Production Manager - Cheddar, Whey, Intake

Agropur, inc.; Town of Weyauwega (WI); On-site; USD 103,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k)

Paid Time Off

Paid holidays

Floating holidays

Parental Leave

Advancement Opportunities

Job summary

Agropur, inc. seeks a Production Manager - Cheddar, Whey, Intake to lead high-volume dairy production, align with plant goals, and drive safety, quality, cost, and delivery improvements. You will build high-performing teams and foster continuous improvement across the plant.

The role collaborates with Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and R&D to execute business objectives, optimize processes, and ensure food-safety compliance. Strong leadership and change-management skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food science, Engineering, Operations, or related field.
• 10+ years of manufacturing operations experience (food/dairy preferred).
• 5+ years in leadership roles managing teams in a production environment.
• Strong experience in high-volume, continuous manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of food safety, GMPs, and production systems.
• Proven ability to lead transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end cheddar production operations, ensuring alignment with plant and business performance objectives.
• Drive SQDCP metrics across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity.
• Champion continuous improvement and Lean initiatives to enhance performance.
• Manage departmental budgets and drive cost control and operational efficiency.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Optimize production processes to improve yield, throughput.
• Standardize best practices and SOPs across production areas.
• Lead, coach, and develop teams with accountability and engagement.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to drive alignment and resolve issues.
• Support audits and lead root-cause problem solving.

Skills

Leadership

Lean

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in food science, Engineering, Operations, or related field

Job description

Job Type: Regular

People are at the heart of our success. Our culture encourages collaboration, transparency, and accountability in order to generate value and achieve sustainable results. Being part of the team means committing to an environment where everyone's impact truly matters.

At Agropur, transformation happens on the ground and is driven by people at all levels of the organization.

A context to contribute to transformation:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long-term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) with 7% company contributions
• 3 weeks Paid Time Off
• Paid holidays and 2 floating holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Advancement Opportunities
• Salary range 006: $102,600 - $128,300 (Salary will be determined based on skills, education, training & experience related to the position)

Your role in evolving how we work:

The Production Manager - Cheddar, Whey, Intake leads and oversees all aspects of production in a high-volume manufacturing environment. This role drives operational performance across safety, quality, cost, and delivery, while building high-performing teams and fostering a strong culture of continuous improvement and accountability. As a key member of the plant leadership team, this position plays a critical role in executing business objectives through process optimization, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Lead end-to-end cheddar production operations, ensuring alignment with plant and business performance objectives
• Drive operational performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity (SQDCP) metrics
• Champion continuous improvement, leading Lean and operational excellence initiatives to enhance performance
• Manage departmental budgets and drive cost control and operational efficiency
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory standards
• Optimize production processes to improve yield, consistency, and throughput
• Standardize best practices and SOPs across production areas to ensure consistency and efficiency
• Lead, coach, and develop teams, fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement
• Collaborate cross-functionally (Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, R&D) to drive alignment, support product initiatives, and resolve issues
• Support audits and lead problem-solving efforts, using root cause analysis to drive sustainable solutions

The profile that will contribute to change:

• Bachelor's degree in food science, Engineering, Operations, or related field (preferred)
• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing operations (food/dairy strongly preferred)
• 5+ years in leadership roles, managing teams in a production environment
• Strong experience in high-volume, continuous manufacturing operations
• Strategic leadership with strong operational execution
• Deep knowledge of food safety, GMPs, and production systems
• Proven ability to lead transformation and continuous improvement initiatives
• Strong business acumen with experience managing costs and performance
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to lead in complex, fast-paced manufacturing environments

A role where your involvement fuels people-driven transformation.

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Agropur welcomes people from all backgrounds and origins. We are proud to be an employer with a diverse community and are committed to providing a respectful and inclusive experience for all employees and applicants. We will work with candidates who request accommodation. Please note that an adequate knowledge of French is required for positions in Quebec. Agropur uses artificial intelligence technology to assist our recruiters in screening, assessing, or selecting applicants for this position.

In this text, the use of the masculine gender to designate persons is intended only to lighten the text.