Production Manager

Winona Foods•Green Bay, WI

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Manager oversees daily manufacturing operations within an assigned production area, ensuring safe, efficient, and high‑quality output. Reporting to the Plant Manager, this role provides leadership to Production Supervisors across multiple shifts and is responsible for meeting key performance targets related to safety, productivity, labor utilization, quality, waste, and rework. The Production Manager partners closely with cross‑functional teams to maintain standard work, support continuous improvement, and uphold consistent application of company policies and procedures across all shifts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field; or 5–7 years of Production Management experience.
Experience in a food manufacturing environment preferred.
Demonstrated experience with OEE systems, including driving accountability and performance improvement at all levels of production.
Experience working in a 24/7 production environment with multiple shifts.
Experience leading a diverse workforce and fostering effective communication across shifts.
Strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills.
High level of organization and attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and utilize resources effectively.
Strong problem‑solving and root-cause analysis skills.
Ability to collaborate across departments and communicate clearly with cross‑functional partners.
Working knowledge of manufacturing workflows, safety practices, and production processes.
Ability to interpret and act on production data, KPIs, and efficiency metrics.
Commitment to continuous improvement and standardization.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of process improvement methodologies (Lean, 5S, Six Sigma, etc.) preferred.

Responsibilities

Champion employee safety by ensuring a safe, clean, and compliant work environment and modeling a safety‑first mindset.
Provide daily direction to 2–3 Production Supervisors across shifts and processes, ensuring consistent leadership expectations and policy application.
Maintain visible floor presence (~50% of time) across all shifts, validating standard work adherence, coaching Supervisors, and supporting team engagement.
Partner with fellow Production Manager to work with Safety, Quality, Maintenance, Warehouse and other departments to drive standard processes and ensure clear, aligned communication.
Plan, organize, and coordinate production activities in alignment with company goals, throughput requirements, and resource availability.
Maximize production line efficiency, quality, and throughput to meet established KPIs.
Monitor and coach supervisors on daily labor assignments and scheduling and line balancing decisions.
Establish, monitor, and control operating conditions to meet customer specifications and quality standards in a cost‑effective manner.
Lead or support new product trials and customer sample runs; participate in customer and cross‑functional calls as needed.
Partner with the Quality department on audits, CCPs, and investigations.
Responsible for working with QA and Production Supervisors on product holds and rework processes.
Use MES system (Vorne) to review reports, and identify root causes of production issues and implement corrective actions and identify opportunities for supervisors to prevent recurrence.
Actively participate in standardization efforts, cost‑reduction initiatives, and ERP system optimization.
Partner with the Plant Manager to drive Lean/CI initiatives, including 5S sustainability, OEE improvement, and waste reduction.
Mentor Supervisors on CI projects and support development of problem‑solving skills.
Maintain proper staffing levels by participating in hiring, interviewing, selection, and onboarding processes.
Train and develop Supervisors and production staff to strengthen leadership, technical skills, and performance.
Provide fair and timely coaching, performance evaluations, and corrective actions in partnership with HR when needed.
Provide vacation coverage for Supervisors, which may require schedule flexibility for off-shift work.
Investigate and propose new processes, equipment, and workflow improvements.
Ensure accurate reporting, documentation, and communication of production results.
Cross train in some back up supervisory functions such as timecard review and production scheduling, as well as serve as back up support when fellow Production Manager is off.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Carries out Managerial responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.
Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.
Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training supervisors and employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; evaluating performance; providing coaching and corrective action; and addressing concerns and resolving issues.