# Director of Manufacturing, Pellets - Company: [Traegergrills]() - Location: Salt Lake City - Team: Operations - Posted: May 27, 2026 ## Job description **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. ## Apply [Apply on Traegergrills]() Canonical job page: