Production Processing Manager

Kerry; Byesville (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry in the United States is seeking a Production Processing Manager to lead aseptic beverage-processing operations, ensuring safe, compliant, and high-quality production. You will drive site strategy, performance, and workforce development while expanding leadership scope as needed.

The role requires extensive manufacturing leadership experience, business judgment, and the ability to influence across functions to improve safety, quality, service, and cost.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
• Minimum of eight years in food/beverage manufacturing with progressive responsibilities.
• At least five years of management in a manufacturing operation.
• Three years direct experience with aseptic or UHT processing.
• Demonstrated growth in leadership, scope, and business results.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams in a high-speed, automated environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day aseptic processing operations, including batching, mixing, and UHT/HTST processing.
• Ensure targets for safety, quality, yield, throughput, and cost are met.
• Monitor CIP and SIP processes and drive continuous improvement.
• Promote a safety-first culture and enforce safe operating practices.
• Collaborate with Packaging, Quality, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Supply Chain.
• Provide visible leadership on the production floor and escalate issues timely.
• Contribute to site leadership priorities and drive cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Microbiology, Operations Management, Business, or related field

Tools

UHT/HTST processing

CIP/SIP systems

Process optimization

Job description

The Production Processing Manager leads all aseptic beverage-processing operations, ensuring the safe, efficient, and compliant production of high-quality products. This position is a key member of the Site Leadership Team and contributes to broader plant strategy, operational performance, workforce development, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is an experienced manufacturing leader with a progressive career history, strong business judgment, and the ability to lead beyond their immediate area of responsibility. This role provides opportunities to expand leadership scope over time based on demonstrated performance, capability, and organizational needs.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Lead day-to-day aseptic processing operations, including batching, mixing, blending, UHT/HTST processing, and sterilization.
• Ensure production targets are achieved for safety, quality, volume, yield, throughput, cost, and efficiency.
• Monitor and optimize Clean-in-Place (CIP) and Sterilize-in-Place (SIP) processes.
• Promote a safety-first culture and ensure consistent adherence to safe operating practices.
• Coordinate with Packaging, Quality, Sanitation, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Supply Chain teams to support seamless plant operations.
• Provide visible leadership on the production floor and ensure timely escalation and resolution of operational issues.
• Provide leadership coverage for broader site priorities when needed.

Site and Strategic Leadership

• Serve as an active member of the Site Leadership Team and contribute to the development and execution of site priorities.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve overall plant safety, quality, service, cost, culture, and operational performance.
• Use operational and financial data to identify risks, evaluate opportunities, and make sound business recommendations.
• Support annual operating plans, departmental budgets, labor planning, capital priorities, and cost-improvement initiatives.
• Build effective partnerships across all site functions and influence decisions beyond the processing department.
• Support organizational change and create alignment around plant goals, expectations, and performance standards.

Food Safety and Quality

• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations, aseptic-processing requirements, Good Manufacturing Practices, and site food safety standards.
• Maintain adherence to HACCP plans, critical control points, preventive controls, and established processing parameters.
• Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure product sterility, consistency, and conformance to specifications.
• Lead investigations involving process deviations, contamination risks, product holds, and nonconformances.
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions are effective and completed within established timelines.

Equipment and Process Optimization

• Oversee the operation and performance of processing equipment, including:
• UHT and HTST systems
• Blending and batching systems
• Aseptic tanks and related processing equipment
• Process-control and automation systems
• Analyze process and equipment data to improve efficiency, increase reliability, and reduce downtime.
• Lead continuous-improvement initiatives focused on waste reduction, yield improvement, process capability, and operational efficiency.
• Apply structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis to eliminate recurring issues.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering on equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, capital improvements, and long-term processing capability.

People and Organizational Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop processing operators, leads, supervisors, and technicians.
• Establish clear performance expectations and ensure accountability for safety, quality, productivity, attendance, and workplace conduct.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, training, performance evaluations, and employee-development plans.
• Build leadership capability and a strong pipeline of employees prepared for increasing levels of responsibility.
• Ensure employees are properly trained on aseptic-processing principles, food safety, equipment operation, safety requirements, and standard operating procedures.
• Strengthen employee engagement, retention, teamwork, and communication across shifts.
• Demonstrate a leadership style that builds trust, promotes accountability, and supports a positive workplace culture.

Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements and all company safety policies.
• Maintain accurate batch records, production logs, process documentation, and audit records.
• Ensure standard operating procedures and work instructions are current, accurate, and consistently followed.
• Support internal, customer, FDA, BRCGS, Kerry Production System, and other regulatory or certification audits.
• Address audit findings and ensure corrective actions are completed within established timelines.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Research and Development on new-product commercialization, production trials, and scale-up.
• Collaborate with Maintenance and Engineering on preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, reliability, and capital projects.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Warehouse teams to ensure raw-material availability and production-schedule execution.
• Work closely with Quality, Sanitation, Packaging, Human Resources, Finance, and site leadership to manage risks and improve overall plant performance.
• Communicate effectively with site and regional leadership regarding operational performance, risks, priorities, and recommended actions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Microbiology, Operations Management, Business, or a related field required.
• Minimum of eight years of progressive experience in food, beverage, dairy, or a similarly regulated manufacturing environment.
• At least five years of successful management experience in a comparable manufacturing operation.
• Minimum of three years of direct experience with aseptic or UHT processing required.
• Demonstrated career progression with increasing responsibility for people, operations, performance, and business results.
• Proven ability to lead through others, influence cross-functional teams, and contribute to broader site-level decisions.
• Experience leading in a high-speed, highly automated, and complex manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated interest and capability to grow into positions of broader operational and organizational responsibility.