About Soupergirl
Soupergirl is a rapidly growing, women-owned, plant-based food company dedicated to making the world a better place. We create fresh, small-batch, delicious soups, gazpachos, and salsas that are Fair Food Certified, kosher, and environmentally responsible. We are looking for a highly motivated and versatile manager to join our team, helping support our mission and growth.
Role Overview
We are looking for a hands-on Assistant Plant Manager to lead the day-to-day facility, warehouse, and packaging operations at Soupergirl’s Lanham, MD plant. Reporting to the Plant Manager, who oversees both Soupergirl facilities, you will be the on-site leader responsible for keeping the Lanham building, warehouse, and packaging lines running safely, efficiently, and in compliance with all federal, state, and local guidelines. You will directly manage the packaging team and be accountable for their safety, performance, and development. The ideal candidate is a stellar communicator and proven leader who believes in our mission and is eager to learn and grow within a fast-paced organization. Fluency in English and Spanish is required to effectively support and communicate with our diverse workforce.
Key Responsibilities
Packaging Team Leadership
● Directly manage the Lanham packaging team, including supervisors and hourly team members. Manage hiring, onboarding, training, shift scheduling, attendance, coaching, and performance management for the team.
● Run daily packaging operations against the production schedule: staff the lines, set daily targets, lead shift start-up meetings, and remove obstacles so that orders are packed accurately, on time, and in full. Continually communicate to the team regarding operational performance, safety, and pertinent Soupergirl policies.
● Coordinate daily with the Production Managers so that kitchen output and packaging capacity stay in sync.
● Ensure every packaged product meets Soupergirl specifications, including fill weights, seals, labels, lot and date coding, allergen changeover controls, and cold chain handling.
● Track and report packaging metrics, including throughput, labor efficiency, yield, downtime, and material waste, and use the data to drive continuous improvement.
Warehouse & Inventory Management
● Manage warehouse organization for the Lanham facility: receiving, cold and dry storage, stock rotation, lot traceability, staging, and shipping.
● Keep Lanham inventory accurate in real time in Soupergirl’s ERP system - Wherefour. Ensure receipts, transfers, material usage, and finished goods are recorded daily.
● Lead cycle counts and the monthly/quarterly/yearly physical inventory count for Lanham. Resolve variances and deliver results to the Plant Manager so that metrics reach the finance team within 5 business days after the end of every month.
● Manage packaging materials and operating supplies: monitor on-hand levels, flag reorder needs to procurement, and prevent stock-outs and overstock.
● Oversee receiving and shipping at Lanham. Verify deliveries against purchase orders, check temperatures on receipt, schedule outbound loads and transfers between facilities, and maintain signed BOL’s and POD’s.
Facility & Equipment
● Serve as the point person for the Lanham building and grounds, including repairs, refrigeration, utilities, pest control, waste and recycling, and security. Manage outside contractors and service vendors.
● Maintain a preventive maintenance program for packaging, refrigeration, and material handling equipment. Coordinate repairs to minimize downtime and keep maintenance records current.
● Recommend and help manage facility improvement projects, approve expenses within scope of authority, and manage facility, warehouse, and packaging spending to budget.
Safety, Food Safety & Compliance
● Champion a safety-first culture. Enforce facility safety standards to comply with all OSHA and other regulations, lead safety training, conduct regular inspections, investigate incidents and near misses, and follow corrective actions through to completion.
● Enforce GMPs, sanitation, allergen, and food safety programs in packaging and the warehouse in partnership with the Food Safety and QA teams. Keep Lanham ready at all times for regulatory, kosher, third-party, and customer audits and inspections.
● Maintain standard operating procedures for packaging, warehouse, and facility operations, and ensure all required documentation is complete and accurate.
Partnership with the Plant Manager
● Act as the senior on-site operations leader at Lanham when the Plant Manager is at Soupergirl’s other facility, and escalate issues appropriately.
● Report regularly to the Plant Manager on packaging output, labor, inventory, facility and equipment status, and safety.
● Support the Plant Manager with budgeting, labor planning, and projects that improve productivity, efficiency, and product quality.
● Other duties as assigned.
Required
● 5 to 10 years of experience managing manufacturing shifts and hourly teams.
● Fluency in English and Spanish (verbal and written).
● Demonstrated experience in warehouse and inventory management, including receiving, storage, shipping, and cycle counts.
● Hands-on experience with facility and equipment maintenance programs and managing outside vendors and contractors.
● Working knowledge of OSHA requirements, GMPs, and food safety programs (ideally SQF).
● Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills, with a track record of hiring, training, coaching, and holding teams accountable.
● Strong analytical and computer skills, including Excel and ERP or inventory management systems.
● Ability to work on-site in Lanham, MD, with flexible scheduling as production requires.
● Ability to work on the production floor, including in refrigerated environments, and to lift up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Preferred
● Experience in food manufacturing.
● Experience in a temperature-controlled warehouse environment.
● Experience with Wherefour or a similar ERP system.
● HACCP training.
● Forklift certification.
What We Offer
● Salary plus incentive based bonus structure
● Health, dental, and vision benefits
● Three weeks paid time off
● Opportunity to grow with a rapidly scaling CPG company
● A meaningful role at a purpose-driven, women-owned organization
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law.
Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
