Senior Manager Production Planning and Facilities

Posting Summary

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is seeking a Senior Manager Production Planning and Facilities for the Food Innovation Center South. This position reports to the Executive Director and Director of the Food Innovation Center ( FIC ).

• Provides leadership for production planning, manufacturing, scale‑up to commercialization, working in conjunction with product development and quality assurance and training to bring a food product to market.
• Interfaces with the entire management team at FIC.
• Provides total business solutions for farmers, start‑up companies and food processing clients that are served.
• Oversees the mechanical production functionality of the facility and equipment and meets all Rutgers and regulatory requirements, working in conjunction with the FIC Processing Engineering consultant, and Rutgers Facilities and REHS personnel.
• Implements and maintains sanitation and production programs and personnel training, in compliance with FDA and USDA regulations for the manufacturing of food products.
• Provides personalized and customized technical support to FIC clients in the areas of regulations and compliance.
• Interfaces with clients daily and provides appropriate food production and sanitation services to maintain facility policies.
• Identifies, implements and/or evaluates advanced strategies for continuous improvement in production processes, client services, sanitation procedures, facility management, building security, food defense, etc.

The Rutgers Food Innovation Center ( FIC ) is a unique business incubation and economic development accelerator program, which provides business and technology expertise to small and mid‑sized food and agribusinesses in New Jersey and utilizes its outreach capacity to reach the food industry throughout the nation. The FIC provides extensive programs in training and workforce development; customized and comprehensive business and technical mentoring services;

and a 23,000 sq. ft. USDA- and FDA‑inspected facility that enables design, development, analysis, commercialization and manufacture of value‑added food products for sale to retail and food service markets.

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, or a related field.
• Plant Operations and/or experience managing all activities involved in a departmental/cross‑functional environment.
• Technical expertise in bottling line and related equipment.
• Experience with the fruit and vegetable processing industry, prepared foods, beverage industry and/or seafood industry.
• Business entrepreneurial experience.
• SQF Practitioner or similar training experience in another global food safety program ( BRC , HACCP ).
• Strong inter‑personal skills.
• Ability to work in a team environment with clients on a regular basis for all of their business support needs.