Production Manager

Winland Foods•Grand Forks, ND

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Production manager provides overall leadership for manufacturing departments in the areas of safety, productivity, quality, cost, equipment, and engagement. Through subordinates, monitors, and evaluates the production process and recommends methods to optimize product yields, equipment operation and process control while reducing waste. Engages all employees in continuous improvement and fosters a positive work environment while developing a culture of ownership and accountability.

Requirements

5+ years of manufacturing experience, with a minimum of three years of experience in a management capacity OR equivalent combination of education and experience
Effective listener and team player.
Strong knowledge of food manufacturing, FDA/USDA, OSHA and EPA regulations desired.
Able to work effectively with others, have good interpersonal and leadership skills.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Highly organized, critical thinker, who can multi-task.
Able to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
Strong computer skills including experience with SAP and Microsoft Office.
Continuous improvement and lean manufacturing mindset with the ability to lead and support multiple projects strongly preferred.

Nice To Haves

Food manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Establish leadership and set the strategic direction for the manufacturing team.
Ensures necessary plans are in place to deliver the required business results while developing a culture of ownership and accountability.
Manages team of both hourly and exempt employees.
Interpret safety policies/practices to employees including enforcing safe work practices.
Manage a staff of direct reports through regular performance reviews and developmental activities to ensure movement toward a high performance / high engagement organization, while assuring effective departmental performance.
Utilize available data (line speed target, set-up guidelines, and efficiency and process data) to continuously improve productivity, uptime and reliability.
Utilize the above information as a tool to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and product cost.
Set clear priorities and align resources to deliver against business and regulatory requirements in the areas of cost, financial controls, and quality, safety and business initiatives.
Manage product quality by understanding and communicating customer needs to employees and ensuring expectations are consistently met and according to standard work.
Determine schedules, sequences and assignments for work activities based on work priority, quantity of equipment and skill of personnel.
Diagnose equipment, ingredients and packaging issues.
Coordinate with Engineering, Maintenance or others as appropriate to solve production-related problems.
Ensure each manufacturing area is maintained in accordance with SQF standards.
Ensure security of employees, facilities and information systems by following and enforcing established security procedures.
Ensure clear and concise communication to all levels in the organization.
Ensure regular safety inspections are conducted in all manufacturing areas.
Must be able to drive improvements in manufacturing processes.
Must be able to put new systems and procedures in place while instilling accountability and ownership in a rapidly changing environment.
Supports Continuous Improvement projects through the practice of Root Cause Analysis, other management operating systems, etc.
In the absence of the Plant Manager, the Production Manager may assume the responsibilities of that role.
Noting, this position can involve weekend and on-call duties.
Perform other duties as assigned.