Leadership Development Program – Operations Leadership

Job Description

Career Leadership Program (Jan 2027) | Simmons Foods

The Tone:
This is a full-time, salary-exempt development program at Simmons Foods, requiring extensive regional travel during its initial six-month duration. Simmons Foods operates across multiple poultry, pet food, and animal nutrition plants, striving for excellence in its diverse business units. This intensive program is specifically designed to cultivate future Production Supervisors by providing hands-on experience in live operations and a broad exposure to business aspects like supply chain, sales, finance, and continuous improvement. The role is crucial for building a robust talent pipeline of leaders, ensuring operational success, and upholding the company’s value of Putting People First by empowering individuals to thrive and grow their careers within the organization.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Extensive regional travel required during program; occasional travel to other facilities post-placement.

• Mission: To create a pipeline of leaders ready for placement into Production Supervisor positions after completing an intensive rotational development program with broad business exposure.
• Tech Stack: Microsoft Office suite

What You’ll Actually Do
• Rotate: Engage in a comprehensive six-month rotational program, gaining direct, hands-on experience in live operations within multiple poultry, pet food, and animal nutrition plants. You will also be exposed to additional aspects of the business, including supply chain, sales, finance, and continuous improvement.
• Develop: Participate in a structured leadership development journey, which includes dedicated classroom training, personalized mentoring, and practical on-the-job coaching to significantly enhance your leadership skills and enterprise knowledge.
• Lead: Take responsibility for special projects that foster a mindset of innovation and continuous improvement, actively working to achieve specific goals and key business metrics throughout your program placements.
• Perform: Receive ongoing evaluation, constructive feedback, and targeted coaching throughout this intensive development program, with the expectation of meeting set performance standards.
• Supervise: Upon successful completion and graduation from the program, you will be placed into a Production Supervisor role, where you will be responsible for leading, coaching, and motivating team members to deliver products, ensure team safety, and continuously improve production lines or areas.

The Must-Haves
• Background: A Bachelor’s degree, or 2 years of education combined with 2 years of related experience, or 4 years of general related experience.
• Experience: A demonstrated willingness to lead, a proactive approach to taking charge, and a genuine desire to care for and serve people.
• Skills: The ability to read and write English, familiarity with computers, and proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite.
• Bonus: Preferred experience within a food processing organization is beneficial, and military experience is highly valued and welcomed.