GENERAL DESCRIPTION / PRIMARY PURPOSE:

Manage all aspects of Cooling Operations for all West Coast vegetable locations, including 3rd party and seasonal operations in Marina, Salinas, Oxnard, Huron, and Yuma. 

 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS/DUTIES OF THE POSITION:

• Primary ownership for development and execution of Cooling annual operating and capex budgets. • Develop annual 3 yr capacity plans to assure cooling operation capabilities align with business needs. • Provide overall strategic direction to total cooling organization.  Develop and lead Senior cooler management team.   • Coordinate with Agriculture, Logistics, Fresh Pack and VA Sales departments to properly plan product handling requirements to meet business needs.  Align Cooler schedules and personnel as necessary. • Lead transition of cooler operations and supply chain activities between harvesting/cooling regions • Design and implement process improvements to improve service, quality and safety while reducing costs.  Maximize use of internal assets.  • Implement and communicate all productivity metrics including, , cut-to-cool & cool-to-store times, bin flushing and sealing, inventory rotation, aging & shrink, fill rates, cases picked/shipped per manhour, and order turn time. • Oversee all aspects of vacuum tube, forced air and hydro cooling and nitrogen flushing, and icing • Responsible for 3rd party cooling cost and performance • Meet safety requirements; manage incidents/accidents to budgeted performance goals set annually • Meet food safety requirements and manage 3rd party audits • Meet regulatory requirements and manage regulatory audits • Manage customer required  audits and inspections • Act as liaison with other company departments to facilitate special needs of both internal and external Customers. • Analyze customer orders, requirements, and patterns to minimize truck-waiting times and out of stocks by managing foreseeable problems on orders before trucks arrive. • Ensure all Managers and Supervisors follow company and governmental policies and procedures as set up by Human Resources and Labor Relations/Safety • Follow all food safety requirements and GMP’s as applicable for this position. • Other duties as assigned