Production Supervisor

SST Direct; Hackettstown (NJ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Superior Skilled Trades is seeking an experienced Production Supervisor for a direct-hire role in Hackettstown, NJ. The position oversees production personnel, ensures safety, and maintains efficient, high-quality output on the shift.

The ideal candidate has prior manufacturing leadership and food production experience and will maintain a strong presence on the production floor while collaborating with QA, maintenance, and sanitation teams to meet goals.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Previous manufacturing leadership/supervisory experience is required.
• Food manufacturing experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing activities for the assigned shift.
• Communicate production schedules, priorities, and expectations to operators and leads.
• Monitor production output, downtime, scrap, labor utilization, and workflow.
• Ensure employees follow work instructions, SOPs, GMPs, and production standards.
• Identify performance gaps and take corrective action.
• Oversee equipment startup, changeovers, and shutdown procedures.
• Escalate unresolved issues to management and maintain shift goals.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Safety awareness

Production KPIs

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Production Supervisor

Direct Hire Opportunity | Superior Skilled Trades

Superior Skilled Trades is seeking an experienced Production Supervisor for a direct-hire opportunity with a growing food manufacturing operation in Hackettstown, NJ. This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for overseeing production personnel, maintaining operational standards, and ensuring safe, efficient, and consistent production throughout the assigned shift.

The ideal candidate will have previous manufacturing leadership experience along with food manufacturing experience and be comfortable maintaining a strong presence on the production floor.

Schedule

• Monday–Friday with some weekend requirements
• Minimum of 45 hours per week, which may fluctuate based on production needs
• Exact schedule will be assigned by the Plant Manager and may change based on departmental and operational needs
• Full-time, onsite position

Key Responsibilities

Production & Shift Leadership

• Lead daily manufacturing activities for the assigned shift
• Communicate production schedules, priorities, and expectations to operators and production leads
• Monitor production output, downtime, scrap, labor utilization, and workflow throughout the shift
• Ensure employees follow established work instructions, SOPs, and production standards
• Identify performance gaps and take immediate corrective action
• Oversee proper equipment startup, production changeovers, and shutdown procedures
• Escalate unresolved production or operational issues to management
• Maintain consistent execution of production goals and expectations

Team Leadership & Accountability

• Directly supervise production operators and team leads
• Maintain accountability for employee attendance, conduct, productivity, GMP compliance, and overall performance
• Coach, train, and provide ongoing performance feedback to employees
• Assist with onboarding and training new production employees
• Develop employees and reinforce performance expectations
• Ensure accurate and complete shift-to-shift handoff communication
• Partner with management and HR regarding performance concerns and disciplinary actions when necessary

Safety, Food Safety & Quality

• Enforce company safety policies, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food safety requirements, and quality standards
• Ensure employees properly utilize required PPE
• Identify and immediately address unsafe behaviors or working conditions
• Support QA requirements and production responsibilities associated with food safety programs
• Ensure production records and documentation are completed accurately and on time
• Assist with investigations, corrective actions, and process deviations
• Work closely with QA while respecting QA authority regarding food safety verification and product hold/release decisions

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain clean, organized, and inspection-ready production areas
• Support initiatives designed to reduce downtime, scrap, and production waste
• Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend improvement opportunities
• Reinforce standardized processes and consistent operating practices
• Support implementation of new procedures, process improvements, and operational changes
• Monitor key production metrics, including safety, quality, labor utilization, output attainment, downtime, waste, and attendance

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work closely with Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Sanitation teams
• Proactively communicate equipment problems, production risks, and operational concerns
• Ensure required materials, personnel, and equipment are available to meet production requirements
• Support equipment troubleshooting and production recovery efforts
• Coordinate resources to minimize production interruptions and downtime

Qualifications

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Previous manufacturing leadership/supervisory experience
• Previous food manufacturing experience
• Experience supervising production employees in a manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of GMPs and food safety requirements
• Strong leadership, communication, and employee-accountability skills
• Ability to understand and work with production KPIs and performance metrics
• Ability to identify and troubleshoot operational issues in real time
• Basic computer skills and experience completing production documentation

Preferred

• Experience leading teams in a high-volume, fast-paced food production environment
• Experience monitoring labor utilization, production output, downtime, scrap, and waste