Senior Production Manager – Cocoa Roasting

Mars•Elizabethtown, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Production Manager – Cocoa Roasting is responsible for the 24-hour, 7-day performance of the Roasting area within the Elizabethtown Value Stream. This is a manager-of-managers role that leads a team of shift-based leaders who are responsible for delivering operational targets across all shifts. This role owns area performance across safety, quality, food safety, delivery, cost, associate engagement, continuous improvement, and leadership capability. The Roasting area is a critical part of the site’s chocolate-making operation, producing cocoa liquor that supports Mars Snacking production across the broader network. In this role, you will bring a strong operational and technical foundation, including working knowledge of MSE/TPM, daily management systems, process controls, Good Manufacturing Practices, HACCP, sanitation practices, and continuous improvement. You will set strategic direction for the area, strengthen frontline leadership capability, and partner cross-functionally to improve performance across the value stream.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Operations, Business, or a related discipline
3+ years of direct people leadership experience
5+ years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or a continuous improvement manufacturing environment
Experience leading teams in a 24/7 or shift-based production environment
Working knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices
Functional knowledge of HACCP concepts
Experience with plant sanitation practices and procedures
Strong technical understanding of processes, equipment, controls, and products, or the ability to quickly develop this knowledge
Ability to deploy training strategies and effectively develop others
Experience with MSE, TPM, Autonomous Maintenance, Daily Management Systems, or similar operating systems
Experience supporting equipment startup, commissioning, validation, or production-line expansion
Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, A3, root-cause analysis, loss elimination, or structured problem solving

Nice To Haves

Cocoa processing, cocoa roasting, chocolate, or food-processing experience is preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the Roasting area with accountability for safety, quality, food safety, delivery, cost, associate engagement, and continuous improvement
Manage and develop a team of shift-based leaders to deliver operational targets and build a highly engaged, high-performing organization across all shifts
Provide leadership for the 24/7 operation, ensuring clear expectations, consistent standards, and effective communication across shifts
Support the expansion, commissioning, startup, and stabilization of additional cocoa roasting capacity
Develop and execute elements of the 90-day plan to address operational losses, close capability gaps, and improve area performance
Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality Services, Commercial, Scheduling/Logistics, Continuous Improvement, and Value Stream leadership to improve safety, quality, reliability, throughput, and cost
Coach Production Leaders, Continuous Improvement resources, technical resources, and shift teams to strengthen accountability in safety, quality, food safety, autonomous maintenance, and team engagement
Use data, process understanding, and structured problem solving to identify losses, remove constraints, and implement sustainable improvements
Ensure consistent execution of GMP, HACCP, sanitation, safety, and food-safety standards
Build associate engagement through teamwork, communication, coaching, recognition, and individual accountability
Identify headcount, resource, technical, and process constraints that impact the area and partner cross-functionally to resolve them
Partner with the Value Stream Manager and Operations support teams to develop and execute short- and long-term strategies that improve overall area performance
Develop leadership capability and talent within the area through coaching, feedback, performance routines, and succession planning