Production Manager - Food Manufacturing Plant

Philly's Best Steak; Fernwood (PA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Philly's Best Steak is seeking a Production Manager to lead the Production Department across two nearby facilities, driving safety, quality, and efficiency on the floor. You will own production goals, monitor performance, and coach a team of supervisors to meet targets.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, you’ll manage labor, schedules, and budgets while implementing continuous improvement initiatives and ensuring compliance with USDA and OSHA regulations. Weekend work may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from 4-year college/university preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive production management experience, preferably in meat manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience leading supervisors and hourly employees in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of labor management, production scheduling, productivity, and cost control.
• Hands-on management style with the ability to spend significant time on the production floor.
• Proficient with ERP systems, with Microsoft Dynamics Business Central preferred.
• Must be able to work in a wet and cold environment.
• Must be knowledgeable of USDA and OSHA regulations.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall performance and execution of the Production Department, including daily, weekly, monthly, and annual production goals.
• Monitor production performance throughout the day and take immediate action when performance is off target.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and ensure processes, standards, and expectations are consistently followed.
• Track and report key production KPIs, including pounds per labor hour, overtime, OEE, waste, and schedule attainment.
• Analyze performance against goals and communicate variances, root causes, and corrective actions to management.
• Responsible for department utilization of ERP software and the completion of transactions accurately and on time.
• Responsible for department utilization of productivity software accurately and on time.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve throughput, labor efficiency, workflow, quality, and overall operational performance.
• Support implementation and adoption of new systems, automation, equipment, and technology.

Skills

Leadership

Production scheduling

Problem solving

Team management

On-floor leadership

Continuous improvement

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics BC

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Description

Philly’s Best Steak Company Inc. is a leading Philadelphia area meat processing facility specializing in the manufacturing of Philly style steak products. We pride ourselves as being family owned, providing our employees with a safe, friendly, and collaborative work environment.

The Production Manager is the department owner responsible for the daily execution and overall performance of the Production Department. This position is accountable for achieving production goals while maintaining the highest standards of employee safety, food safety, product quality, labor efficiency, and operational discipline.

The Production Manager leads and develops a team of Production Supervisors and is expected to be a hands-on floor leader who establishes clear expectations, holds people accountable, develops employees, solves problems, and drives continuous improvement. This role manages production over 2 facilities in close proximity.

Reports to: Director of Operations

Status: Full-Time / Exempt

Salary Range: $100,000 - $130,000

Schedule: Monday – Friday 6:00 am until production is completed.

Weekend work may be required depending on schedule and volume.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Production Management
  • Own the overall performance and execution of the Production Department, including daily, weekly, monthly, and annual production goals.
  • Monitor production performance throughout the day and take immediate action when performance is off target.
  • Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and ensure processes, standards, and expectations are consistently followed.
  • Track and report key production KPIs, including pounds per labor hour, overtime, OEE, waste, and schedule attainment.
  • Analyze performance against goals and communicate variances, root causes, and corrective actions to management.
  • Responsible for department utilization of ERP software and the completion of transactions accurately and on time.
  • Responsible for department utilization of productivity software accurately and on time.
  • Identify and implement opportunities to improve throughput, labor efficiency, workflow, quality, and overall operational performance.
  • Support implementation and adoption of new systems, automation, equipment, and technology.
• Leadership & Accountability
  • Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable a team of Production Supervisors and their direct reports.
  • Establish clear performance expectations and ensure supervisors consistently enforce company standards.
  • Lead by example through visibility, professionalism, urgency, teamwork, and personal accountability.
• Production Budget & Cost Control
  • Manage the overall production budget. Collaborate with the Director of Ops to provide input towards the annual budget.
  • Monitor budget performance, with a key focus on labor, the single largest cost bucket, identify variances and take timely corrective action.
• Staffing & Training
  • Responsible for recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and development of production employees.
  • Create and oversee weekly shift schedules and allocate employees to optimize production performance.
  • Ensure supervisors consistently reinforce training, procedures, and performance expectations.
• Facility & Floor Management
  • Conduct regular production floor and facility walkthroughs to identify issues affecting safety, food safety, quality, productivity, or housekeeping.
  • Maintain high standards for GMPs, organization, cleanliness, and operational discipline.
  • Address issues immediately and ensure corrective actions are completed and sustained.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Maintenance to minimize downtime, prioritize repairs, and improve equipment reliability.
  • Collaborate with FSQA/Quality and Safety to maintain product standards, food safety, regulatory compliance, and employee safety. Conduct root cause analyses and incident investigations.
  • Partner with Warehouse and Supply Chain to ensure raw materials, packaging, and finished goods inventory and movement supports department requirements.
  • Communicate production performance, constraints, risks, and opportunities effectively with Operations leadership and other departments.
• All other duties as assigned.

Key Performance Expectations

• Labor Utilization and Overtime
• Throughput and OEE
• Schedule Attainment
• Product Yield
• Employee safety, food safety, and regulatory compliance
• Product quality and first-pass yield

Requirements

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from 4-year college/university preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive production management experience, preferably in food manufacturing or meat processing.
• Demonstrated experience leading supervisors and hourly employees in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of labor management, production scheduling, productivity, and cost control.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to establish expectations, coach employees, and hold people accountable.
• Hands-on management style with a willingness to spend significant time on the production floor.
• Strong problem-solving and continuous improvement mindset with the ability to identify and eliminate root causes.
• Display a Positive Attitude and is a positive agent for change.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams)
• ERP experience required, with Microsoft Dynamics Business Central preferred.
• Must be able to work in a wet and cold environment between -5F and 50F.
• Must be knowledgeable of USDA and OSHA regulations.
• HACCP Certification preferred.
• SQF experience preferred.
• Must be able to write reports, policies, and manuals following company standards.