Production Supervisor - Mill Mfg. (Bilingual English/Spanish)

U.S. Spice Mills•Glendale Heights, IL

8d•Onsite

About The Position

US Spice Mills is hiring a bilingual English/Spanish Production Supervisor to lead first-shift production associates and technicians at its on-site spice processing facility in Glendale Heights, Illinois. The supervisor is responsible for producing safe, high-quality spices, seasonings, and milled products on schedule and within cost targets, overseeing receiving, cleaning, milling and grinding, sifting, blending, pathogen reduction, and packaging. This role owns daily line performance, enforces food safety and GMP standards, develops the production team, and serves as the primary connection between production and Quality, Maintenance, Sanitation, Warehouse, and Planning. The position leads daily scheduling, staffing, production performance, and shift communication, while training and coaching employees and managing attendance, timekeeping, overtime, and labor hours. It oversees processing specifications, batch records, changeovers, bulk handling, and lot traceability. The supervisor also enforces food safety controls, verifies required checks and line clearances, holds suspect product, and supports audit readiness and corrective actions. The posting also describes hands-on operational support, including identifying equipment needs, conducting preventive maintenance, diagnosing malfunctions, supporting production, maintaining a safe and organized work area, and completing work-order documentation. Work is performed on-site on the first shift, beginning at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, with Saturdays as needed. Compensation is $75,000–$85,000.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience in food, beverage, or other regulated manufacturing, including at least 2 years leading hourly teams.
Working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, allergen management, and sanitation practices.
Understanding of OSHA safety requirements, including LOTO and PPE.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Outlook, and Word, and production or ERP systems.
Ability to read and act on production data, schedules, and KPIs.
Clear written and verbal communication skills in both English and Spanish.
Ability to work first shift beginning at 6:30 a.m. and Saturdays as needed.
Comfort working around strong spice aromas, dust, irritants, and active moving equipment in an on-site spice processing facility.
Ability to use both hands for fine and gross motor tasks, distinguish wire colors, read gauges, and stand, walk, and bend for extended periods.
Ability to regularly lift up to 51 pounds.
Commitment to wearing required PPE and following food safety guidelines.
Ability to comply with the facility's GMP dress code, including hairnets and beard nets, no jewelry, plant-issued uniforms, and safety footwear.

Nice To Haves

Associate or bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
HACCP certification.
PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) training.
Experience in an SQF-, BRCGS-, or FSSC 22000-certified facility.
Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma training (Yellow or Green Belt).
At least 2 years of experience in spice, seasoning, flour, or grain milling, or dry ingredient blending.
Hands-on knowledge of hammer mills, roller mills, pulverizers, sifters, and ribbon or paddle blenders.
Knowledge of combustible dust hazards and dust control systems.

Responsibilities

Run the shift production schedule to meet daily output, yield, and delivery targets.
Assign associates to lines and stations based on skills, staffing, and priorities.
Lead pre-shift huddles and shift handoffs covering safety, quality, schedule, and open issues.
Monitor line speeds, downtime, changeovers, and waste, and take action to recover lost output.
Coordinate raw material and packaging staging with Warehouse and Planning.
Escalate equipment problems to Maintenance and track repairs through completion.
Train and certify associates on SOPs, equipment, and food safety.
Coach performance, provide regular feedback, complete reviews, and apply discipline consistently.
Manage attendance, timekeeping, overtime, and labor hours against budget.
Build an engaged and respectful team and develop line leads.
Communicate policies and changes clearly and work within union agreements where applicable.
Oversee cleaning, milling, grinding, cracking, sifting, and blending of spices, herbs, seeds, grains, and dehydrated vegetables.
Set and verify mill, grinder, and screen settings to meet particle-size, color, moisture, and volatile-oil specifications.
Ensure formulas and batch tickets are followed and scaled ingredients are verified and recorded.
Plan run sequences and changeovers to limit allergen, color, and flavor carryover.
Manage bulk handling of bags, totes, and super sacks, and maintain lot tracking from raw materials to finished goods.
Enforce GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation, and foreign-material prevention on the production floor.
Ensure operators complete and record required CCP and preventive-control checks each shift.
Hold suspect product and notify Quality promptly.
Verify line clearance, labels, and date codes at each changeover.
Keep the production area audit-ready and complete assigned corrective actions on time.
Identify equipment needs and address issues proactively to prevent production bottlenecks.
Conduct scheduled preventive maintenance checks on machines.
Troubleshoot equipment malfunctions and implement corrective actions to restore operations safely.
Provide technical and operational support to the production team as needed.
Maintain an organized work environment in accordance with GMP and OSHA safety standards.
Complete daily work orders to document repairs and maintenance milestones.