Assistant Production Manager

The J.M. Smucker Company; Virginia; On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Area Leader at The J. M. Smucker Co.

will oversee a team of hourly Technicians and Team Leaders, ensuring safety, quality, and operational excellence while coaching for skill development. This on-site role is based at the Emporia, KS plant and requires day shift and flexibility for off-shift needs. You will drive daily plans, participate in DDS, and manage performance across safety, quality, reliability, and cost metrics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 2 years of manufacturing ops.
• 2 years supervisory experience required.
• Engineering degree preferred but not required.
• Experience coaching and leading others.
• Strong project planning and people management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily plan and drive open items to resolution.
• Participate in DDS meetings and manage daily operations.
• Ensure safety, quality, reliability, cost, and capability metrics.
• Model company beliefs and emotional intelligence.
• Address safety concerns with operating teams.
• Drive root cause analysis and zero-loss culture.
• Coach Team Leaders and Technicians for peak performance.
• Develop and execute Department Master Plan.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Coaching

Project planning

Leadership in manufacturing

Safety awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Your Opportunity as an Area Leader

The Area Leader will be responsible for the leadership and business results of a team of hourly Technicians and Team Leaders; ensure the team meets safety, quality, and operational standards; and facilitate team development and skill building through coaching and mentoring team members.

Location:

1525 Industrial Road Emporia, KS (Hostess Manufacturing Plant)

Work Arrangements:

100% on-site.

Day Shift. Flexibility required. Willingness to work off shift (including nights, weekends, and/or holidays) and flow to the work as needed.

In this Role You Will:

• Champions department daily plan and following through on open items needed by the team.
• Participates in the department Daily Direction Setting (DDS) meetings
• Accountable for the daily operations and team performance (Safety, Quality, Reliability, Cost, Org. Capability)
• Role models our Basic Beliefs, Our Commitment to Each Other, and Emotional Intelligence to build resonance
• Works with operating teams to address safety concerns and assist in resolution
• Responsible for driving department issues to root cause and developing a zero-loss and continuous improvement culture
• Performance management, staffing strategy and developing a “flow to the work” culture
• Partner with Manager in developing and delivering Department Master Plan
• Ensures that essential business information and general expectations are clearly communicated and understood by all members of the team
• Develop and coach operational and leadership skills of Team Leaders and Technicians to enhance peak performance through Smucker Quality Management Systems (SQMS) and High-Performance Organization (HPO) tools and design principles
• Assist in developing and executing key technical and organizational projects while increasing Smucker Quality Management System (SQMS) capability within the organization
• Responsible to collaborate across all pillars and leadership Acts as the technical resource for operating teams

What We are Looking For:

Minimum Requirements:

• A Bachelor's degree
• 2 years of manufacturing operational experience
• 2 years of experience as a supervisor is required

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

• An Engineering degree is preferred but not required
• 5 years’ relevant management experience preferred
• Experience coaching, developing, and leading others
• Project planning experience
• Prior experience managing people and/or teams in a high-performance work environment
• Food processing, pet, or human food manufacturing, and/or engineering experience

Work Environment:

This job operates in a manufacturing environment. 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.

The Right Place for 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 our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Stay connected with us on LinkedIn® 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. We’re a community of passionate, talented professionals dedicated to creating food people and pets love—while supporting the communities in which we work and live. We value what makes each person unique, champion growth and development, and foster collaboration that fuels productivity and drives our shared success. Learn more about our Thrive Together purpose At Smucker, we're passionate about creating a workplace where you truly belong. With a culture rooted in our Basic Beliefs and a competitive Total Rewards program, we aim to support every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Learn more about working at Smucker Our culture is sustained and brought to life every day by the people of Smucker and our hiring process is designed to identify the right candidate for every position at our company. Learn more about our hiring process The J. M. Smucker Co. (the “Company”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be discriminated against in hiring or in any other aspect of their employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.