2nd Shift Production Manager

Urban Farmer LLC•Manteno, IL

8h•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Manager oversees the production in Toppings and Bakery department, ensuring consistent processes and food safety compliance. The role requires significant time on the production floor to supervise operations, coach shift leaders, and ensure that safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets are consistently achieved across 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shifts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Business, Engineering, or related field (preferred). Equivalent supervisory experience will be considered.
3–5 years of experience in bakery or food production, with proven success managing multiple shifts.
Strong knowledge of bakery manufacturing processes and equipment.
Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or other CI methodologies.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively across shifts and departments.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual skills (English/Spanish) a plus.
Proficiency in ERP/CMMS systems and Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

Enforce a safety-first culture across all shifts, ensuring compliance with OSHA, GMP, and company policies.
Conduct daily safety inspections and ensure corrective actions are taken immediately.
Partner with QA to ensure toppings operations meet all food safety, allergen control, and sanitation requirements.
Actively support USDA, FDA, SQF, and customer audits by ensuring readiness on every shift.
Manage production activities across all shifts, ensuring schedules are met without compromising safety or quality.
Maintain strong floor presence (70%+) to observe processes, troubleshoot issues, and provide hands-on support.
Coordinate with Planning to ensure smooth execution of product runs, including line setups, changeovers, and special projects.
Monitor waste, downtime, and output, adjusting labor and processes to maximize efficiency.
Facilitate shift handovers, ensuring accurate communication of production issues, corrective actions, and performance results.
Implement standardized processes and reporting across shifts to ensure consistency.
Track recurring issues across shifts, document corrective actions, and ensure follow-through.
Monitor key performance metrics for toppings operations, including yield, waste, downtime, and labor efficiency.
Analyze variances and implement strategies to close performance gaps.
Drive accountability with shift supervisors and leads for meeting KPI targets.
Collaborate with Continuous Improvement and Maintenance to implement sustainable solutions.
Supervise and coach toppings shift supervisors, team leads, and operators across all shifts.
Conduct performance evaluations, provide ongoing coaching, and deliver corrective action when necessary.
Lead employee training initiatives, ensuring consistent understanding of SOPs and quality requirements.
Promote cross-training and workforce flexibility to support changing production demands.
Lead or support CI initiatives specific to toppings operations (5S, Kaizen, Standard Work).
Conduct root cause analysis of chronic production issues and ensure corrective actions are applied across all shifts.
Foster employee involvement in continuous improvement activities and idea generation.
Act as the primary toppings department leader during incidents or emergencies.
Coordinate safety measures, communicate with senior leadership, and oversee recovery actions.