Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: Escalon, California
Compensation: $225,000 – $280,000 base salary + annual bonus + long-term incentive opportunity

Position Overview

A growing agriculture and food processing organization is seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer to lead and scale operations across production, quality, logistics, maintenance, and supply chain functions. This role serves as the senior operating leader in partnership with the CEO, with full accountability for operational performance, cross-functional execution, and financial discipline.

This is a hands-on executive leadership role requiring immediate impact. The ideal candidate has deep experience in agriculture, food manufacturing, commodity processing, or a similar operational environment and can step in with established leadership, financial acumen, and operational rigor from day one.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all operational functions including production, quality assurance, maintenance, logistics, inventory, and safety
• Drive operational strategy, process improvement, and performance optimization across the organization
• Establish and maintain KPIs, reporting cadence, forecasting, and operational analytics
• Partner with Finance to improve reporting accuracy, cost controls, margin visibility, and budgeting discipline
• Oversee plant operations and maintain a strong floor presence to ensure accountability, efficiency, and execution
• Lead food safety, compliance, quality systems, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Manage international logistics, export documentation, freight coordination, and trade compliance
• Negotiate vendor, supplier, and operational contracts
• Develop and mentor operational leadership teams while strengthening accountability and performance standards
• Support strategic growth planning, capital expenditure initiatives, and systems implementation
• Improve organizational structure, operational workflows, and scalability

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive operations leadership experience
• 5+ years in a COO, VP of Operations, General Manager, or equivalent executive leadership role
• Strong background in agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, commodity handling, or related sectors
• Proven ability to lead large-scale operational teams and multi-department functions
• Strong financial and operational acumen, including forecasting, margin analysis, and cost modeling
• Experience implementing operational processes, reporting structures, and accountability systems
• Strong ERP systems experience; Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a plus
• Advanced Excel and operational analytics capabilities
• Experience with international shipping, logistics, and supply chain management
• Strong contract negotiation experience
• Working knowledge of AI tools and technology to improve operations, reporting, and efficiency
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field preferred

Ideal Background

• Tree nuts, produce, food manufacturing, cold storage, or agricultural processing
• High-growth or turnaround operational environments
• Multi-entity operations and complex supply chain structures
• Experience leading through organizational change and scaling teams

What Success Looks Like

• Stronger operational efficiency and throughput
• Improved financial visibility and margin control
• Increased accountability across departments
• Scalable systems and infrastructure to support growth
• Enhanced quality, safety, and supply chain execution