Hay Plant - Production Manager

Ultipro; Eden (ID); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Standlee Premium Western Forage seeks a Production Manager for the Eden Plant to lead Production and Rail operations with 4 direct reports and about 155 indirect staff. You will own safety, quality and assured supply, drive daily/weekly/monthly results, and coach frontline leaders across the operation.

You will align labor, priorities and customer demand, manage training, succession, and workforce planning, and partner with maintenance and planning to ensure smooth material flow and continuous

Qualifications

• Five+ years of progressive leadership in manufacturing or related field.
• Experience leading frontline leaders and multiple shifts.
• Strong knowledge of safety, quality and labor management.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily Production and Rail operations with 159 team members.
• Own production results, labor management and training of leaders.
• Ensure safety, quality and assured supply at Eden Plant.
• Identify bottlenecks, drive continuous improvement and cost control.
• Coordinate across Maintenance, Quality, Planning and Shipping.

Skills

Leadership

Production management

Safety

Quality

Lean manufacturing

People management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Operations

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

The Production Manager is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of Production and Rail operations at the Eden Plant. This position leads 4 direct reports and approximately 155 indirect team members and is accountable for executing Standlee's three operational non-negotiables: Safety, Quality, and Assured Supply.

This role ensures the operation runs safely, produces quality products, and delivers the units required to meet customer demand. The Production Manager owns daily, weekly, and monthly production results, labor management, and the training and development of Supervisors, Leads, the Rail Lead, and frontline leadership across the operation.

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be required by his/her supervisor.

Team Scope

4 direct reports consisting of the Production Supervisors and Rail Lead, with approximately 155 indirect reports across the Production and Rail teams.

The Production Manager provides leadership and direction for approximately 159 team members and is responsible for building leadership capability, aligning labor and operating priorities, and driving accountability throughout the organization.

Key Performance Areas

The key performance areas fall under these three categories:

• Safety – Every task. Every shift.
• Quality – Right product. Right standard.
• Assured Supply – The units customers need.

Safety, Quality, and Assured Supply

• Lead with Safety as the first priority in every production and rail decision.
• Ensure all Production and Rail work follows established safety requirements, quality standards, and operating procedures.
• Hold Supervisors, the Rail Lead, Leads, and team members accountable for safe work, quality execution, and consistent follow-through.
• Stop or adjust work when Safety or Quality is at risk.
• Align production and rail priorities with customer demand, inventory requirements, and assured supply commitments.
• Identify risks early, communicate with urgency, and lead recovery plans when output or product availability is off plan.

Production Performance

• Own and review daily, weekly, and monthly production and rail results.
• Monitor production output, schedule attainment, downtime, labor efficiency, quality performance, waste, late orders, inventory flow, and rail execution.
• Set clear operating priorities across all shifts and ensure shift-to-shift communication is accurate and complete.
• Hold Supervisors and the Rail Lead accountable for results and corrective actions.
• Lead recovery efforts when performance falls below expectations.
• Use operating data to identify bottlenecks, remove barriers, and drive continuous improvement.

Labor Management

• Oversee production and rail labor needs across all shifts.
• Align staffing, schedules, and work assignments with the production plan and rail priorities.
• Monitor labor efficiency, overtime, attendance, and staffing gaps.
• Work with Supervisors and the Rail Lead to adjust labor as operating needs change.
• Ensure labor is used responsibly while protecting Safety, Quality, and Assured Supply.

Training and Leadership Development

• Provide clear leadership alignment through 4 direct reports supporting approximately 155 indirect team members.
• Directly coach and develop Production Supervisors and the Rail Lead.
• Build the capability of Supervisors and Leads to manage Safety, Quality, output, labor, attendance, communication, and employee performance.
• Ensure onboarding, position qualification, cross-training, and refresher training are completed and documented.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, floor coaching, performance discussions, and follow-up with frontline leaders.
• Develop succession plans and prepare high-potential employees for Lead and Supervisor responsibilities.
• Create a leadership culture built on ownership, urgency, consistency, respect, and follow-through.

Production and Rail Leadership

• Lead daily Production operations through the Production Supervisors.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and accountability to the Rail Lead.
• Coordinate Production and Rail priorities with Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Planning, Inventory, and Shipping and Receiving.
• Ensure rail loading, unloading, movement, staging, and material flow support the production plan and customer requirements.
• Remove operational roadblocks and elevate major risks to the Plant Manager with facts and recommended actions.
• Create one team across Production and Rail with clear ownership of the outcome.

Workforce Planning

• Own workforce planning for Production and Rail to ensure staffing levels and leadership coverage support the production plan and business demand.
• Partner with Supervisors and the Rail Lead to identify staffing gaps, skill gaps, cross-training needs, and future workforce requirements.
• Maintain succession plans for critical frontline leadership and operating roles.
• Coordinate with Human Resources on recruiting, onboarding, retention, attendance, and employee-development needs.

Cost Management

• Manage labor, overtime, productivity, waste, and controllable operating costs to support budget expectations.
• Review cost and performance trends and take corrective action when results are off plan.
• Balance cost discipline with the non-negotiables of Safety, Quality, and Assured Supply.
• Support COVI initiatives and identify sustainable opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce operating cost.

Employee Engagement and Culture

• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, respect, communication, and continuous improvement across Production and Rail.
• Maintain a visible floor presence and regularly engage employees to understand barriers, reinforce expectations, and recognize strong performance.
• Ensure Supervisors and the Rail Lead communicate consistently and address employee concerns with urgency and follow-through.
• Promote retention and engagement by developing leaders, setting clear expectations, and creating opportunities for employee growth.

Key Performance Measures

A successful Production Manager creates a safe operation, delivers quality products, ensures consistent supply to customers, develops strong frontline leaders, manages labor responsibly, and drives daily execution for a team of approximately 159 people across Production and Rail operations.

• Safety performance and corrective-action completion.
• Quality results, holds, rework, defects, and waste.
• Daily, weekly, and monthly production performance.
• Schedule attainment, throughput, downtime, and labor efficiency.
• Late-order reduction, product availability, and assured supply performance.
• Rail safety, productivity, inventory accuracy, material flow, and railcar execution.
• Training completion, Supervisor and Lead development, retention, and succession readiness.
• Workforce readiness, staffing alignment, retention, and succession coverage.
• Labor cost, overtime, productivity, waste, and controllable operating-cost performance.
• Employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and accountability across Production and Rail.

Experiences / Education Requirements

Required

• Five or more years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, agricultural processing, food or feed production, or a similar industrial environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading frontline leaders and employees across multiple shifts or operating areas.
• Working knowledge of production systems, industrial safety, quality expectations, labor management, and performance metrics.
• Strong communication, coaching, planning, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to maintain a strong floor presence and respond to changing operational priorities.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Operations, Business, Agriculture, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience with rail-served manufacturing or material-handling operations.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, root cause analysis, or other continuous improvement systems.

Working Conditions

General Manufacturing Environment:

Work is regularly performed inside the plant and occasionally in the surrounding grounds and facilities. Because of this, employees are frequently exposed to adverse weather conditions including extreme heat, cold, wind, rain and snow. Lighting varies based on the season, weather and conditions in the plant. Employees regularly work near moving mechanical parts, material handling equipment and are exposed to ergonomic hazards, noise and dust.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

While performing the duties of the job the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, read, write and communicate in fluent English. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms along with frequent lifting, pushing/pulling of items 30-50 pounds, and operating machinery or equipment. There is occasional climbing, kneeling, and working in confined spaces.

Professional Conduct:

Each employee of Standlee Premium Western Forage has a responsibility to know, to understand and to abide by Workplace Professional Standards of Conduct. Professional Conduct includes Customer Service, Courtesy, Ethics, Safety, Teamwork, Responsibility, Accountability, confidentiality, and Professionalism.

Travel Requirements

Travel to local Standlee locations as needed (by vehicle)

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.