The Production Manager oversees daily food manufacturing operations for Fresh & Ready Foods, ensuring production goals are met while maintaining high standards for food safety, quality, sanitation, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This role leads production teams, manages workflows and staffing, monitors KPIs, and drives continuous improvement to meet company and customer expectations.

Essential Job Functions

Manage daily operations of production lines, ensuring alignment of schedules, staffing, materials, and equipment with demand.
Monitor KPIs including safety, quality, efficiency, output, and waste reduction; ensure timely and accurate product assembly.
Analyze downtime, throughput, and yields to identify and implement process improvements.
Maintain compliance with FDA, USDA, HACCP, GMP, OSHA, and company standards.
Enforce sanitation, allergen control, FIFO, traceability, and quality programs.
Lead audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews; resolve food safety, quality, and customer issues through corrective actions.
Supervise, coach, and develop supervisors, line leaders, and production staff; conduct evaluations and disciplinary actions.
Support hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and workforce planning.
Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Ensure workplace safety through compliance, audits, observations, and incident investigations.
Oversee preventative maintenance and cleanliness of equipment and production areas.
Lead Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen, and efficiency initiatives to optimize labor, reduce waste, and control costs.
Maintain accurate production, safety, and compliance records.
Ensure proper labeling, lot traceability, scale accuracy, and product specifications.
Maintain professionalism and confidentiality; enforce company policies and standards.
Ensure clean, organized, and compliant work environments; respond to inquiries and support special projects.

Qualifications

High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree preferred.
5+ years of operations experience with leadership responsibility.
Experience managing teams in fast-paced production environments.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency in Excel, reporting tools, and KPI analysis.
Experience with Lean, 5S, or continuous improvement preferred.

Preferred Skills

Strong decision-making, troubleshooting, and multitasking abilities.
Effective team leadership and employee development.
Knowledge of food production equipment, packaging, and automation.
Experience with audits, inspections, and regulatory compliance.
Understanding of labor planning, productivity, and inventory management.
Strong communication skills and attention to detail.
Ability to maintain professionalism and confidentiality.

Physical Requirements

Ability to stand, walk, bend, lift up to 50 lbs., and move throughout the facility.
Comfortable working in refrigerated, humid, and variable environments around machinery.
Ability to wear PPE and perform repetitive motions.
Must respond quickly to operational needs and work flexible schedules, including overtime, weekends, and holidays.