Production Manager

Foremost Farms USA; Reedsburg (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Paid Parental Leave

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Life and Disability Insurance

Daily Pay Option

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Referral Program

Career Growth Opportunities

Job summary

Foremost Farms USA in Wisconsin is seeking a Production Manager to lead the production supervisory team and drive engagement, quality, service, and efficiency in manufacturing operations. The role requires on-floor presence and on-call responsibilities, with Monday–Friday hours in a 24/7 operation.

You will mentor frontline leaders, ensure GMP and safety standards, and collaborate across teams to achieve operational excellence.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of related experience or an associate degree in dairy manufacturing or related field.
• Experience in dairy manufacturing or a similar process environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and mentor front line leaders to manage production employees and operations.
• Prioritize and delegate work assignments to the production supervisors.
• Address production, quality, and work issues as a technical resource.
• Ensure quality standards, GMPs, sanitation, food safety, and housekeeping.
• Build a culture of operational excellence with cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with HR to resolve grievances and manage to the contract.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Employee engagement

Quality & safety

Education

Associate degree in dairy manufacturing or related field

Bachelor's degree in manufacturing or related field

5+ years of job-related experience

Job description

About Us

Foremost Farms USA is one of the largest, leading dairy cooperatives in the United States and major dairy food and ingredients manufacturing business. We represent hundreds of Midwest dairy farmer members located in seven Midwest states, and we produce about 500 million pounds of cheese and 50 million pounds of butter in plants across our network every year. "We Bring Dairy to Life" in seven manufacturing plants across Wisconsin and Michigan and in our headquarters in Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin; and we're looking for employees who are innovative and aim for excellence in our wide variety of production, field and business roles. Join us!

About This Opportunity

JOB TITLE: Production Manager
POSITION TYPE: Full time
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

Monday - Friday working regular business hours with the responsibility of a 24/7 operation.
Required to be on call.

Position Overview

The Production Manager oversees and leads the production supervisory team and supports production activities. They will contribute to the organization's success by actively driving employee engagement and ensuring quality, service and efficiency in manufacturing operations.

Key Accountabilities

Develop and mentor front line leaders to effectively manage the production employees, production operations and drive employee engagement.

• Prioritize and delegate work assignments to the production supervisors.

• Evaluate processes and methods, to make appropriate recommendations to continuously improve methods, equipment performance, utilization of people, and quality of product and safety objectives including the completion of all required production paperwork through accountability and coaching.

• Act as a technical resource to address and resolve inquiries and problems regarding production, quality, and work issues.

• Ensure all quality standards and procedures are maintained by administrating quality procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices, environmental sanitation, food safety, and housekeeping.

Build a culture of operational excellence:

• Participating on cross-functional teams to build a culture of operational excellence and innovation in the areas of processing, methods, productivity, Good Manufacturing Practices, safety and quality.

• Collaborate with HR business partner to resolve grievances and manage to the contract.

Ensure safety and training in the workplace

• Oversee the appropriate training of new and present employees in the processes and methods required to achieve Foremost Farms' standards for quality, quantity, and safety.

• Administer company policies and procedures, including OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and safety.

• Active involvement in safety efforts including attending safety meetings, incident investigations, assisting in root cause analysis, and auditing.

This role is accountable for ensuring that monitoring and/or verifying of control points occurs and that the required documentation is completed. For example, Critical Control Points(CCP), Preventive Controls(PC), Critical Quality Points(CQP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points(HACCP), and Safe Quality Food(SQF) plans. This is not an all-inclusive list.

Other related duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

1. 3-5 years of job-related experience or an associate degree in dairy manufacturing or related field of study.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in manufacturing or related field

2. 5+ years of job-related experience

Key competencies

• Facilitate trusting relationships through effective communication, follow through on commitments, resolving conflicts and recognizing the good work of others.

• Regularly challenge the status quo by identifying opportunities for improvement, challenging the current state, and understanding that change and growth are ongoing.

• Demonstrate growth-oriented qualities by asking questions, being curious open-minded, agile, learning from failures and inspiring the same in others.

• Demonstrate agility and resilience with open mind, flexibility, and support of others in difficult situations.

• Demonstrate focused and disciplined execution by measuring performance toward goals and objectives.

Physical Setting

Job Setting: This position requires regular presence on the plant production floor and in the plant office. The individual will be required to be on-call.

Benefits:

At Foremost Farms, we believe that you and your family matter most. That's why we're proud to offer one of the most comprehensive and competitive benefits packages in the area - designed to support your health, financial security, and work-life balance.

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance - Flexible coverage with options to meet the needs of you and your family
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - 100% company match on up to 8% of your contributions
• Generous Paid Time Off - Start with 200 hours of PTO (pro-rated for first year)
• 10 Paid Holidays - Enjoy time to rest and recharge
• Paid Parental Leave -6 weeks fully paid
• Health Savings Account (HSA) - when you elect the high-deductible health plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) - Save for medical and dependent care expenses
• Life and Disability Insurance - Financial protection for you and your loved ones
• Daily Pay Option - Access your earnings when you need them
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Free, confidential support for life's challenges
• Referral Program - Earn rewards for bringing great people to our team
• Career Growth Opportunities - Advance your skills and your career with us

This job summary is intended to be brief and does not list all the duties for this position. Nothing in this job description should be construed as an express or implied contract of employment. Foremost Farms USA is an at-will employer, which means that either party is free to terminate the employment relationship at any time, without any advanced notice, for any reason or no reason.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled are encouraged to apply.

At Foremost Farms USA, we believe that employee diversity brings strength to our organization. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disabilities, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

Successful completion of pre-employment screening is required, which could include a drug test, background check, and other verifications or assessments to be sure you will be able to succeed in your position.