Production Operations Manager

Wonder•Swedesboro, NJ

2d•$74,500 - $86,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Operations Manager is responsible for supporting daily culinary production operations within a high-volume food manufacturing and distribution environment. This role ensures that production workflows, ingredient staging, preparation, packaging, and handoff to warehouse and logistics teams are executed safely, efficiently, and accurately. This role acts as a key extension of Production and Operations Leadership by coordinating labor deployment, maintaining food safety and quality standards, and ensuring seamless flow between culinary production, warehouse staging, and outbound distribution. This role plays a critical part in driving operational efficiency, maintaining product integrity, and supporting team engagement across the production floor. Up to and including completing all other duties as assigned. This role operates within a culinary production facility and warehouse environment where associates are exposed to food preparation equipment, refrigerated storage areas, and fast-paced production workflows. Strict adherence to safety, sanitation, and food handling standards is required.

Requirements

2+ years of progressive leadership experience in food production, manufacturing, or high-volume culinary operations
Confident leading teams of 15+ employees and executing complex shifts in fast-paced environments
Strong understanding of production workflows, food safety requirements, and quality standards
Experience leading teams in fast-paced operational environments
Proficiency in operating production equipment
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
Proficiency with production scheduling tools, inventory systems, or WMS platforms
18 years old and legally authorized to work in the US
Able to lift, pull, and push 50 pounds of weight by oneself
Able to stand for extended periods
Able to bend, reach, and operate production equipment
Ability to read and comprehend safety policies and operational manuals in English; ability to communicate effectively with team members and follow verbal instructions to ensure a safe and productive work environment
Ability to work flexible schedules, including mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays
Ability to work in varying temperature zones including cold environments for extended periods

Nice To Haves

Experience in food manufacturing, commissary kitchens, or culinary production environments preferred
HACCP or food safety certification preferred
Experience with Lean, 5S, or continuous improvement methodologies preferred
Bilingual preferred

Responsibilities

Support daily culinary production operations including ingredient staging, batch preparation, packaging, labeling, and finished goods transfer to warehouse
Monitor production schedules to ensure recipes, batch quantities, and production timelines are met
Coordinate production workflow across prep, cook, assembly, packaging, and staging teams
Conduct floor walks to monitor food quality, production output, and operational efficiency
Identify workflow gaps and remove operational obstacles that may impact production throughput
Lead shift huddles to communicate production targets, food safety expectations, and daily priorities
Partner with Production Leadership and Supply Chain teams to align production schedules with forecasted demand and outbound shipment requirements
Coordinate ingredient availability, prep timelines, and packaging capacity to meet daily production targets
Support production-to-warehouse handoffs ensuring finished goods are properly labeled, scanned, and staged for distribution
Communicate production delays, product shortages, or quality concerns in real time to operational partners
Assist with production forecasting, staffing alignment, and capacity planning
Ensure strict adherence to food safety standards including FDA, HACCP, sanitation, and food handling protocols
Conduct routine food safety checks including temperature monitoring, allergen management, and sanitation verification
Ensure associates follow proper PPE, hygiene, and safe food handling practices
Document incidents, quality deviations, or food safety concerns and escalate appropriately
Support internal audits, regulatory inspections, and corrective action plans
Monitor ingredient usage, production yields, and waste to identify opportunities for process improvement
Partner with inventory and warehouse teams to maintain proper ingredient rotation (FIFO)
Assist with cycle counts and ingredient reconciliation to maintain accurate inventory levels
Identify production inefficiencies and support continuous improvement initiatives
Monitor scrap, product damage, or production errors and implement corrective actions
Maintain strong communication with Production, Warehouse, Quality, and Logistics teams
Track and report key operational metrics including production output, labor productivity, waste, and quality compliance
Participate in daily operational reviews, production planning meetings, and staffing discussions
Support operational initiatives, audits, and company-wide process improvements
Provide daily leadership and direction to production associates across multiple workstreams
Maintain a strong floor presence, modeling ownership, urgency, and attention to detail
Coach and develop associates on food safety, quality, and production efficiency standards
Support onboarding, training, and cross-development opportunities for team members
Reinforce accountability for performance, attendance, and adherence to company policies and procedures
Partner with HR on coaching, associate development, and performance management
Foster a positive, inclusive team environment that promotes collaboration, engagement, and recognition
Communicate priorities, updates, and operational changes clearly while escalating risks as needed
Drive operational results through strong ownership, data-driven decisions, and continuous improvement