Production Manager

Thrive Freeze Dry; Oak Creek (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Thrive Freeze Dry is seeking a Production Manager to lead all aspects of production in a 24/7 freeze-drying facility. You will drive continuous improvement, coach supervisors, and manage KPIs and visual controls to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient operations.

Key responsibilities include coordinating work, promoting a strong safety culture, and maintaining high standards of quality and productivity across all departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred or equivalent management experience.
• Minimum 5 years of management experience in a food manufacturing facility.

Responsibilities

• Oversee production across all departments in a 24/7 freeze-drying environment.
• Plan and coordinate work with focus on safety, quality, and efficiency.
• Coach Supervisors and team members; drive Lean and 5S initiatives.
• Establish KPIs, visual controls, and provide regular performance reports to Plant Manager.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, SQF, HACCP, safety and quality standards.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Kaizen

5S

Team development

Safety culture

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

Job Title: Production Manager

Department: Supply Chain

Reports to: Plant Manager

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The Production Manager oversees and manages production in a freeze‑dried manufacturing environment, across all production departments, regarding all stages of freeze‑drying processes. This role will require flexibility with schedule as Thrive Freeze Dry is a 24/7 facility. They will plan and coordinate work, ensuring cohesive, effective employee relations. This role will be responsible to identify and implement cost‑effective and efficient plant processes through continuous improvement efforts. This role will be a driving force to ensure Thrive Values are demonstrated throughout the department through team members actions. The Production Manager will coach, develop, and provide leadership direction to Supervisors and team members as needed, promoting a positive work environment. They will establish departmental key performance measures, including the creation of visual controls and provide regular progress reports to Plant Manager. The Production Manager will work in compliance and promote a work environment which complies with GMP’s, SQF, HACCP, Quality, Safety, and other standards for a food processing facility. Overseeing the dryer equipment and machinery, this role will coordinate with maintenance to ensure production equipment and machinery is properly maintained, repaired, or replaced as necessary to maintain smooth plant operations. The Production Manager will guide Supervisory level team members in Lean and/or 5S initiatives and drive the team in this culture.

Competencies

• Attendance is essential in demonstrating dependability.
• Demonstrates the skills and abilities to perform his or her job.
• Safety and good judgement is demonstrated at all times to maintain a safe work environment.
• Current training is an indication of job preparedness from a safety, job skills, and food safety perspective.
• Provides strong leadership, sets a good example, skilled decision maker, motivator, encourager.
• Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve product/services.
• Strives to understand contributing factors, works to resolve complex situations.
• Communicates well (written and verbal), delivers presentations, has good listening skills.

Skills

• Is responsible for constructing, developing, and launching new ideas while training others on the best practices.
• Possesses strong communication skills and can explain complex concepts in ways everyone can understand. Is often seen as having strong interpersonal skills.
• Ensure compliance with Federal and State laws and regulations, and corporate policies/processes.
• Demonstrates strong quantitative and analytical skills as they apply to reporting and information processing. Uses various methods to make data‑based decisions.
• Has strong demonstrated skills of self‑management, self‑awareness, social awareness, and relationship management in our work environment.
• Provides employee coaching and development. Makes employment decisions. Resolves employee issues through problem resolution.
• Track KPIs and reporting on cost savings, cost avoidance and efficiency gains.
• Manages departmental performance measures, priorities, including visual controls and provides regular progress.
• Communicates daily regarding all matters that affect finished goods, inventories, orders and shipments to include downtime requirements with production.
• Comply and assist in enforcing all policies and procedures.
• Acts in a proactive manner to communicate and solve problems.
• Creates and develops processes and procedures to new or established processes and procedures.
• Balances quality, productivity, cost, safety and morale to achieve positive results in all areas. Works to continuously improve in all areas.
• Demonstrates the ability to manage task flow and complete assignments on time, accurately, and with efficiency.
• Prioritize a culture of safety and ensure ongoing communication of safety related priorities, champion process improvements with a focus on elimination of preventable workplace incidents.
• Develop function and partner closely with Business leaders to provide value‑added insight into the business.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in related field is preferred and/or a minimum of 5 years of Management experience in Food Manufacturing facility. A demonstrated ability to lead people and get results through others by establishing and carrying out metrics and Key Performance Indicators. An ability to think ahead, plan and prepare action plans to achieve results. An ability to balance and achieve positive results in the areas of safety, quality, productivity, cost and employee relations using proven methods of Lean, Kaizen, 5s, Six Sigma, etc. techniques. Strong interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to manage multiple priorities and attention to detail.

Food Safety Requirements

• Place high priority on food safety, quality, and sanitation by understanding and executing Thrive's safety and sanitation policies and procedures.
• Hold self and others accountable to Thrive's safety & sanitation guidelines and policies by communicating any food safety incident, observation, or opportunity to your leadership team or teammates.
• In the absence of Plant Manager, serves as back up to ensure all food safety, quality objectives and SQF system requirements are met.

Work Environment

The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: frequent lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and frequent fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires the following percentages of time committed to physical activity: 40% or more sitting, 50% or more walking, and 50% or more standing. The job is performed under frequent temperature variations and in a food manufacturing production environment. Unrestricted visual and audio abilities are required for the safety of all employees. The ability to lift to 40 lbs. is required.