Jobs
Chief Operating Officer
A high-growth, PE-backed contract manufacturer for leading CPG brands is hiring a Chief Operating Officer to run end-to-end operations across a multi-site network.
Industry
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Salary
$325,000–$350,000
About the company
A high-growth, private equity-backed contract manufacturer and packager producing products for many of the leading consumer packaged goods brands in North America. It works across dry, liquid, rigid, and flexible formats, operates a multi-site manufacturing network across the Midwest and South, and has delivered double-digit organic growth year over year.
The opportunity
The Chief Operating Officer oversees end-to-end manufacturing and supply chain operations, with a primary focus on profitability, operational excellence, and scalable growth. The role builds strong operating and support teams, strengthens the culture, and translates business strategy into disciplined execution.
Growth comes from three levers: organic expansion, highly selective M&A, and purpose-built facilities co-invested with customers. The company is known for speed, standing up new production lines in weeks and new facilities in months, and for taking over and turning around plants that customers no longer want to run themselves.
This is not a role for someone who wants predictability. It is a role for a builder who is equally comfortable in the boardroom, in front of a customer, and on the production floor, and who will coach and raise the bar for an exceptionally strong VP team.
Key responsibilities
Develop and implement strategies that optimize operating results and deliver world-class manufacturing performance
Set site-level and network-wide roadmaps for lowest total delivered cost and better customer outcomes
Analyze safety, quality, and productivity performance and set direction for year-over-year improvement with the Executive Leadership Team
Lead growth initiatives across organic expansion, M&A, and purpose-built facilities developed with customers, and evaluate acquisition targets with discipline
Lead and develop the VPs of Operations and Supply Chain, and champion succession planning and talent development
Lead new facility startups, new product introductions, and turnarounds of underperforming or newly acquired plants
Drive a culture of continuous improvement, Total Productive Maintenance, and lean problem-solving at the root cause
Provide strategic oversight of the supply chain organization and implement improvements that enhance service and cost efficiency
Build and maintain strategic customer relationships that enable long-term growth
Prepare and manage the operating budget and partner with the CFO on financial reporting and capital expenditure analysis
Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations and adherence to FDA and SQF standards
Deliver clear, insightful, and actionable communications to the Board of Directors
Ideal profile
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field; a master’s degree or professional certification is preferred
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or contract manufacturing, with a proven record of improving operating performance
Experience leading multi-site manufacturing operations
Experience scaling operations in a high-growth or private equity-backed environment
Strong technical background in packaging and packaging materials
Broad, cross-functional operating experience rather than ownership of a single function
Food industry experience with established relationships strongly preferred; leaders from CPG, emerging brands, or FDA-regulated industries will also be considered
Experience with plant startups, new product launches, or turnarounds is a plus
A record of meaningful tenure and sustained impact, including leading through difficult periods
Strong strategic, analytical, and operational leadership, with expertise in financial management and operational performance drivers
A humble, hands-on leadership style with an entrepreneurial, ownership mentality, comfortable owning issues directly with customers
Compensation & benefits
The posted base salary range is $325,000 to $350,000. The role is based in the Chicago west suburbs or Northwest Indiana, with 30 to 50 percent travel across the manufacturing network, customer locations, and corporate offices. Full detail on the package is shared at intake before you speak to the client.
How to apply
Three ways to start the conversation.
Send your résumé, book a call, or apply straight from the LinkedIn posting. Whichever route you pick, one person handles your application from first reply to offer.
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About NextPlay Jobs
We believe great recruiting is personal, not transactional. We spent 15 years inside LinkedIn building the tools recruiters use, then built the firm we wished existed. We connect high-performing people with companies where they can make the biggest impact, and one relationship manager stays with you from the first search to the tenth.
Jobs
Chief Operating Officer
A high-growth, PE-backed contract manufacturer for leading CPG brands is hiring a Chief Operating Officer to run end-to-end operations across a multi-site network.
Industry
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Salary
$325,000–$350,000
About the company
A high-growth, private equity-backed contract manufacturer and packager producing products for many of the leading consumer packaged goods brands in North America. It works across dry, liquid, rigid, and flexible formats, operates a multi-site manufacturing network across the Midwest and South, and has delivered double-digit organic growth year over year.
The opportunity
The Chief Operating Officer oversees end-to-end manufacturing and supply chain operations, with a primary focus on profitability, operational excellence, and scalable growth. The role builds strong operating and support teams, strengthens the culture, and translates business strategy into disciplined execution.
Growth comes from three levers: organic expansion, highly selective M&A, and purpose-built facilities co-invested with customers. The company is known for speed, standing up new production lines in weeks and new facilities in months, and for taking over and turning around plants that customers no longer want to run themselves.
This is not a role for someone who wants predictability. It is a role for a builder who is equally comfortable in the boardroom, in front of a customer, and on the production floor, and who will coach and raise the bar for an exceptionally strong VP team.
Key responsibilities
Develop and implement strategies that optimize operating results and deliver world-class manufacturing performance
Set site-level and network-wide roadmaps for lowest total delivered cost and better customer outcomes
Analyze safety, quality, and productivity performance and set direction for year-over-year improvement with the Executive Leadership Team
Lead growth initiatives across organic expansion, M&A, and purpose-built facilities developed with customers, and evaluate acquisition targets with discipline
Lead and develop the VPs of Operations and Supply Chain, and champion succession planning and talent development
Lead new facility startups, new product introductions, and turnarounds of underperforming or newly acquired plants
Drive a culture of continuous improvement, Total Productive Maintenance, and lean problem-solving at the root cause
Provide strategic oversight of the supply chain organization and implement improvements that enhance service and cost efficiency
Build and maintain strategic customer relationships that enable long-term growth
Prepare and manage the operating budget and partner with the CFO on financial reporting and capital expenditure analysis
Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations and adherence to FDA and SQF standards
Deliver clear, insightful, and actionable communications to the Board of Directors
Ideal profile
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field; a master’s degree or professional certification is preferred
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or contract manufacturing, with a proven record of improving operating performance
Experience leading multi-site manufacturing operations
Experience scaling operations in a high-growth or private equity-backed environment
Strong technical background in packaging and packaging materials
Broad, cross-functional operating experience rather than ownership of a single function
Food industry experience with established relationships strongly preferred; leaders from CPG, emerging brands, or FDA-regulated industries will also be considered
Experience with plant startups, new product launches, or turnarounds is a plus
A record of meaningful tenure and sustained impact, including leading through difficult periods
Strong strategic, analytical, and operational leadership, with expertise in financial management and operational performance drivers
A humble, hands-on leadership style with an entrepreneurial, ownership mentality, comfortable owning issues directly with customers
Compensation & benefits
The posted base salary range is $325,000 to $350,000. The role is based in the Chicago west suburbs or Northwest Indiana, with 30 to 50 percent travel across the manufacturing network, customer locations, and corporate offices. Full detail on the package is shared at intake before you speak to the client.
How to apply
Three ways to start the conversation.
Send your résumé, book a call, or apply straight from the LinkedIn posting. Whichever route you pick, one person handles your application from first reply to offer.
About NextPlay Jobs
We believe great recruiting is personal, not transactional. We spent 15 years inside LinkedIn building the tools recruiters use, then built the firm we wished existed. We connect high-performing people with companies where they can make the biggest impact, and one relationship manager stays with you from the first search to the tenth.
Jobs
Chief Operating Officer
A high-growth, PE-backed contract manufacturer for leading CPG brands is hiring a Chief Operating Officer to run end-to-end operations across a multi-site network.
Industry
Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Salary
$325,000–$350,000
About the company
A high-growth, private equity-backed contract manufacturer and packager producing products for many of the leading consumer packaged goods brands in North America. It works across dry, liquid, rigid, and flexible formats, operates a multi-site manufacturing network across the Midwest and South, and has delivered double-digit organic growth year over year.
The opportunity
The Chief Operating Officer oversees end-to-end manufacturing and supply chain operations, with a primary focus on profitability, operational excellence, and scalable growth. The role builds strong operating and support teams, strengthens the culture, and translates business strategy into disciplined execution.
Growth comes from three levers: organic expansion, highly selective M&A, and purpose-built facilities co-invested with customers. The company is known for speed, standing up new production lines in weeks and new facilities in months, and for taking over and turning around plants that customers no longer want to run themselves.
This is not a role for someone who wants predictability. It is a role for a builder who is equally comfortable in the boardroom, in front of a customer, and on the production floor, and who will coach and raise the bar for an exceptionally strong VP team.
Key responsibilities
Develop and implement strategies that optimize operating results and deliver world-class manufacturing performance
Set site-level and network-wide roadmaps for lowest total delivered cost and better customer outcomes
Analyze safety, quality, and productivity performance and set direction for year-over-year improvement with the Executive Leadership Team
Lead growth initiatives across organic expansion, M&A, and purpose-built facilities developed with customers, and evaluate acquisition targets with discipline
Lead and develop the VPs of Operations and Supply Chain, and champion succession planning and talent development
Lead new facility startups, new product introductions, and turnarounds of underperforming or newly acquired plants
Drive a culture of continuous improvement, Total Productive Maintenance, and lean problem-solving at the root cause
Provide strategic oversight of the supply chain organization and implement improvements that enhance service and cost efficiency
Build and maintain strategic customer relationships that enable long-term growth
Prepare and manage the operating budget and partner with the CFO on financial reporting and capital expenditure analysis
Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations and adherence to FDA and SQF standards
Deliver clear, insightful, and actionable communications to the Board of Directors
Ideal profile
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field; a master’s degree or professional certification is preferred
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or contract manufacturing, with a proven record of improving operating performance
Experience leading multi-site manufacturing operations
Experience scaling operations in a high-growth or private equity-backed environment
Strong technical background in packaging and packaging materials
Broad, cross-functional operating experience rather than ownership of a single function
Food industry experience with established relationships strongly preferred; leaders from CPG, emerging brands, or FDA-regulated industries will also be considered
Experience with plant startups, new product launches, or turnarounds is a plus
A record of meaningful tenure and sustained impact, including leading through difficult periods
Strong strategic, analytical, and operational leadership, with expertise in financial management and operational performance drivers
A humble, hands-on leadership style with an entrepreneurial, ownership mentality, comfortable owning issues directly with customers
Compensation & benefits
The posted base salary range is $325,000 to $350,000. The role is based in the Chicago west suburbs or Northwest Indiana, with 30 to 50 percent travel across the manufacturing network, customer locations, and corporate offices. Full detail on the package is shared at intake before you speak to the client.
How to apply
Three ways to start the conversation.
Send your résumé, book a call, or apply straight from the LinkedIn posting. Whichever route you pick, one person handles your application from first reply to offer.
About NextPlay Jobs
We believe great recruiting is personal, not transactional. We spent 15 years inside LinkedIn building the tools recruiters use, then built the firm we wished existed. We connect high-performing people with companies where they can make the biggest impact, and one relationship manager stays with you from the first search to the tenth.