Senior Production Manager – Cocoa Roasting

Mars; Elizabethtown (Lancaster County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mars University

Five Principles training

Job summary

Mars in Elizabethtown is seeking a Senior Production Manager – Cocoa Roasting to lead a 24/7 roasting operation and drive safety, quality, and cost performance. You will manage a team of shift leaders, set clear expectations, and partner across Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Scheduling, and Continuous Improvement to optimize the value stream.

You will develop the 90‑day plan, expand capacity, and build frontline leadership capability while upholding GMP, HACCP, and sanitation standards in a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Operations, Business, or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of direct people leadership experience.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or a continuous improvement manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading teams in a 24/7 or shift-based production environment.
• Working knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Functional knowledge of HACCP concepts.
• Experience with plant sanitation practices and procedures.
• Strong technical understanding of processes, equipment, controls, and products, or the ability to quickly develop this knowledge.
• Ability to deploy training strategies and effectively develop others.
• Experience with MSE, TPM, Autonomous Maintenance, Daily Management Systems, or similar operating systems.
• Experience supporting equipment startup, commissioning, validation, or production-line expansion.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, A3, root-cause analysis, loss elimination, or structured problem solving.
• Cocoa processing, cocoa roasting, chocolate, or food-processing experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Roasting area with accountability for safety, quality, food safety, delivery, cost, associate engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Manage and develop a team of shift-based leaders to deliver operational targets and build a highly engaged, high-performing organization across all shifts.
• Provide leadership for the 24/7 operation, ensuring clear expectations, consistent standards, and effective communication across shifts.
• Support the expansion, commissioning, startup, and stabilization of additional cocoa roasting capacity.
• Develop and execute elements of the 90‑day plan to address operational losses, close capability gaps, and improve area performance.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality Services, Commercial, Scheduling/Logistics, Continuous Improvement, and Value Stream leadership to improve safety, quality, reliability, throughput, and cost.
• Coach Production Leaders, Continuous Improvement resources, technical resources, and shift teams to strengthen accountability in safety, quality, food safety, autonomous maintenance, and team engagement.
• Use data, process understanding, and structured problem solving to identify losses, remove constraints, and implement sustainable improvements.
• Ensure consistent execution of GMP, HACCP, sanitation, safety, and food‑safety standards.
• Build associate engagement through teamwork, communication, coaching, recognition, and individual accountability.
• Identify headcount, resource, technical, and process constraints that impact the area and partner cross‑functionally to resolve them.
• Partner with the Value Stream Manager and Operations support teams to develop and execute short‑ and long‑term strategies that improve overall area performance.
• Develop leadership capability and talent within the area through coaching, feedback, performance routines, and succession planning.

Skills

People leadership

Lean Six Sigma

Structured problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

MSE/TPM

Autonomous Maintenance

Daily Management Systems

Job description

The Senior Production Manager – Cocoa Roasting is responsible for the 24-hour, 7-day performance of the Roasting area within the Elizabethtown Value Stream. This is a manager-of-managers role that leads a team of shift-based leaders who are responsible for delivering operational targets across all shifts.

This role owns area performance across safety, quality, food safety, delivery, cost, associate engagement, continuous improvement, and leadership capability. The Roasting area is a critical part of the site’s chocolate-making operation, producing cocoa liquor that supports Mars Snacking production across the broader network.

In this role, you will bring a strong operational and technical foundation, including working knowledge of MSE/TPM, daily management systems, process controls, Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP, sanitation practices, and continuous improvement. You will set strategic direction for the area, strengthen frontline leadership capability, and partner cross-functionally to improve performance across the value stream.

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Operations, Business, or a related discipline
• 3+ years of direct people leadership experience
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or a continuous improvement manufacturing environment
• Experience leading teams in a 24/7 or shift-based production environment
• Working knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices
• Functional knowledge of HACCP concepts
• Experience with plant sanitation practices and procedures
• Strong technical understanding of processes, equipment, controls, and products, or the ability to quickly develop this knowledge
• Ability to deploy training strategies and effectively develop others
• Experience with MSE, TPM, Autonomous Maintenance, Daily Management Systems, or similar operating systems
• Experience supporting equipment startup, commissioning, validation, or production-line expansion
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, A3, root-cause analysis, loss elimination, or structured problem solving
• Cocoa processing, cocoa roasting, chocolate, or food-processing experience is preferred

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Lead the Roasting area with accountability for safety, quality, food safety, delivery, cost, associate engagement, and continuous improvement
• Manage and develop a team of shift-based leaders to deliver operational targets and build a highly engaged, high-performing organization across all shifts
• Provide leadership for the 24/7 operation, ensuring clear expectations, consistent standards, and effective communication across shifts
• Support the expansion, commissioning, startup, and stabilization of additional cocoa roasting capacity
• Develop and execute elements of the 90‑day plan to address operational losses, close capability gaps, and improve area performance
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality Services, Commercial, Scheduling/Logistics, Continuous Improvement, and Value Stream leadership to improve safety, quality, reliability, throughput, and cost
• Coach Production Leaders, Continuous Improvement resources, technical resources, and shift teams to strengthen accountability in safety, quality, food safety, autonomous maintenance, and team engagement
• Use data, process understanding, and structured problem solving to identify losses, remove constraints, and implement sustainable improvements
• Ensure consistent execution of GMP, HACCP, sanitation, safety, and food‑safety standards
• Build associate engagement through teamwork, communication, coaching, recognition, and individual accountability
• Identify headcount, resource, technical, and process constraints that impact the area and partner cross‑functionally to resolve them
• Partner with the Value Stream Manager and Operations support teams to develop and execute short‑ and long‑term strategies that improve overall area performance
• Develop leadership capability and talent within the area through coaching, feedback, performance routines, and succession planning

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles
• Join a purpose‑driven company focused on building the world we want tomorrow, today
• Access best‑in‑class learning and development from day one, including Mars University
• Lead a critical cocoa‑processing area within a high‑impact manufacturing environment
• Play a meaningful role in a major site expansion and new roasting‑capacity startup
• Join a collaborative site leadership team focused on safety, quality, food safety, continuous improvement, and associate development
• Competitive salary, bonus opportunity, and comprehensive benefits package