Job Description

A part of Colgate-Palmolive since 1976, Hill's Pet Nutrition offers the highest-quality pet nutrition available through product lines Prescription Diet® and Science Diet®. Veterinarians worldwide recommend and feed their own pets Hill's products more than any other brand of pet food.

Available in approximately 80 countries around the world, our extensive line of products includes more than 60 Prescription Diet brand pet foods and more than 50 Science Diet brand pet foods.

We believe all animals should be loved and cared for during their lifetimes. That is why we are proud our pet foods can make a difference in your pet's life.

A career at Hill’s Pet Nutrition or Colgate-Palmolive is an excellent opportunity if you seek a global experience, constant challenge, and development opportunities in an environment that respects work/life effectiveness.

Information at a Glance
Job Title:  Operations Team Leader
Travel Required?:  Travel - up to 10% of time
Posting Start Date:  4/3/26
On-site

No Relocation Assistance Offered
Job Number #172394 - Tonganoxie, Kansas, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

 

This position impacts and influences the overall culture, employee relations, and performance of a manufacturing facility and its ability to align with the company’s core values and initiatives. The incumbent is responsible for demonstrating personal leadership, effectively managing production activities and resources for a specified manufacturing area, to deliver business results and drive continuous improvement, while maintaining positive employee relations. 

 

The primary accountabilities of the role include driving (individual/ employee and) team development and performance, daily production schedule adherence, customer service, area financial performance, implementation of Operational Excellence initiatives (EHS, Quality, FP&R), and Employee Relations.

 

The Operations Team Lead (OTL) achieves success through collaborative partnerships with Supply Chain and leveraging FEED principles. 

 

Responsibilities

 

  • Communicates and implements the local Supply Chain vision, mission, strategy, and objectives

  • Empower teams by way of training, information sharing, coaching, feedback, appraisals and delegation, to ensure the development of people, skills, teams and organizational capabilities.

  • Accountable for adhering to Colgate-Palmolive/ Hill’s standards and governmental regulations related to the area of responsibility for EHS and Quality

  • Accountable for Operational Excellence (EHS, Quality, FP&R) activities of the production area to deliver high levels of service to internal and external customers 

  • Manages the people, materials, and equipment by the active presence on the shop floor to achieve the daily production schedule and deliver area KPI's 

  • Reads and analyzes KPI’s, charts, work orders, production schedules, and other records and reports to determine production requirements and to evaluate current production estimates and outputs.

  • Responsible for time management and data entry for team members into Kronos payroll system

  • Provides indirect leadership for plant supporting roles (Maintenance, Quality, Automation) to ensure successful daily operation. Also ensures collaborative relationships with Leaders of employees in supporting roles.

  • Leads and coordinates the activities of Operation Staff engaged in the production to increase innovation, technical expertise, analysis, and problem solving skills

  • Identify actions to minimize financial variances associated with materials, finished products and other components of the plant’s conversion cost including labor cost and operating supplies 

  • Support execution of new technology within the production area 

  • This is not an exhaustive list of duties or functions. 

 

Required Qualifications: 

  

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology or Business related field 

  • 2+ years of experience managing and leading teams in a manufacturing environment

  • Experience in a leadership position overseeing 10 or more direct reports
  • Knowledge of SAP systems

 

Preferred Qualifications:

 

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

  • 5+ years’ experience in manufacturing Food Related Production

  • Working knowledge of production and process equipment, preferably in a processing industry such as food, chemicals or pharmaceuticals

  • Ability to establish a specific course of action to accomplish goals through appropriate allocation of time and resources 

  • Project Management Skills

  • 2+ years experience in performance analysis and reporting including Statistical Process Control

  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple initiatives and manage in ambiguous situations

  • Proficiency with Google Suite collaboration tools (G-doc, sheets, slides, etc) or Microsoft Suite (Work, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.)

  • Demonstrated strong written and verbal communications skills

  • Coaching and feedback skills


Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $72,000.00 - $87,500.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.

Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives  to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.

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