Assistant Production Manager

The J.M. Smucker Company; Columbus (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The J.M. Smucker Company in Columbus, GA is seeking an Area Leader (Assistant Production Manager) to guide a 24/7 food manufacturing operation on the PM shift.

You will lead hourly Technicians, Team Leaders, and Supervisors, drive safety, quality, reliability, and cost, and coach teams to strengthen capability across shifts. You will execute Leader Standard Work, participate in DDS meetings, and ensure clear transition of priorities between leaders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in engineering, operations, business or related field.
• 2 years of manufacturing operations experience.
• 2 years of supervisory or people leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Execute daily management activities, Leader Standard Work, and prioritize actions.
• Provide leadership across operating teams including vacations and vacancies.
• Demonstrate flexibility across shifts, days, and hours including nights and weekends.
• Champion the daily plan and participate in DDS meetings and handoffs.
• Be accountable for safety, quality, reliability, and cost in operations.
• Document Leader Standard Work and follow up on corrective actions.
• Role model Basic Beliefs and Emotional Intelligence to build resonance.
• Partner with teams to address safety and quality concerns promptly.
• Drive root-cause analyses and support zero-loss culture.
• Collaborate with Department Manager on staffing, training, and capability-building.
• Ensure clear communication during transitions between leaders and shifts.
• Develop Supervisors, Team Leaders, and Technicians through OpEx tools.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Team leadership

Coaching & development

Project planning

High-performance

Food manufacturing experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Your Opportunity as an Area Leader (Assistant Production Manager)

The Area Leader provides leadership and operational support across a 24/7 food manufacturing operation, leading hourly Technicians, Team Leaders, and Supervisors as assigned. This role ensures operating continuity and execution of daily priorities while driving performance in safety, quality, reliability, cost, and organizational capability. The Area Leader also coaches and develops team members and Supervisors to strengthen capability and performance.

Location: 1969 Victory Dr, Columbus, GA 31901 (Hostess Manufacturing Plant)

Work Arrangements: 100% on-site. PM Shift. This role provides flexible leadership coverage across a 24/7 operation. Schedules will vary based on business needs and require flexibility across shifts, days of the week, weekends, holidays, and hours of work. The role may transition to a flow-to-the-work or line-assigned Area Leader schedule as business needs evolve.

In this Role You Will:

• Execute daily management activities, complete Leader Standard Work, and follow through on operating team priorities and open actions.
• Provide leadership across operating teams and production areas as assigned, including leadership needs created by vacations, scheduled days off, vacancies, training, and other operational requirements.
• Demonstrate flexibility to work across varying shifts, days, and hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, and other off-hours, based on business needs.
• Champion the department daily plan and participate in Daily Direction Setting (DDS) meetings and shift handoffs to ensure priorities, risks, and actions are clearly communicated.
• Be accountable for daily operations and team performance in safety, quality, reliability, cost, and organizational capability while leading assigned areas.
• Execute and document Leader Standard Work, including floor presence, employee engagement, confirmation of critical standards, escalation of abnormalities, and follow-up on corrective actions.
• Role model our Basic Beliefs, Our Commitment to Each Other, and Emotional Intelligence to build resonance.
• Partner with operating teams to identify, elevate, and resolve safety and quality concerns in a timely manner.
• Drive department issues to root cause and support a zero-loss and continuous improvement culture.
• Partner with line-assigned Area Leaders and the Department Manager to execute performance management, staffing, training, and capability-building priorities.
• Ensure essential business information, shift expectations, and follow-up actions are clearly communicated and understood during transitions between leaders and shifts.
• Develop and coach the operational and leadership skills of Supervisors, Team Leaders, and Technicians through Operations Excellence (OpEx) tools and design principles.
• Lead and support key technical and organizational projects while building OpEx capability across the organization.
• Collaborate across departments, pillars, and leadership teams and serve as a technical and operational resource for operating teams.
• Demonstrate the flexibility and capability to transition to a line-assigned or flow-to-the-work Area Leader schedule as business needs evolve.

What We are Looking For:

Minimum Requirements:

• A Bachelor's degree is required (preferably an Engineering, operations, business, or related field degree)
• 2 years of manufacturing operations experience
• 2 years of supervisory or people leadership experience

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• 5 years' or more years of relevant manufacturing leadership experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience coaching, developing, and leading others.
• Experience planning and executing projects.
• Experience leading teams in a high-performance work environment.
• Experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, engineering, or a related manufacturing environment.

Work Environment: This position operates in a 24/7 food manufacturing environment and requires regular presence on the production floor. The noise level in the work environment and manufacturing sites can be high.

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to talk and hear.
• Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• Occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
• Able to lift objects up to 50 pounds frequently.
• May push and pull heavy objects
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

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TheRight Placefor You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in ourBasic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

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We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.