Production Lead I - 2nd Shift

NOW Health Group INC•Bloomingdale, IL

11d•$26 - $32•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Lead I leads a production team in achieving department goals by planning and delegating daily work. The role monitors and responds to safety, quality, production, and employee needs, coordinates new-hire training, and coaches team members. The position works in Packaging and Processing at both manufacturing facilities in Bloomingdale (391 and 395). The regular shift is 2:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; mandatory first-week training is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Under the direction of the Production Supervisor, the lead assigns tasks, monitors production, supports equipment operation and troubleshooting, and makes staffing and product-run recommendations. The role reviews production paperwork, inspects products, handles out-of-specification decisions, supports inventory discrepancy reporting, and coordinates with other departments to ensure production schedules are met. It also contributes to procedures, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement, while ensuring that employees follow applicable safety, food-safety, and cGMP requirements. The position requires manufacturing experience, preferably in food or pharmaceuticals, and a high school diploma or GED with related experience or training. Additional post-secondary education and prior team leadership are strongly preferred. The role involves working throughout manufacturing areas near moving machinery, with exposure to ingredients, allergens, dust, herbal aromas, and moderately loud noise. Some areas require hearing protection, and designated work areas contain strong magnetic fields that may pose a danger to people with certain medical devices or implants.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED and one year of related experience and/or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience in a manufacturing environment; food or pharmaceutical manufacturing is preferred.
Ability to work at both the 391 and 395 manufacturing facilities in Bloomingdale, in Packaging and Processing.
Knowledge of work centers within the area of responsibility to make daily resource-allocation and scheduling decisions.
Knowledge of Packaging and/or Processing machine capabilities and manufacturing processes, with ability to troubleshoot machines.
Ability to collaborate with departments on policy or procedure updates and validation, product dispositions, and hold and deviation investigations.
Ability to coach team members on correct processes and procedures and investigate and escalate efficiency losses.
Demonstrated ability to meet quality, safety, and efficiency goals consistently.
Excellent problem-solving skills and strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to coach, mentor, and train staff.
Ability to motivate and lead a team, give clear directions, communicate effectively, build teams, and maintain attention to detail and high-quality work.
Strong time-management and prioritization skills; ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, act with urgency, and adapt to changing tasks, work centers, and locations.
Ability to lead by example, model company values and servant leadership, take accountability, and consistently follow company policies and procedures, including safety procedures.
Ability to communicate professionally and effectively verbally and in writing; read and understand instructions, correspondence, memos, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and SOP manuals; and accurately complete sanitation and production paperwork.
Ability to present information effectively in one-on-one and small-group settings.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; understand weights and measures and use digital and balancing scales; and compute rates, ratios, and percentages.
Ability to apply commonsense understanding to written, oral, or diagram-based instructions.
Ability to operate hand-operated electronic lifting equipment (Interthor).
Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including off shifts and weekends, to support the business.
Ability to meet the listed physical demands, including prolonged standing and walking, stair use, bending, squatting, kneeling, reaching, and lifting, moving, pushing, pulling, and grasping as described in the posting.

Nice To Haves

Additional post-secondary education.
Prior team leadership experience.
Prior experience operating blending/processing and packaging machines or equipment.
Knowledge of Lean principles.
Oracle proficiency.
Bilingual verbal and written skills in Spanish.

Responsibilities

Monitor shift performance and efficiency, address or escalate issues, and keep the supervisor informed of problem areas.
Recommend changes to equipment use and staffing to improve efficiency; adjust employee duties and make product-run decisions.
Work with other leads, supervisors, and support teams to resolve issues and improve safety, product quality, production methods, and equipment performance.
Communicate respectfully and professionally, apply servant leadership principles, and maintain ethical conduct in difficult or confidential situations.
Train and orient new production employees, answer employee questions, and coach and develop team members.
Develop or help write department Standard Operating Procedures, Work Instructions, and One Point Lessons under supervisor or manager direction and review.
Maintain proficiency in operating production machinery.
Assign jobs and tasks under the Production Supervisor's direction and monitor the production process.
Review and verify employee paperwork before submitting it to Quality Control; close production record reports and inform inventory control of raw-material discrepancies.
Inspect products for conformance to specifications and make deviation decisions when products are out of specification.
Interpret company policies, specifications, and job orders; direct machine setup and adjustments; and answer employees' questions during scheduled shift hours.
Coordinate with other departments to requisition supplies, products, and equipment needed to meet production schedules.
Complete required paperwork and written or electronic reports truthfully and legibly, including reports using Excel, Word, and Oracle.
Participate in root-cause analysis and plant continuous-improvement initiatives; recommend and help implement improvement ideas.
Comply with OSHA guidelines, safety policies, food-safety requirements, and cGMP guidelines; monitor and coach the team to follow them.
Support safe production practices, participate in safety activities, provide and accept safety feedback, report incidents and hazards, use required personal protective equipment, and contribute to safety teams or activities.