Production Manager

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Provide leadership, direction, and accountability for all assigned filling, packaging, and production operations within a high-volume beverage manufacturing facility. Ensure the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of high-quality products while maintaining compliance with food safety, quality, environmental, regulatory, and customer requirements. Lead production supervisors, operators, team leads, and support personnel to achieve operational excellence through a culture of safety, continuous improvement, employee engagement, and performance accountability. Collaborate cross-functionally with Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, Warehousing, Supply Chain, Scheduling, and Human Resources to achieve plant objectives and customer service requirements

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage all assigned filling and packaging operations to ensure attainment of production schedules and customer requirements.
• Establish daily, weekly, and monthly production priorities to maximize throughput while minimizing downtime and product loss.
• Monitor operational performance and ensure optimum utilization of labor, equipment, materials, and utilities.
• Coordinate production activities with Processing, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, and Scheduling departments.
• Ensure proper staffing and labor allocation to meet operational needs while controlling labor costs.
• Recruit, train, coach, mentor, and develop supervisors and hourly employees.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability throughout the organization.
• Conduct performance evaluations and development planning.
• Foster positive employee relations and a culture of engagement and teamwork.
• Work with Human Resources to address employee relations concerns consistently and fairly.
• Support succession planning and leadership development programs.
• Develop, monitor, and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) including: OEE, Line Efficiency, Throughput, Waste and Yield, Downtime, Labor Utilization, Schedule Attainment, Product Quality, Consumer Complaints, Safety Metrics.
• Utilize production data and trend analysis to identify opportunities and drive results.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, Root Cause Analysis, Center lining, Standard Work, and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Facilitate problem-solving activities related to efficiency losses, downtime, quality defects, and waste reduction.
• Manage departmental labor, operating, and expense budgets.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity and control costs.
• Drive performance improvements that positively impact plant profitability.
• Partner with Maintenance leadership to maximize equipment reliability and production uptime.
• Participate in preventive maintenance planning and execution activities.
• Ensure operators properly execute equipment ownership activities such as: Cleaning, Inspection, Lubrication, Center lining, Basic troubleshooting.
• Support CAPEX planning and equipment improvement initiatives.
• Conduct daily production meetings and operational reviews.
• Communicate plant objectives, priorities, and performance results.
• Provide operational updates to senior plant leadership.
• Maintain compliance with: FDA Regulations, Company Policies, SQF Requirements, OSHA Standards, Environmental Requirements, Customer Specifications, Corporate Governance Standards.
• Support internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits.
• Ensure all operations are conducted in accordance with OSHA regulations, DFA safety policies, and plant safety programs.
• Promote a proactive safety culture through employee engagement, audits, observations, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), HACCP, SQF, FDA regulations, customer requirements, sanitation standards, and internal quality systems.
• Partner closely with Quality leadership to maintain product integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure deviations are documented, corrective actions are implemented, and verification activities are completed.
• The responsibilities herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee, but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties will be assigned as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Undergraduate degree in related curriculum preferred.
• 5 to 8 years' experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably food and/or beverage manufacturing.
• Supervisory or management experience
• Certification and/or License - may be required during course of employment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Beverage, dairy, aseptic, ESL, bottle filling, gable top filling, roll-fed filling and/or packaging experience.
• Experience managing multiple production lines and shifts.
• Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience.
• SQF, HACCP, GMP, or Food Safety certification.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Knowledge of high-speed bottle and gable top filling operations.
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing systems and processes.
• Knowledge of OEE, downtime analysis, loss elimination, and KPI management.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to analyze production data and identify trends.
• Experience with ERP, MES, Redzone, CMMS, and/or manufacturing information systems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Project management and Continuous Improvement experience.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational and decision-making skills.

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans