Production Manager - Retort

The Clorox Company; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The Clorox Company is seeking a Production Manager, Retort to lead the safe, efficient manufacture of finished Kingsford products, with accountability for safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, and employee engagement.

In this role you will drive operational excellence in Retort operations, meet production schedules, manage budgets, lead a high-performing team, and champion a quality-first culture across manufacturing and supply chain functions.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• At least 2 years of experience leading teams.
• Experience in highly mechanized manufacturing operations such as metalworking, machinery, industrial equipment, or related industries.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience is preferred.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment, and production workflows.
• Experience with SAP or other ERP systems.
• Experience with KPI tracking, production reporting, and workforce planning is preferred.
• Strong communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strategic thinking and ability to balance short- and long-term goals.
• Ability to drive change and adapt to evolving business needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety, health, and environmental responsibilities to maintain a safe, compliant operation.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement in Retort production.
• Meet production schedules while upholding quality and customer service.
• Optimize labor, materials, and equipment utilization within budgets.
• Lead cost reduction, productivity, and waste-elimination initiatives.
• Implement visual management and performance monitoring across the line.
• Develop and coach a high-performing Retort team.
• Foster an inclusive, respectful, and accountable work environment.

Skills

High-volume manufacturing

Team leadership

Problem solving

Strong communication

Customer focus

Continuous improvement

Tools

SAP

Job description

**Your role at Clorox:**The Production Manager, Retort is responsible for leading the safe, efficient, and cost-effective manufacture of finished Kingsford products. This role provides leadership for Retort production activities while ensuring business objectives are met across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Productivity, and Employee Engagement. The Production Manager drives operational excellence and continuous improvement while developing the team and capabilities needed to support plant and business growth.**In this role, you will:****Lead Safe & Compliant Operations*** Provide Health, Safety, and Environmental leadership to foster a culture where safety and compliance are core values and employee well-being is a priority.* Lead incident investigations and corrective actions.* Drive safe behaviors and accountability on a daily basis.* Maintain a minimal environmental footprint and ensure operations meet applicable environmental requirements.**Drive Operational Excellence*** Lead Retort operations with a focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement.* Deliver production schedules while meeting quality and customer service requirements.* Ensure effective utilization of labor, materials, and equipment resources.* Manage departmental budgets and operating expenses.* Drive schedule attainment, throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.* Lead initiatives focused on waste elimination, productivity improvement, labor efficiency, and cost reduction.* Implement visual management and performance monitoring systems.* Proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact operations.**Champion Quality*** Lead and promote a culture of quality ownership and defect prevention to support a superior consumer experience.* Ensure finished products meet all quality and regulatory requirements.* Partner with Quality and Supply Chain teams to resolve process and product issues.* Promote a quality-first culture and ensure compliance with quality standards.**Lead & Develop the Team*** Lead a high-performing Retort team and support a positive employee experience.* Lead, direct, and supervise production employees to meet daily operational goals.* Foster a positive, respectful, and accountable work environment.* Build trust, credibility, and engagement among team members.* Coach and mentor employees to improve skills and performance.* Provide ongoing performance feedback and recognition.* Drive change positively and help teams adapt to evolving business needs.* Balance short-term operational priorities with long-term goals and organizational capability.**What we look for:*** At least 5 years of experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.* At least 2 years of experience leading teams.* Experience in **highly mechanized manufacturing operations**, such as Metalworking, Machinery manufacturing, Industrial equipment manufacturing, Lumber/Wood products manufacturing or similar.* Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience is preferred.* Understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment, and production workflows.* Experience with SAP or other ERP systems.* Experience with KPI tracking, production reporting, and workforce planning is preferred.* Strong communication and conflict-resolution skills.* Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.* Ability to build trust, credibility, and engagement among team members.* Strategic thinking and the ability to balance short-term priorities with long-term goals.* Ability to drive change positively and help teams adapt to evolving business needs.* Ability to proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact operations.* Customer-focused approach with a commitment to providing a high level of service to internal and external customers.**Workplace type:**On-site **Our values-based culture connects to our purpose and empowers people to be their best, professionally and personally. We serve a diverse consumer base which is why we believe teams that reflect our consumers bring fresh perspectives, drive innovation, and help us stay attuned to the world around us. That’s why we foster an inclusive culture where every person can feel respected, valued, and fully able to participate, and ultimately able to thrive.** **Learn more****.** **[U.S.]Additional Information:**At Clorox, we champion people to be well and thrive, starting with our own people. To help make this possible, we offer comprehensive, competitive benefits that prioritize all aspects of wellbeing and provide flexibility for our teammates’ unique needs. This includes robust health plans, a market-leading 401(k) program with a company match, flexible time off benefits (including half-day summer Fridays depending on location), inclusive fertility/adoption benefits, and more. We are committed to fair and equitable pay and are transparent with current and future teammates about our full salary ranges. We use broad salary ranges that reflect the competitive market for similar jobs, provide sufficient opportunity for growth as you gain experience and expand responsibilities, while also allowing for differentiation based on performance. Based on the breadth of our ranges, most new hires will start at Clorox in the first half of the applicable range. Your starting pay will depend on job-related factors, including relevant skills, knowledge, experience and location. The applicable salary range for every role in the U.S. is based on your work location and is aligned to one of three zones according to the cost of labor in your area. –Zone A: $74,200 - $135,800–Zone B: $68,000 - $124,500–Zone C: $61,800 - $113,100 All ranges are subject to change in the future. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process. This job is also eligible for participation in Clorox’s incentive plans, subject to the terms of the applicable plan documents and policies.Please apply directly to our job postings and do not submit your resume to any person via text message. Clorox does not conduct text-based interviews and encourages you to be cautious of anyone posing as a Clorox recruiter via unsolicited texts during these uncertain times.To all recruitment agencies: Clorox (and its brand families) does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to Clorox employees, including any members of our leadership team. Clorox is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.