Production Manager

MUSH; West Valley City (UT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

MUSH in Utah is seeking a Production Manager to lead frontline manufacturing teams and drive continuous improvement across shifts. You will manage 45-60 associates, ensure safety, quality and productivity, and collaborate with maintenance, quality, and HR to keep production running smoothly.

Ideally you have a BS in Industrial Engineering, 5-7 years in food manufacturing, and a Lean mindset with strong leadership and communication skills.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of experience in food manufacturing or related industry.
• Demonstrated leadership of large teams with safety focus.
• Lean manufacturing knowledge (5S, Kaizen, JIT) required.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 45–60 associates to meet safety, quality and productivity goals.
• Review daily objectives and balance production schedules across shifts.
• Develop and coach staff, implement SOPs and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with HR, Maintenance and Quality to ensure production continuity.

Skills

Team leadership

Lean manufacturing

OEE optimization

Communication

Problem solving

Education

B.S. in Industrial Engineering

Tools

BambooHR

Job description

MUSH is a place where driven individuals unlock their highest potential, and as part of a team of high performers, accomplish extraordinary feats. If you want to build a reputation of doing hard things well, and aspire to make the world a little healthier, MUSH may be a great place for you.

Our first product line of ready-to-eat overnight oats pioneers a new category for the breakfast occasion, offering a healthy, satiating, and convenient alternative to traditional morning meals. By making healthy food more accessible, we believe that humankind can feel, think, and do better.

In just a few years, we’ve expanded from weekend farmers markets to over 10,000 retail doors including Whole Foods, Costco, Sprouts, Target, and 7-Eleven as well as many high-end specialty stores, coffee shops, and gyms. We are ready to build a world class team that can execute on the huge opportunity ahead of us.

Role Description

The Production Manager will provide first-level support to front line employees and drive continuous improvement in our facility’s production lines. The ideal candidate possesses a quality-first mentality, excellent technical aptitude, outstanding soft and leadership skills, and a relentless work ethic. He/she will manage the process, people, and productivity related to manufacturing across all shifts.

Specific Responsibilities - General Manufacturing

• Manage a team of 45-60 associates to ensure Safety, Quality and Productivity goals are met
• Conduct pre-shift meetings with incoming team to discuss daily objectives and topics related to previous shift, GMPs, metrics, and general plant updates
• Review and study production schedule to identify gaps and risks while collaborating with Performance Manager, Supervisors, and other peers to balance work schedule
• Regularly review and update departmental SOPs to ensure they are current and being followed by all team members
• Uphold product quality, sanitation, and traceability standards by performing regular line and paperwork checks
• Develop and motivate the team to solve day-to-day operational issues and achieve goals
• Work closely with other departments within operations to ensure production continuity:
  • HR: support your staff, identify gaps, and strengthen your roster
  • Maintenance: troubleshoot and improve equipment uptime
  • Quality: an ally to drive efficiency and first-pass quality

Specific Responsibilities: Personnel Management

• Set consistent expectations and drive accountability for daily schedule attainment, employee attendance, and performance
• Champion the involvement and development of all employees to promote an engaging workplace where winning becomes a habit
• Provide regular formal and informal evaluations and feedback on the performance of hourly associates to ensure you have the right team in place and satisfy Production goals
• Develop weekly employee schedule; validate the time and attendance of your team through daily/weekly reviews of team timecards on BambooHR
• Conduct necessary training for new and existing employees to ensure adherence to performance, safety, and quality standards
• Address employee concerns and personnel issues within your team and administer disciplinary actions for performance, attendance, and other violations as needed

Specific Responsibilities - Manufacturing Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Manage production plans on a shift by shift basis to prevent issues and operational inefficiencies
• Ensure production attainment goals are met
• Identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives within the production department
• Collaborate with Performance Manager on conducting root cause analysis on days attainment is not met and take action to address the issues
• Perform root cause analyses, problem solving, and follow-up related to operational and safety incidents within the department
• Develop root cause analysis using 5-Why, Fishbone diagram, etc. to re-align operational performance with goals and objectives
• Quantify waste; initiate projects to eliminate it; prove results quantitatively
• Request and allocate resources to ensure we meet production demands (capacity & personnel)
• Execute efforts to track process performance to include productivity and cost based on Performance Manager’s direction

Tactical Requirements

• B.S. in Industrial (or related) Engineering; M.S. a plus
• 5-7 years experience in food manufacturing to include leading teams
• Be a true people leader, understand how to rally teams and get them to perform
• Live and breathe Lean/TPS Manufacturing practices - JIT, 5S, 5 Why, Production Leveling, Kaizen, Standard Work, etc
• Mastery of Production KPIs, chiefly OEE and what drives it
• Courageous: have the courage to try new things and make difficult decisions
• Self starter, with a desire to learn, grow, and evolve as a professional
• Ability to multitask, prioritize and work in an extremely fast-paced environment
• Impeccable attention to detail and exceptional organizational skills
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• A beginner’s mind and hands-on approach: Genchi Genbutsu!

Cultural Requirements:

• Teammate: know when to follow, know when to lead; always serving others
• Beginner’s Mind: provide possibilities, options, and solutions
• Communicator: use tact and precision to communicate ideas, issues, and feedback
• Self-Starter: there is no turn-key manual for success, you are helping to build one
• Results Driven: you demand results, but focus on the robust processes that yield them
• Attention to Detail: unwavering discipline with little things that make big differences
• Relationship Builder: customer first mentality with all internal & external counterparts
• Problem Solver: expect the unexpected; be agile & effective in combating issues
• Thrive on Adversity: our goals are lofty and our values are grounded in humility. We bite off more than we can chew and roll our sleeves up when the situation calls for it.
• Fun: check the fun box every day. Love what you do & do it well.