We fill the roles
food & industrial
plants can't fill themselves.
Production supervisors. Maintenance technicians. Plant managers. QA leaders. For over 20 years, JD Conor Associates has built the passive candidate networks that get these searches done — fast, and right.
"JD Conor found us a maintenance supervisor we'd been trying to fill for eight months. They understood exactly what our plant needed — not just the job description, but the culture."
"They placed me in a production manager role that was a perfect fit — and they were honest with me throughout the whole process. I've recommended them to peers."
Roles we recruit for
We don't dabble in manufacturing — it's all we do. Our recruiters know the difference between a HACCP audit and a CMMS, and that knowledge shortens your search.
The hardest role to fill in any plant. Our passive candidate network reaches experienced maintenance professionals who aren't on job boards — and who won't leave without the right opportunity.
From shift supervisors to production managers, we find candidates with the rare combination of floor-level technical depth and the leadership ability to develop and retain teams.
HACCP, FSMA, SQF, BRC — food safety leadership demands a specialized candidate profile. We know what "good" looks like in your QA chair, and we won't waste your time with résumés that don't fit.
A transformational hire that changes the trajectory of your facility. We conduct national searches for plant managers with the P&L ownership, safety leadership, and operational excellence background your plant demands.
Off-shift schedules, pathogen risk, and high turnover make sanitation leadership chronically unfilled. Most recruiters overlook it. We've built a dedicated network here precisely because most haven't.
Lean engineers, CI managers, controls specialists, and industrial engineers. As plants invest in automation and efficiency, demand for these roles is outpacing supply — and we're ahead of that curve.
Fill your hardest roles.
We don't post and pray. We reach into passive candidate networks built over two decades to find the right person — whether they're looking or not.
We invest time understanding your plant culture, management style, compensation structure, and exactly what "great" looks like in this role. This conversation determines the quality of everything that follows.
The best candidates aren't on job boards — they're performing well at other plants. Our network of industry relationships surfaces these professionals before your competitors do.
Each submittal includes key context: reason for leaving, compensation history, relocation factors, and our direct assessment. You get qualified finalists, not a stack of maybes.
We manage scheduling, provide candidate feedback, and stay engaged through onboarding. Every placement is backed by a guarantee — we're invested in the outcome, not just the placement.
We only work in food and industrial manufacturing. Every relationship, every search, every placement — it all compounds directly into your search.
The candidates who solve your hardest roles aren't applying to anyone. They're employed, performing well, and waiting for the right call. We make that call.
We know HACCP from CMMS. We understand what a sanitation supervisor's off-shift schedule means for their family. That context makes us better at assessing fit — and closing the right candidate.
Contingency for most searches — you pay only on a successful placement. Retained search available for senior leadership. All terms clear up front.
Your next role — confidentially handled.
Whether you're actively looking or just open to the right conversation, JD Conor works on your behalf — never without your permission.
Your information never goes anywhere without your explicit consent. We understand that exploring options while employed requires discretion — we've been handling confidential searches for over two decades. You're in control of every step.
That describes our best placements. If you're performing well in your current role and would consider the right opportunity at the right company — reach out. We'll keep your details on file and contact you when the right match appears.
Send Us Your ResumeWe place professionals at all levels — from shift supervisors to C-suite operations leaders — across food manufacturing, industrial manufacturing, and distribution.
Built for this industry.
Not adapted to it.
JD Conor Associates was founded with a specific mission: to serve the recruiting needs of food and industrial manufacturing companies — and to do it with the depth of knowledge those industries actually demand.
Over 20 years, we've developed a national network of passive candidates across production, maintenance, quality, and operations roles. We don't cold-source from résumé databases — we call people we know, at plants we understand, about roles we've filled before.
Our clients are mid-size food manufacturers, industrial contract manufacturers, CPG companies, and distribution operations. They come to us because their roles are too specialized for generalist firms, and because they've learned that the right hire in a plant supervisor seat changes the entire trajectory of a facility.
We will never be all things to all industries. Our edge comes entirely from being deeply embedded in food and industrial manufacturing.
The professionals in our network trust us with their careers. We earn that trust by being honest, protecting their confidentiality, and only presenting opportunities we genuinely believe are right for them.
We move with urgency, but not at the cost of fit. A placement that doesn't work is worse than a search that takes two more weeks. We stand behind every hire we make.
Our best client relationships span a decade or more. When your plant expands, when your plant manager retires, when you open a new facility — we want to be the first call you make.
Get answers before you call.
Let's talk about your search.
Whether you're a company looking to fill a critical role or a candidate ready for your next move — we'd like to hear from you.
Totowa, NJ 07512
We respond to every inquiry within one business day. For urgent searches, call us directly — we pick up.