Job Description

Position Summary

The Production Supervisor provides hands-on leadership and oversight for Cheese Production, Packaging, Whey Processing, and Drying operations. This role is responsible for supervising production personnel, ensuring operational efficiency, maintaining quality and food safety standards, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

The Production Supervisor plans, assigns, and directs daily production activities to maximize productivity while meeting cost, quality, and safety objectives. This position ensures compliance with Company policies, OSHA regulations, GMPs, HACCP, FSMA, and FSSC 22000 standards.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Operational Leadership

• Oversee overall performance of cheese production, packaging, whey processing, and drying operations with a focus on Cost, Quality, Safety, and Employee Engagement.
• Plan and schedule departmental work to optimize labor, equipment, and materials within budgetary guidelines.
• Assign, direct, review, and monitor the work of production staff to maximize shift productivity.
• Communicate daily production objectives and expectations to shift employees.
• Coordinate with Logistics to ensure production schedules and order fulfillment timelines are met.
• Partner with Maintenance to schedule and implement preventative and corrective maintenance activities.
• Identify equipment issues and submit work orders to reduce downtime.

Quality & Food Safety

• Enforce GMPs, HACCP, FSMA, and Company quality standards.
• Ensure compliance with FSSC 22000 food safety requirements.
• Monitor finished product quality through in-process inspections and quality checks (taste, moisture, salt, appearance, texture).
• Inspect packaging materials and consumables to verify specification compliance.
• Review and sign off on CCP charts, sanitation documentation, production reports, and logbooks.
• Analyze production nonconformities and implement corrective actions.
• Implement operational improvements to enhance food safety, quality, and productivity.

Equipment & Process Management

• Direct setup, calibration, and adjustment of packaging equipment including case formers, labelers, coders, stretch wrappers, and tape/glue systems.
• Develop and improve cheese and whey production processes.
• Facilitate team-based problem-solving efforts and continuous improvement initiatives.

Leadership & Employee Development

• Provide leadership, coaching, and development to production and packaging personnel.
• Train employees and conduct performance reviews.
• Address employee concerns, counsel and discipline as necessary in accordance with company policy.
• Promote a positive work environment that supports employee growth and advancement.
• Administer company policies in partnership with Human Resources.

Safety & Compliance

• Provide safety training and enforce safe working practices at all times.
• Investigate and document near misses and workplace incidents before shift end.
• Promote a strong safety culture to reduce injuries and incidents.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and applicable laws.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science or related field OR minimum of three (3) years of experience in food manufacturing.
• Plus if HACCP and PCQI certified
• Demonstrated experience in production supervision within a food manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of food safety systems including GMPs, HACCP, FSMA, and FSSC 22000.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and manage multiple priorities.

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