Production Manager

LHH; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

2 weeks vacation

Paid sick leave (state law)

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401K

Life Insurance

Job summary

LHH Recruitment Solutions partners with a growing organization seeking a motivated Production Manager - Food Manufacturing to lead daily operations on the production floor, develop employees, and sustain top safety and quality standards in a fast-paced food environment.

This role requires proven leadership in SQF manufacturing, bilingual English/Spanish communication, and a collaborative approach with quality, maintenance, and sanitation teams to drive uptime, efficiency, and continuous

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in food manufacturing (Production Supervisor/Manager)
• Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills
• SQF Internal Auditor Certification
• PCQI Certification
• Experience in SQF-certified facilities
• Strong knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, sanitation and regulatory requirements
• Proven ability to lead and develop hourly manufacturing employees
• Experience using performance metrics for improvement
• Ability to collaborate with maintenance and quality teams

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop production associates and line leaders on the floor
• Provide hands-on leadership with a strong floor presence
• Drive safety, quality, productivity, and engagement to meet goals
• Conduct shift start-ups, training, and performance discussions
• Promote safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement
• Coordinate with Maintenance and Quality to improve uptime and compliance
• Support audits and ensure traceability and documentation accuracy
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions from findings

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

SQF Internal Auditor Certification

PCQI Certification

Food safety leadership

Team development

Lean/Continuous Improvement

Job description

LHH Recruitment Solutions has partnered with a growing organization, and they are seeking a motivated Production Manager - Food Manufacturing to join their team. This opportunity is ideal for a bilingual manufacturing leader who thrives on the production floor, enjoys developing employees, and has a passion for food safety, quality, and continuous improvement. We are seeking a leader who enjoys being highly visible on the floor, working closely with production employees, quality personnel, and maintenance teams to drive results while maintaining the highest standards of safety and food quality. If you have food manufacturing leadership experience, SQF expertise, and enjoy building strong teams while improving operational performance, we want to hear from you.

The Production Manager will oversee daily manufacturing activities. This individual will be responsible for driving safety, quality, productivity, employee engagement, and operational performance while ensuring compliance with food safety and SQF requirements. The successful candidate will be a collaborative leader who can balance production objectives with quality standards, employee development, and equipment reliability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of production associates and line leaders in a food manufacturing environment.
• Provide hands-on leadership and maintain a strong presence throughout the production floor.
• Drive employee accountability, engagement, and performance through effective communication and coaching.
• Conduct shift start-up meetings, training sessions, and performance discussions.
• Promote a culture focused on safety, quality, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Food Safety, Quality & SQF Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with food safety programs, GMPs, HACCP principles, and SQF requirements.
• Support internal and external food safety audits and maintain a constant state of audit readiness.
• Partner closely with the Quality team to identify, investigate, and resolve production and quality concerns.
• Ensure production documentation, traceability records, and operational controls are maintained accurately.
• Lead corrective and preventive actions resulting from audits, inspections, and quality findings.

Operational Performance:

• Supervise daily production activities to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and efficiency goals.
• Monitor production schedules and staffing to maximize productivity and customer service levels.
• Analyze production performance and identify opportunities for process improvements.
• Utilize key performance indicators to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support waste reduction, yield improvement, and labor efficiency efforts.

Maintenance & Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Maintenance to ensure equipment reliability and minimize downtime.
• Assist in identifying recurring equipment issues and participate in root cause analysis activities.
• Coordinate production priorities with planned maintenance schedules.
• Encourage operator ownership of equipment care, inspections, and early problem identification.
• Collaborate with Quality, Warehouse, Sanitation, and other functional teams to achieve operational goals.

Safety & Continuous Improvement:

• Reinforce a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with company safety policies.
• Conduct routine safety observations and support corrective actions when needed.
• Participate in Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive process discipline, standard work, and sustainable operational improvements.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Previous leadership experience in food manufacturing as a Production Supervisor, Production Manager, Plant Manager or similar role.
• Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills.
• SQF Internal Auditor Certification.
• PCQI Certification.
• Experience working within an SQF-certified food manufacturing facility.
• Strong understanding of food safety, GMPs, HACCP, sanitation, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to lead and develop hourly manufacturing employees.
• Experience utilizing performance metrics to improve production results.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Experience participating in or leading an unannounced SQF audit.
• Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence experience.
• Experience collaborating closely with maintenance teams to improve uptime and equipment performance.

Compensation Range: $120,000 - $130,000 + 15% Bonus

Benefits Offered: 2 weeks of vacation, paid sick leave where applicable by state law, Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance Vision Insurance, 401K, and Life Insurance.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

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LHH is a leader in permanent recruitment - and in the placement of top talent. Our areas of specialty include office administration, customer service, human resources, engineering, and supply chain and logistics.