Production Manager II

Refresco•Paw Paw Township, MI

5h•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Manager II drives and manages the facility’s production processes and associates to maintain efficient production at the required quality and quantity. The role leads the Plant Production team in exceeding key performance indicators for safety, environment, quality, customer service, and cost, while building a capable team of decision makers and future leaders. The manager may perform as backup to Plant Leadership as required. The position operates in a fast-paced production plant with moving equipment, noise requiring hearing protection, and temperatures that may be very hot or relatively cold. At least 50% of the role is expected to be spent on the production floor. Work may be required on weekdays, weekends, afternoons, evenings, overnight, and holidays. Travel is anticipated rarely.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent (GED) required.
At least 5 years of relevant experience in a high-speed manufacturing environment.
Ability to independently and efficiently operate and troubleshoot required manufacturing equipment.
Ability to work quickly and accurately under deadline pressure.
Organized, detail-oriented, and adaptable to change.
Proficiency in Excel, Word, SAP, and PowerPoint.
Knowledge of quality standards and requirements for manufactured products and quality control measures.
Troubleshooting skills to resolve process and equipment issues and minimize downtime and waste.
Effective communication and collaboration skills across all organizational levels.
Ability to make informed decisions, take ownership, solve problems, manage time, and coach and develop others.
Ability to meet the position’s physical requirements, including attention to detail, hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and working under pronounced deadline and production pressure.

Nice To Haves

Proven leadership experience in a high-speed beverage production environment.
Undergraduate degree in a related field, preferably focused on Operations Management.
Functional experience in Lean Manufacturing, 5S, TPM, or similar practices.

Responsibilities

Ensure compliance with health and safety policies and procedures, GMPs, PPE requirements, and food quality and food safety standards, including applicable SQF requirements.
Lead and direct employees, including hiring, performance management, termination, training, instruction, performance evaluations, staff development, and possible contributions to pay recommendations.
Conduct daily meetings with direct reports as needed to identify and resolve issues.
Collaborate with other departments to improve quality, efficiencies, and yields, and reduce out-of-specification or damaged products; foster cooperation and teamwork.
Address inquiries about SQF and HACCP and follow production and quality control standard operating procedures.
Read and follow production schedules, communicate issues or deviations to appropriate parties, and respond to inquiries.
Mobilize resources and lead efforts to reduce unscheduled downtime.
Perform minor machine maintenance and daily and weekly preventive maintenance.
Conduct required GEMBA walks through the plant.
Support and encourage a culture aligned with Refresco Values.
Develop strategies to minimize energy use and waste.
Participate in annual department budget development and long-term strategic planning.
Develop and communicate business results as required.
Support the Safety Committee in promoting a safety-focused culture.
Serve as backup to Plant Leadership as required.
Lead department process improvement through lean principles, team feedback, and continuous improvement events such as Kaizen.
Ensure accurate production documentation and records, and timely completion of monthly Alchemy training.
Follow the equipment downtime escalation process.