Operations Manager

Beta Hatch (www.betahatch.com), is a pioneering biotechnology company, and the U.S. leader in the industrialization of mealworm production for animal feed. Mealworms are a quiet, non-biting beetle that lives in relatively dry and clean environments. We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to help us operationalize and manage work at our flagship facility in Cashmere, WA.

About Beta Hatch:

At Beta Hatch, our goal is to disrupt the $400B animal feed industry by providing more sustainable nutrients for our livestock and crops. Our vision is to build indoor insect rearing facilities that generate a sustainable high-protein feed ingredient at industrial scales. Nutrient balanced fertilizer is a by-product of growing insects. At Beta Hatch, we know bugs better than anyone and we use our expertise in entomology, engineering and indoor agriculture to grow the most efficient and nutritious insects.

Position Description:

Are you excited about disrupting agriculture with indoor farming? Do you have start-up experience with plant and operations management? This might be the perfect role for you!

Responsibilities:

• Manage plant operations that are consistent with food safety and quality standards including sanitation procedures and good manufacturing processes.
• P&L responsibility for overall revenue growth, profitability and operations efficiencies to deliver on business plan and key metric expectations.
• Actively report on operations as a key member of the leadership team
• Proactively manage 5+ direct reports and up to 30 operators through 1-1 and team engagement including management by walking around and being present in the facility
• Perform daily production planning and scheduling.
• Scheduling maintenance and downtime at all locations, including coordination with engineering teams to ensure proper preventative maintenance and equipment servicing.
• Supply chain responsibility for all inputs and products, including coordination of shipping and handling and ensuring all deliveries and shipments meet supplier and customer requirements.
• Integration with Sales and Marketing to ensure operational delivery on sales needs of customers including both quality and quantity of products.
• Support construction and commissioning of the Flagship Facility including feedback to engineering team for equipment calibration and troubleshooting and scaling of the biology from start-up to full capacity.
• Responsible for the Safety, Health & Environmental (SHE) onsite programs and safety incident management.
• Training for all operations team members including managing required training certifications, and mentoring of team members for accountability and personal growth.
• Administrative responsibility for key operational functions, including audit readiness, record keeping and batch tracking, recall ability and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years production management experience in food production or processing. Prior experience in a start-up (greenfield) operation is certainly desirable.
• Demonstrable hands-on production floor leadership and team building skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational and communication skills (both oral & written) in English. Spanish speaking a plus.
• Excellent time management skills, the ability to organize and manage multiple assignments.
• Interpersonal skills with all external and internal customers – displays passion and optimism, conflict resolution, professionalism, confidentiality, timely and appropriate responses to questions or complaints, seeks feedback and consensus when possible, meets commitments, creates teambuilding, identifies and supports efforts to succeed.
• Strong work ethic, attention to detail and organizational skills as well as the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. Flexibility and willingness to modify priorities rapidly as needed.
• Proficiency with MS office, and familiarity with project management software

Compensation:

This is a full-time salaried position. Beta Hatch offers competitive compensation, with salary dependent on experience. This position is eligible for Beta Hatch benefits (Healthcare, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance, 401(k), and Paid Time Off) as per company policy.