Production Manager

The Legacy Companies; Waynesboro (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Legacy Companies is seeking a Production Manager to lead full-scope manufacturing operations. This senior role owns planning, capacity, workforce development and cross-functional alignment to meet quality, cost and delivery targets.

Responsibilities include driving continuous improvement, ensuring OSHA/GMP compliance, and partnering with Engineering, Supply Chain and Finance to prioritize production initiatives.

Qualifications

• Degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field.
• 7+ years in manufacturing/production with 3+ years in management.
• Experience in production planning, scheduling, quality systems, and regulatory compliance.
• ERP proficiency (SAP, Oracle or equivalent) and strong Excel/data analysis skills.
• Proven leadership, coaching and cross-functional collaboration.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Black Belt certification; OSHA certification.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end production operations, scheduling, capacity planning and resource allocation.
• Recruit, develop and retain a capable production workforce and establish performance expectations.
• Drive safety and quality compliance; lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance and Finance to align priorities.
• Establish and track KPIs for productivity, yield, scrap, labor efficiency and on-time delivery.

Job description

The Legacy Companies is a leading international manufacturer and exporter of food service equipment serving over 130 countries through a network of distributors, dealers and retail channels, representing a diverse portfolio of trusted, quality and leading brands such as: Avanti, Bevles, Blakeslee, Chef’sChoice, Excalibur, General, Legion, Maxx Cold, Maxx Ice, Maxx Scientific, Nautilus, Omega, Sapphire, Vintotemp, Vinturi, WestBend, Yonanas and Zeroll. The Legacy Companies works with world class partners to develop, source and market healthy, convenient and enjoyable solutions for the restaurant, hospitality, grocery, convenience store, entertainment, education and healthcare industries.

About the Role: Production Manager

The Production Manager is a senior leadership role responsible for the full scope of manufacturing operations at our facility. This individual owns production planning, capacity management, workforce development, and cross-functional alignment to deliver on quality, cost, and on-time delivery commitments. The Production Manager sets the operational tone for the floor, drives a culture of continuous improvement, and serves as the primary interface between the executive team and production staff. They are accountable for defining and executing strategies that improve throughput, reduce waste, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards. This role carries influence over labor efficiency and material utilization, and requires a leader who can balance near-term execution with longer-term operational planning.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in a manufacturing or production environment, including at least 3 years in a management or senior supervisory role with direct reports.
• Demonstrated expertise in production planning, scheduling, quality systems, and regulatory compliance in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Proven track record of building and developing high-performing teams, with strong communication, coaching, and organizational leadership skills.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Black Belt certification, with documented project results demonstrating measurable cost savings or efficiency gains.
• Certification in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

Responsibilities:

• Own end-to-end production operations, including scheduling, capacity planning, and resource allocation, to consistently meet output targets, quality benchmarks, and delivery commitments.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a skilled production workforce; establish clear performance expectations, conduct regular reviews, and build a pipeline of internal talent through coaching and succession planning.
• Drive a culture of safety and quality compliance; ensure all operations adhere to OSHA, GMP, and company standards, and lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for any deviations.
• Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and Finance to align on production priorities, resolve cross-functional issues, and support new product introduction and process change initiatives.
• Establish and track KPIs for productivity, yield, scrap, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery; present performance reporting to senior leadership and lead data-driven continuous improvement initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

Skills:

The Production Manager brings a blend of operational expertise and strategic leadership. Advanced knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma is applied to drive measurable cost reduction and throughput improvements. Strong financial acumen enables effective budget management and labor cost optimization. A command of ERP and production analytics platforms supports data-driven decision-making at both the floor and executive levels. The ability to communicate clearly across all levels of the organization — from line operators to the C-suite — is essential, as is the capacity to influence without direct authority across peer functions. Effective change management skills allow this leader to bring teams through process redesigns and operational transitions while maintaining morale and momentum.