Assistant Production Manager

The J.M. Smucker Co.•Columbus, GA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

The Area Leader (Assistant Production Manager) provides leadership and operational support across a 24/7 food manufacturing operation, leading hourly Technicians, Team Leaders, and Supervisors as assigned. The role supports operating continuity and daily priorities while driving performance in safety, quality, reliability, cost, and organizational capability. It also coaches and develops team members and Supervisors. The position is based at the Hostess Manufacturing Plant in Columbus, Georgia, and is 100% on-site on the PM shift. It provides flexible leadership coverage across a 24/7 operation, with schedules that vary according to business needs and may involve different shifts, days, weekends, holidays, and hours. The schedule may transition to a flow-to-the-work or line-assigned Area Leader schedule as business needs evolve. The role operates in a food manufacturing environment and requires regular production-floor presence. Manufacturing-site noise levels can be high. The position requires regular talking and hearing; frequent standing, walking, handling or feeling objects, and reaching; and occasional sitting, climbing or balancing, and stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling. The employee must be able to frequently lift objects up to 50 pounds and may need to push and pull heavy objects. Required vision abilities include close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; preferably in Engineering, operations, business, or a related field.
At least 2 years of manufacturing operations experience.
At least 2 years of supervisory or people leadership experience.
Ability to work on-site in a 24/7 food manufacturing environment and provide flexible coverage across shifts and days as business needs require.
Ability to frequently lift objects up to 50 pounds.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including regular talking and hearing; frequent standing, walking, handling or feeling objects, and reaching; and occasional sitting, climbing or balancing, and stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.
Vision abilities including close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Nice To Haves

At least 5 years of relevant manufacturing leadership experience.
Demonstrated experience coaching, developing, and leading others.
Experience planning and executing projects.
Experience leading teams in a high-performance work environment.
Experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, engineering, or a related manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

Execute daily management activities, complete Leader Standard Work, and follow through on operating-team priorities and open actions.
Provide leadership across operating teams and production areas as assigned, including coverage for vacations, scheduled days off, vacancies, training, and other operational requirements.
Work across varying shifts, days, and hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, and other off-hours, according to business needs.
Champion the department daily plan and participate in Daily Direction Setting (DDS) meetings and shift handoffs to communicate priorities, risks, and actions.
Be accountable for daily operations and team performance in safety, quality, reliability, cost, and organizational capability in assigned areas.
Execute and document Leader Standard Work, including floor presence, employee engagement, confirmation of critical standards, escalation of abnormalities, and follow-up on corrective actions.
Role model the company’s Basic Beliefs, Our Commitment to Each Other, and Emotional Intelligence.
Partner with operating teams to identify, escalate, and resolve safety and quality concerns in a timely manner.
Drive department issues to root cause and support a zero-loss and continuous improvement culture.
Partner with line-assigned Area Leaders and the Department Manager on performance management, staffing, training, and capability-building priorities.
Communicate essential business information, shift expectations, and follow-up actions during transitions between leaders and shifts.
Develop and coach the operational and leadership skills of Supervisors, Team Leaders, and Technicians using Operations Excellence (OpEx) tools and design principles.
Lead and support key technical and organizational projects while building OpEx capability across the organization.
Collaborate across departments, pillars, and leadership teams and serve as a technical and operational resource for operating teams.
Transition to a line-assigned or flow-to-the-work Area Leader schedule as business needs evolve.