TITLE: Manager, Production
DEPARTMENT: Production
REPORTS TO: Sr. Operations Manager
About The Role
The Production Manager will lead and manager a dynamic team of Supervisors, Leads, and Associates on the production floor. You will be responsible for the overall production operations, ensuring efficient and high-quality output in meal, snack, and beverage plating and packaging. Your leadership will drive operational excellence, continuous improvement, and team performance to meet and exceed organizational goals.
How You’ll Make a Difference
Responsibilities
As a Production Manager, you will provide critical leadership in overseeing the lean production process in our Production area, ensuring that operations run smoothly and efficiently. Your responsibilities will include:
Lead People & Culture
- Hire, onboard, and develop Supervisors/Leads/Associates; build a cross-trained, high-engagement, inclusive team.
- Set clear goals, coach performance, and hold teams accountable to SOPs, quality, safety, and productivity standards.
- Provide daily guidance to ensure Product Specification and assembly procedure are followed; instruct proper food handling, storage, and service.
- Conduct regular safety meetings; reinforce expectations, recognition, and constructive feedback.
Run the Operation (Production, Materials, & Scheduling)
- Execute daily/weekly plans for plating and packing; manage changeovers, task/standard work, and on-time, in-full (OTIF) shipments.
- Balance labor and line capacity to demand using staffing/production planning tools and real-time dashboards; escalate constraints with options.
- Ensure materials readiness, accurate labeling/lot control, and proactive shortage resolution; maintain documentation and traceability.
- Manage schedules and coverage; ensure punctuality, accountability, and tight shift handoffs.
Safety, Food Safety & Compliance
- Enforce OSHA/EHS standards and drive a proactive safety culture through safety walks, near-miss reviews, and incident investigations.
- Ensure CGMPs, HACCP, and FSMA preventive controls (allergen control, sanitation, traceability) and local health code compliance.
- Maintain sanitation standards (pre-op/post-op), complete verifications/validations, support internal QA audits, and close CAPA actions.
Continuous Improvement & Reliability
- Sustain 5S/area organization and visual management; deploy PDCA/5 Whys to reduce waste, rework, and downtime.
- Improve Units per Labor Hour, yield, first-pass quality, scrap, and downtime; support OEE gains with Maintenance/Operations. Participate in trials, menu changes, equipment/layout improvements, and small projects to enhance safety, quality, and throughput.
Plan, Report & Communicate
- Lead start-up/shift-change huddles; keep line boards/dashboards current and communicate menu plans (including dietary/special requirements).
- Partner cross-functionally with Culinary, Kitchen, Warehouse, Maintenance, QA, and Development to set goals and remove constraints.
- Prepare and present periodic reports on production performance and COGs; monitor trends and recommend data-driven improvements.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- OTIF; schedule adherence; Units/Labor Hour; first-pass quality; yield & waste; downtime; COGs accuracy; safety leading indicators/TRIR; FSQA/audit scores.
- Other duties as assigned - Additional tasks, responsibilities, or projects may be assigned as business needs evolve.
