Production Manager

niagarawater; Bloomfield (CT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Niagara is seeking a Production Manager to lead the daily operations of the Production Department, ensuring the plant meets safety, quality, and throughput goals. This on-site role requires a strong hands-on leader who collaborates with planning to develop schedules and conducts staff coaching with HR support.

Responsibilities include coordinating maintenance, analyzing production data, managing budgets and forecasts, and driving improvements in methods, equipment, and product quality while

Qualifications

• 6+ years manufacturing experience.
• 6+ years in a production management role.
• 4+ years of experience leading people and projects.
• Understanding of production processes and controls.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily production activities ensuring safety, quality and throughput.
• Coordinate with planning to develop production schedules.
• Maintain a safe, engaging work environment and promote productivity.
• Coach supervisors; hire/train staff and work with HR on actions.
• Collaborate with maintenance on preventive maintenance.
• Analyze production data and report to Plant Director.
• Develop budget and forecast with Plant Director and Planning.
• Improve production methods, equipment performance and quality.
• Justify capital upgrades for equipment and processes.
• Coordinate across departments to meet customer deadlines.
• Champion a world-class safety culture; adhere to GMP and food safety.
• Coordinate with raw material planners on inventories.
• Work with Quality to resolve non-conforming goods.
• Attendance is an essential function.

Skills

Manufacturing experience

People management

Production processes

Budgeting / forecasting

Job description

At Niagara, we're looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.

Production Manager

This position is responsible for managing daily operations of the Production Department; ensuring the plant meets established safety, quality, and production goals in compliance with all applicable legal and food safety requirements.

Essential Functions

• Manages and directs activities of the production department, ensuring product adheres to Niagara's standard of safety, quality, and throughput.
• Collaborates with the planning department to create production schedules that meet both internal and external needs. Establishes and adjusts work procedures and schedules to meet production plan.
• Maintains effective working relationships with team members through open communication, visibility, and involvement to promote a positive working environment that maximizes safety, employee engagement, productivity, and throughput.
• Provides direction to supervisors on team member coaching and development, employment decisions, and resolving issues through conflict resolution. Hires, trains, coaches and reviews performance of team members. Partners with Human Resources for recruitment, corrective actions, and terminations.
• Collaborates with Maintenance Department leadership to plan preventative maintenance on the production lines.
• Analyzes and submits reports for production numbers, downtime, attendance, overtime and quality checks to the Plant Director.
• Collaborates with the Plant Director and Planning Department to develop the Production Department budget and forecast.
• Develops, recommends, and implements measures to improve production methods, equipment performance, and quality of product.
• Develops capital equipment justification for machine upgrades and process technology to improve quality, cost, and cycle times.
• Suggests changes in working conditions and use of equipment to increase efficiency of department personnel.
• Interfaces with multiple departments within in the organization to ensure customer deadlines are met.
• Collaborates with plant leadership to champion a world‑class safety culture.
• Adheres to the highest standards of company and plant safety programs, guidelines, rules, and regulations.
• Abides by Niagara's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP's) and Food Safety Standards at all times.
• Collaborates with raw material planners to ensure correct inventories based on production schedules. Escalates supplier quality issues to prevent customer shortages.
• Partners with the Quality Department to prevent and resolve Non‑Conforming Finished Goods and Non‑Conforming Raw Materials.
• Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the job.

Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• 6 Years - Experience in Field or similar manufacturing environment
• 6 Years - Experience in Position
• 4 Years - Experience managing people/projects
• Understanding of production processes and controls
• *experience may include a combination of work experience and education

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ Years- Experience in Field or similar manufacturing environment
• 10+ Years - Experience working in Position
• 6 Years - Experience managing people/projects
• *experience may include a combination of work experience and education

Competencies

This position embodies the values of Niagara's LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success:

• Lead Like an Owner Manages a safe working environment, accurately documents safety related training, and effectively communicates safety incidents
• Provides strategic input and oversight to departmental projects
• Makes data driven decisions and develops sustainable solutions
• Skilled in reducing costs and managing timelines while prioritizing long run impact over short term wins
• Makes decisions by putting overall company success first before department/individual success
• Leads/facilitates discussions to get positive outcomes for the customer
• Makes strategic decisions which prioritize the needs of the customer over departmental/individual goals
• InnovACT Continuously evaluates existing programs and processes, and develops new initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce waste
• Creates, monitors, and responds to departmental performance metrics to drive continuous improvementCommunicates a clear vision, organizes resources effectively, and adjusts the st