Production Shift Manager- Weekend Night

Utz Brands•Kings Mountain, NC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Utz Quality Foods is seeking an experienced Production Shift Manager for its Kings Mountain, North Carolina facility. The role oversees all production activities on the assigned shift to ensure safe, efficient operations and achievement of quality, food safety, and production goals. The manager leads Production Supervisors, monitors labor and equipment performance, resolves operational challenges, and partners with cross-functional teams to drive results. The role also develops talent, promotes accountability, and supports continuous improvement through Integrated Work Systems (IWS). Food manufacturing and sanitation experience are essential, as weekends are heavily focused on sanitation activities and the manager must understand both production operations and sanitation processes. The schedule rotates every two weeks: Week 1 is Friday through Sunday, and Week 2 is Thursday through Sunday. Hours are 6:00 PM to 6:30 AM. The manager may need to work additional shifts and extended hours based on business demand.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Prior leadership experience in a production or food manufacturing environment, including experience leading supervisors or multiple production lines.
Hands-on knowledge of packaging and processing operations, fryer machines, packaging machinery, and sanitation procedures in a food production setting.
Experience planning and scheduling production and adjusting to changing priorities.
Experience monitoring and analyzing labor usage and crew efficiency.
Familiarity with ERP systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, and inventory tracking.
Experience using maintenance systems such as EAM (Enterprise Asset Management).
Experience working with performance monitoring tools such as RedZone.
Strong leadership, coaching, and interpersonal skills to lead, motivate, and develop supervisors and teams.
Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
Knowledge of food safety practices, GMPs, and SQF requirements.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, including under pressure.
Ability to assess performance data and implement process improvements.
Effective delegation and follow-up to ensure task completion and accountability.
Competency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Ability to lift moderately heavy materials and perform occasional physical tasks such as skid pulling.
Attention to detail, organizational ability, and commitment to quality standards.
Strong commitment to maintaining a safe and compliant work environment.
OSHA-compliant forklift operator experience required.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Food Science, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors, holding the supervisory team accountable for safety, quality, productivity, and people-related results.
Direct daily processing and packaging operations and serve as the escalation point for production, quality, safety, and personnel issues.
Execute the production schedule and maintain quality while adapting to downtime, equipment issues, staffing gaps, and supply shortages.
Monitor labor hours and crew size, adjusting staffing and line assignments in real time to operate production lines efficiently.
Partner with HR and the Production Manager on interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, attendance, and corrective action.
Ensure training is delivered and documented for shift personnel, including cross-training coverage.
Uphold processing and packaging standards to ensure product quality.
Develop and implement methods to achieve plant performance, efficiency, and plant and corporate goals.
Analyze line-level performance, drive process improvements, and identify and reduce waste.
Manage material usage and waste, including film waste, on assigned lines to support cost initiatives.
Monitor RedZone data for packaging and fryer efficiency, quality checks, and downtime, and ensure root causes of losses are addressed.
Ensure work orders and preventive maintenance tasks are entered and tracked in EAM, coordinating with Maintenance and Sanitation to minimize downtime.
Ensure accurate ERP data through execution and monitoring of production transactions.
Work with production planning, quality, maintenance, warehouse, and other departments to achieve production attainment and schedule adherence goals.
Communicate shift performance, issues, and priorities through shift handoffs and regular updates with the Production Manager and other shift leaders.
Support and sustain plant Integrated Work Systems, including maintaining and communicating line-level KPIs and performance standards.
Assist with month-end inventory counting and ensure inventory accuracy for the assigned shift.
Be responsible for shift safety performance, engage employees in the safety and health culture, and maintain a safe work environment.
Follow and enforce GMP and food safety practices and applicable SQF system requirements.
Follow instructions and training for reporting and escalating food safety problems to appropriate personnel.
Work additional shifts and extended hours as needed based on business demand.
Perform other duties as assigned that support company and department objectives.