The Production Manager at Shaw Bakers oversees daily manufacturing operations at an assigned plant, supporting the Plant Director by managing 100+ staff and ensuring productivity, food safety, environmental compliance, and staff engagement. This role reports to the Plant Director and directly supervises multiple production and packing line supervisors, driving adherence to quality standards and efficient, safe manufacturing processes.

The Production Manager collaborates with leadership to maintain product quality and leads a cross-functional team in a matrixed environment to achieve individual and departmental goals. Using a technical approach, the role focuses on measuring performance, improving systems and processes, and monitoring progress against objectives. This position requires strong leader

Who You Are:

• Obsessed with process improvement.
• Ownership urgency.
• Identifies challenges with immediacy and solves with root cause analysis
• A team uniter for all levels or the organization.
• A great listener – allows team to have a voice and share ideas.
• Able to inspire and motivate all cultures and unite them in one ‘Shaw Bakers’ belief system.
• Can take critical calculated risks but fail inexpensively and with gained knowledge for future.
• Thrives in a dynamic environment and can work on various projects simultaneously, requiring strong organizational and time management skills.
• Encouraging, hands-on, empowering leader setting the course for staff beneath to thrive.
• Inclined to boldly take on issues and challenges
• Can comfortably confront and work through conflict to communicate messages without hesitation
• Deals promptly and fairly with employee relations issues.
• Self-aware; responsive to feedback; flexible and adaptable.
• A keen eye for ongoing process improvement – good is the enemy of great.

What You’ll Do:

Leadership and Team Development:

• Sets visible, clear goals for the staff, measuring regularly and celebrating wins as a team.
• Challenges and inspires team members to achieve business results. Supports team members in presenting ideas to improve efficiency and productivity of operations in their departments.
• Identifies and communicates key responsibilities and practices to ensure the success of direct reports and ensures the completion of performance reviews.
• Provides team members with real-time, ongoing coaching, feedback, and developmental opportunities.
• Partners with Talent Team Management to build a progressive, developing and upwardly mobile organization with keen focus on employer-of-choice programs, pay, and rewards / recognition that will drive employee engagement and retention.
• Ensures team members adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements.
• Oversees development of team members directly on the job and partners with the talent management team to ensure roles, goals, skills and leadership training and development are ongoing.
• Makes effective staffing decisions including recruiting high performing individuals, fair and objective promotion pathways and competitive rewards and recognitions.
• Provides coaching, technical expertise and leadership support to direct reports, mentoring them to be successful leaders.
• Plots and manages succession planning of all staff, ensuring internal development and promotions are ongoing.
• Ensures effective and timely communication of company, plant and department information to managers, including supervisors, leads and team members.

Production Management:

• Implements and maintains standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency and quality throughout the production processes
• Manages day-to-day wholesale operations on the plant floor.
• Manages training and implementation of existing and new products in these departments.
• Monitors production throughput, volume fluctuations and labor utilization to ensure smooth manufacturing operations.
• Ensures that teams work in accordance with the production schedule to provide product reliability.
• Ensures appropriate staffing to meet new business requirements and volume fluctuations.
• Supports all established plant and manufacturing goals and objectives. Apprises director of team progress and any obstacles.
• Operates within established budgets, forecasts, cost objectives and service levels to control expenses. Supports implementation of cost, quality and service improvement initiatives.
• Manages daily process improvement walks – identifying key areas for improvement in productivity, safety and people, implementing strategies to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, quality assurance, supply chain, and talent management to resolve production and people issues and implement process improvements.
• Ensures compliance with safety regulations and company policies, conducting regular safety inspections and promoting a culture of safety awareness among employees.
• Drives continuous improvement initiatives to optimize production processes, reduce waste, and enhances product quality.
• Forges strategic partnerships with FSQA, Safety and Human Capital to ensure compliance and a save, motivated and thriving workplace environment.

What You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Processing, Engineering, Food Science (or) equivalent working experience and manufacturing process improvement certifications
• Seven (7) years of progressive manufacturing management experience is required.
• Five (5) years of proven, hands-on and successful management of teams, team building and succession planning & development.
• Experience developing and implementing policies and programs in an ultra-fast-paced and developing start-up environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other manufacturing software.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing in English.
• Ability to provide technical leadership in all areas of production.
• Ability to understand, follow and lead others in established safety procedures.
• Familiarity with American Institute of Baking (AIB), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards.
• Certifications/Licenses/Registrations: Food Safety certificate, Lean Training.
• Experience in lean manufacturing/Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Six Sigma and/or other operational excellence approach - major plus
• Bi-lingual English / Spanish - major plus
• Effective change management and proven ability to lead teammates through large, impactful changes.
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time, walking manufacturing floor, climbing stairs, and lift, up to 25lbs.
• Valid driver’s license required for occasional company travel