Kitchen Lead - 2nd Shift

Tandem Foods; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Tandem Foods is expanding operations at our Omega facility with the launch of our new SL6 production line. We are building out our team across all three shifts and seek a Kitchen Lead to oversee the entire processing area and ensure safe, efficient, high-quality production.

The Kitchen Lead will direct daily activities, coordinate with Supervisors and multiple support teams, and back up the Production Supervisor when needed. Expect 8–12 hour shifts, with 5–7 days per week based on business needs.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a production team in a food manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of GMP/HACCP and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct employees within the assigned processing area, coordinating daily activities, breaks, and relief coverage as needed.
• Manage production activities to ensure compliance with formulas, specifications, procedures, and quality standards.
• Review labor schedules and ensure trained employees are assigned with the necessary tools and resources.

Skills

Leadership

Safety compliance

Team coordination

Job description

Tandem Foods is expanding operations at our Omega facility with the launch of our new SL6 production line. As part of this exciting growth, we are building out our team across all three shifts and are looking for skilled talent to support our expanding operation.

The Kitchen Lead is responsible for leading and coordinating production activities within the assigned processing area to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent production of high-quality products. This role oversees employees and activities throughout the production process, including ingredient preparation, scaling and mixing, depositing and forming, slab forming, enrobing, cooling, cutting, and slitting before finished product is transferred to Packaging. The Kitchen Lead provides day-to-day leadership on assigned production line and serves as a backup to the Production Supervisor. This role works closely with Production, Maintenance, Warehouse, Sanitation, Quality, and other support teams to maintain safety, food safety, quality, line efficiency, and production standards.

Essential Functions & Key Responsibilities

• Lead and direct employees within the assigned processing area, coordinating daily activities, breaks, and relief coverage as needed.
• Manage production activities to ensure compliance with established formulas, specifications, procedures, and quality standards.
• Review labor schedules and ensure trained employees are assigned to appropriate job functions with the tools and resources necessary to perform their work.
• Monitor and enforce all plant safety, GMP, food safety, and quality requirements, taking corrective action and escalating concerns when necessary.
• Ensure compliance with BRC, HACCP, GMP, FDA, USDA, allergen, and Gluten Program requirements as applicable.
• Partner with Production Supervisors and management to ensure employees complete all required training.
• Coach, train, and motivate employees while promoting teamwork, accountability, safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Communicate regularly with the Production Supervisor regarding production performance, employee concerns, equipment issues, and potential operational problems.
• Coordinate with other Leads and processing employees to ensure effective shift handoffs and communication of outstanding issues between shifts.
• Monitor employee attendance using established systems and escalating attendance concerns to the Production Supervisor.
• Ensure production paperwork, data recording, and required documentation are completed accurately, legibly, and submitted on time.
• Partner with Maintenance, Warehouse, Quality, Sanitation, and other support functions to coordinate production activities, scheduled downtime, changeovers, and startups.
• Monitor equipment and production line conditions, make minor adjustments when appropriate, assist Maintenance with repairs, and submit work orders or maintenance requests as needed.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to improve line efficiency, solve production problems, and leverage plant resources.
• Partner with the team to develop, improve, and audit standard work, procedures, and One Point Lessons (OPLs) to ensure consistent execution.
• Support labor scheduling, production supplies, quality control, maintenance coordination, sanitation, improvement projects, employee training, and line efficiency within the assigned area.
• Report safety incidents within the assigned area and actively promote safe behaviors throughout the workforce.
• Serve as backup to the Production Supervisor as needed.
• Support production operations across an assigned shift, which may include 8–12 hour shifts and 5–7 days per week based on business needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.