Food Production Lead: Safety, Quality & Efficiency

Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp; Grayson (KY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Be Well programs

LinkedIn Learning access

Guild tuition assistance

Smithfield Scholarship Program

Tuition assistance for employees' kids

Job summary

Smithfield Foods, Inc. in Kentucky is seeking a Production Supervisor to lead daily manufacturing operations on the production floor, ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency while meeting targets.

You will train and coach hourly staff, conduct daily safety inspections, manage yields and downtime with a focus on HACCP/USDA compliance, and drive continuous improvement. This role requires strong communication and adaptability for long shifts and occasional travel up to 5%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Business or a related field and 2+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• Experience acting as a lead by providing training, coaching or mentoring to less experienced staff or through managing a process or project.
• Strong communication skills (oral and written) while leading problem-solving efforts for complex process issues with solid analytical and math abilities.
• Skilled at motivating, training, and coaching employees to achieve peak performance while fostering a positive, respectful, and team-oriented work environment.
• Adaptable to fast-paced, dynamic environments, capable of working in varying conditions (heat and cold), and willing to work long hours and weekends when needed.
• This role offers the opportunity to travel up to 5% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Safety and Compliance: You will perform daily inspections on the production floor to identify unsafe conditions and take immediate corrective action as needed. You’ll also lead safety audits, champion ergonomic initiatives, and ensure adherence to HACCP and USDA regulations.
• Product Quality and Training: You will maintain product quality by enforcing the Food Safety and Food Quality plans, training employees on safe operating procedures (including lock-out/tag-out), and ensuring tasks are performed according to product specifications.
• Operational Efficiency: You will track and analyze production yields, efficiencies, and variances, working with Operations Managers and Supervisors to improve workflows and equipment use to minimize downtime and reduce costs.
• Team Leadership and Communication: You will direct and provide guidance to hourly production employees, ensuring alignment on safety, quality and production goals. You’ll also lead monthly line meetings and walk the production floor daily.
• Continuous Improvement: You will analyze key product performance metrics, identify areas for improvement, and suggest changes to enhance production efficiency, minimize costs, and maintain high standards of quality.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Adaptability

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field

Tools

SAP

Spreadsheets

Word

Inventory software

Job description

Smithfield Foods, Inc. in Kentucky is seeking a Production Supervisor to lead daily manufacturing operations on the production floor, ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency while meeting targets.

You will train and coach hourly staff, conduct daily safety inspections, manage yields and downtime with a focus on HACCP/USDA compliance, and drive continuous improvement. This role requires strong communication and adaptability for long shifts and occasional travel up to 5%.