Director of Manufacturing, Pellets

Posted 5/27/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

  Welcome to the Traegerhood:   Our business is BBQ, and business tastes good. Traeger invented the wood pellet grill over 30 years ago, and we’re fanatics who are dedicated to bringing people together to create a more flavorful world. From our headquarters in Salt Lake City, we work tirelessly to provide a world-class experience to our customers, retailers, and especially our employees. If you’re a team player who’s dedicated to delivering top-quality results every day, then we want you to come cook with us.   What You’ll Do:   The Director of Manufacturing, Pellets is responsible for driving operational excellence across Traeger’s pellet manufacturing network — including owned facilities and contract manufacturers, both domestic and international. This role serves as the Pellet Business Operations Lead at HQ, with end-to-end accountability for production, quality, cost, safety, sourcing, compliance, new product development, and capital planning.   The Director sets strategic direction, owns the long-range capacity and CAPEX plan, partners closely with Finance on budget and cost performance, and drives cross-functional alignment with Category Management, Sales, Operations and site leadership.     How You'll Help Us Win:   Operations & Strategic Leadership   Architect and oversee a high-performing manufacturing network spanning owned facilities and contract manufacturers, domestic and international   Define, track, and continuously improve KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, and cost — holding sites accountable to world-class performance standards   Champion on-time, in-full, on-quality fulfillment as a non-negotiable operational standard   Drive asset reliability programs, ensuring equipment uptime and maintenance standards support production commitments   Embed a continuous improvement culture through LEAN methodologies and Good Manufacturing Practices, creating scalable systems that raise the floor across all sites   Translate operational data into strategic insights, identifying systemic waste and driving measurable cost and efficiency improvements   Own manufacturing performance reporting and executive accountability, ensuring leadership visibility into operational health across the network   Strategic Planning & CAPEX   Define and own the long-range strategic vision for pellet operations, including multi-year growth plans, capacity roadmaps, and business continuity strategies   Lead long-term capacity planning and capital investment strategy, balancing growth ambitions with operational and financial constraints   Lead scenario modeling and capacity analysis to evaluate new customer opportunities, network expansion, and make-vs.-buy decisions   Build and manage the annual CAPEX plan, partnering with Finance to prioritize capital investments   Build and maintain robust contingency and flex-capacity plans with contract manufacturing partners to protect supply continuity   Sourcing & Supplier Management   Own the end-to-end sourcing strategy for all pellet inputs, balancing cost, quality, and supply security across a diverse supplier base   Build and steward strategic supplier partnerships — negotiating contracts, managing performance, and cultivating long-term relationships that advance quality and cost objectives   Lead supplier onboarding, cost negotiations, pricing support, quality management, and lead time coordination   Financial Management   Own P&L accountability for the pellet manufacturing business, driving disciplined cost management while identifying opportunities to improve unit economics at scale   Lead financial analysis on product uniformity, cost reduction initiatives, and manufacturing efficiency — translating findings into actionable business cases   Compliance   Serve as the enterprise compliance authority for the pellet business, proactively managing regulatory requirements and responding to customer compliance demands   Lead environmental compliance across all manufacturing sites, including air quality (DEQ) permitting, annual reporting, and regulatory relationship management   Lead FSC / EUDR compliance, including material accounting, audits, and training   Own the GMP program with rigor — maintaining audit-ready standards and instilling a culture of quality discipline across the manufacturing network   New Product Development   Drive the new product development process from concept through commercialization, aligning cross-functional teams on technical feasibility, timelines, and launch readiness   Manage end-to-end launch timelines across sourcing, production, and initial distribution   Leadership & Organizational Influence   Serve as a strategic business partner to Category Management, Finance, Sales, and Operations — influencing decisions, resolving cross-functional tensions, and aligning resources to shared goals   Provide thought leadership and subject matter expertise to commercial teams, enabling data-driven decisions on product strategy, customer requirements, and go-to-market execution   Build organizational capability by developing, coaching, and retaining a high-performing team — creating clear ownership, growth paths, and accountability structures   Foster a culture of transparency and alignment — maintaining strong communication rhythms with site leaders, external partners, and senior stakeholders to anticipate risk and accelerate decisions   Lead and contribute to strategic initiatives that advance Traeger’s broader operational and business goals as the organization evolves   What You'll Need To Succeed:   10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing multi-site or networked production environments   Proven track record of building and developing high-performing teams, with the ability to lead through influence across matrixed organizations   Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets, managing cost structures, and presenting operational performance to senior leadership   Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, resolve complex operational challenges, and make sound decisions under pressure   Highly self-directed with the executive presence and organizational awareness to operate effectively across all levels of the business   Proficiency with ERP systems, data analysis tools, and the Microsoft 365 suite; comfort leveraging AI tools to enhance operational decision-making   Proven experience in the wood pellet industry is a plus   Required:  Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Management , Engineering, or similar field.   Why You Will Love Working Here :   Be part of the most disruptive force in outdoor cooking   Join a true team working towards a common goal   Culture of risk-taking, innovation, & quality   So. Much. Food.   Have an outdoor lover’s paradise in your backyard   Full medical/dental/vision package to fit your needs   401k to help you plan for the future   Tuition reimbursement   Individual professional development programs & initiatives to help you grow professionally   Great discounts on all things Traeger   Did we mention all the food?   Traeger may use AI tools for resume-screening purposes.

This role is published by Traeger Grills on greenhouse. SwiftFit is not the employer and does not accept applications.