Production Supervisor

The Wenger Group; Souderton (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wenger Group is seeking a Planner to optimize production schedules while ensuring compliance with USDA/FSIS regulations. This role will oversee safety programs, monitor performance, and collaborate closely with various teams. Candidates should have 2–5 years of leadership experience in meat or food processing and be comfortable in cold environments. The Planner will ensure product specifications are met and lead efforts to improve efficiency and quality in a fast-paced production setting.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of production leadership experience in meat or food processing strongly preferred.
• Ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, cold-chain environment.
• Comfortable working in cold environments (35–45°F / 1–7°C) and occasionally in freezer conditions.

Responsibilities

• Enforce all safety programs and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Lead shift activities to meet production schedules and output goals.
• Monitor line performance, yields, and adjust staffing as necessary.

Skills

Production leadership experience

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Knowledge of USDA/FSIS regulations

Education

Associate or Bachelor’s degree

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Job description

Who We Are

We’re a leading Northeast family‑owned food, agricultural products, and agricultural services organization headquartered in Pennsylvania. We provide animal nutrition and feeds; specialty protein production, processing, and marketing; on‑farm protein production services; and grain, fertilizer, and ingredient procurement. Leidy’s is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wenger Group since 2022. Leidy’s is a 130‑year‑old pork company located on the family farm in Pennsylvania, where Jacob Leidy was deeded the original land grant by William Penn in 1753.

Position Summary

This position converts customer demand into executable daily/weekly production schedules across harvest, fabrication/deboning, grinding, and packaging/case‑ready operations. This role balances material availability, labor/crewing, line capacity, yields, and shelf‑life constraints to meet service (OTIF), quality, and cost targets while maintaining USDA/FSIS compliance. The Planner partners closely with Sales/Customer Service, Operations, QA/FSQA, Procurement, and Logistics to keep plans aligned and achievable.

Responsibilities

• Enforce all safety programs, including LOTO, machine guarding, PPE, and ergonomic standards.
• Ensure compliance with USDA/FSIS, HACCP, SSOP, GMP, and other regulatory requirements.
• Verify pre‑operational inspections, metal detector checks, scale calibrations, and label accuracy.
• Protect cold‑chain integrity and maintain sanitary conditions throughout production.
• Lead shift activities to meet production schedules, line rates, and output goals.
• Monitor line performance, yields, labor efficiency, giveaway, waste, and first‑pass quality.
• Adjust staffing, line setups, and machine settings to maintain flow and minimize downtime.
• Communicate plan changes and production updates to team members and cross‑functional partners.
• Supervise, coach, and support production employees; address performance concerns and attendance issues.
• Train employees on equipment use, knife safety, product specs, and standard operating procedures.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and a positive work culture.
• Lead start‑up, mid‑shift, and end‑of‑shift meetings.
• Ensure product specifications (cuts, weights, pack sizes, labeling) are consistently met.
• Partner with QA to address deviations, product holds, and consumer/customer complaints.
• Monitor CCPs, process controls, and rework to prevent non‑conformances.
• Support corrective action implementation and verification.
• Identify opportunities to improve yield, line performance, changeover times, and waste reduction.
• Participate in root‑cause investigations, 5‑Why, or basic industrial problem‑solving efforts.
• Support Lean/5S initiatives and standard work improvements.
• Encourage team ideas for efficiency, safety, and quality enhancements.
• Complete daily production reports, downtime logs, labor tracking, and yield summaries.
• Ensure ERP/MES entries are accurate (production counts, yields, rework, scrap).
• Maintain documentation required for USDA/QA audits and traceability.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 2–5 years of production leadership experience in meat or food processing strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of USDA/FSIS, HACCP, SSOP, GMP, and food safety principles.
• Ability to lead teams in a fast‑paced, cold‑chain environment.
• Strong communication, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Comfortable working in cold environments (35–45°F / 1–7°C) and occasionally in freezer conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand/walk for extended periods.
• Experience with ERP/MES systems is a plus.

Work Environment

• Cold, wet, high‑speed production environment with exposure to raw meat and USDA oversight.
• Required PPE (cut‑resistant gloves, jackets, hearing protection, etc.).
• May require early mornings, late evenings, weekends, or overtime depending on production needs.