Production Supervisor

Smithfield Foods•Junction City, KS

About The Position

The Production Supervisor leads front-line production operations and oversees the production process, including tracking yields and making adjustments to maintain smooth operations. The role ensures safety and USDA health standards are met throughout manufacturing while maintaining product quality. The supervisor directs, trains, coaches, and motivates production employees to meet production targets, quality standards, and safety expectations. The position also supports clear communication of daily objectives, maximizes efficiency, minimizes costs, and oversees routine equipment and facility maintenance and setup. The role may require travel up to 5% and work in varying conditions, including heat and cold, with long hours and weekends when needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Business or a related field and 2+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience acting as a lead by training, coaching, or mentoring less experienced staff, or by managing a process or project.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to lead problem-solving efforts for complex process issues.
Solid analytical and math abilities.
Ability to motivate, train, and coach employees while fostering a positive, respectful, and team-oriented work environment.
Adaptability to fast-paced, dynamic environments and varying conditions, including heat and cold.
Willingness to work long hours and weekends when needed.
Ability to travel up to 5% of the time.
Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
Ability to frequently stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear.
Close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with SAP, internet tools, spreadsheets, Word, order processing, and inventory software.
Experience in food processing, leadership, and manufacturing, including knowledge of yields, plant efficiencies, and operations procedures.
Bilingual skills.

Responsibilities

Perform daily production-floor inspections, identify unsafe conditions, and take corrective action.
Lead safety audits, champion ergonomic initiatives, and ensure adherence to HACCP and USDA regulations.
Enforce Food Safety and Food Quality plans and maintain product quality according to specifications.
Train employees on safe operating procedures, including lock-out/tag-out.
Track and analyze production yields, efficiencies, and variances.
Work with Operations Managers and Supervisors to improve workflows and equipment use, minimize downtime, and reduce costs.
Direct and guide hourly production employees to align on safety, quality, and production goals.
Lead monthly line meetings and walk the production floor daily.
Analyze product performance metrics, identify improvement opportunities, and recommend changes to improve efficiency, lower costs, and maintain quality.
Oversee routine maintenance and setup of equipment and facilities.
Train, coach, and motivate team members to achieve production goals.