strong track record of leading RCAs and implementing sustainable corrective actions. Strong understanding of food processing equipment, production workflows, and technical troubleshooting. Experience supporting large-scale manufacturing operations, including process optimization, cost savings initiatives, and continuous improvement. Ability to interpret data, process trends, and technical reports, leveraging analytics to inform decision-making. Exceptional cross-functional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels. Strong project management skills, including ability to manage multiple technical initiatives simultaneously. Experience working with R&D, operations, engineering, and quality teams to support innovation and operational excellence.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Able to walk and stand, use arms and legs for long periods of time including wrist turning and finger manipulation.

Employee stands frequently with tasks requiring consistent bending, stooping, kneeling, or crawling to complete; Lift, carry and push/pull occasionally of up to 50 pounds is required.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to extreme temperature conditions. Job locations can be consistently 40 degrees or below. The noise levels at work are moderate to loud and hearing protection is required.

General Sign-Off:

The employee is expected to adhere to all company policies and to act as a role model in the adherence to policies. The company reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the company desires. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied or otherwise. The employment relationship remains "AT- WILL." Qualified employees who, because of a physical or mental impairment that significantly limits a major life activity, require a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of this position should notify their Manager or Human Resources.

Food Safety Sign-Off:

All team members at Crider Foods must adhere to our food safety requirements and must report food safety problems to management. All attempts should be made to ensure that the written and digital records are documented at the time the activity is performed, legible, clear, concise and suitably authorized (not falsified) by those undertaking monitoring (documented work tasks). This position may be responsible for the inspection and verification of records.





"We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law".