CPS, Inc. (Food & Beverage Division)

Production Manager

Production Manager

The Production Manager (nights) is responsible for leading manufacturing operations on an assigned night shift to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity goals. Reporting to the Operations Manager, this role provides hands-on leadership to production teams, drives accountability for shift performance, and partners closely with FSQA, Maintenance, Engineering, and Warehouse to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient production. The Production Manager supports the site?s food safety and recall team.

Key Responsibilities:

Production & Shift Leadership

• Lead daily production activities on the assigned shift to meet safety, quality, delivery, and efficiency targets.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and development to team leads and production operators.
• Monitor line performance and adjust staffing, priorities, or workflows as needed.
• Ensure production schedules are executed safely, on time, and within established standards.
• Lead shift startup, handoff, and performance discussions and communicate key issues to plant leadership.
• Maintain accountability for staffing, attendance, training, performance, and execution across the shift.

Safety & Food Safety Compliance

• Enforce GMPs, sanitation standards, and food safety requirements (HACCP/SQF).
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure adherence to company safety policies and procedures.
• Identify and address safety risks and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Partner with FSQA to manage deviations, investigations, holds, and corrective actions.
• Stop production and notify FSQA immediately when a food safety concern arises and follow FSQA direction on holds. Do not override food safety decisions to meet schedules.
• Ensure production records, including batch and line clearance records, are completed accurately and on time on every shift.
• Ensure employees are trained and consistently follow established operating, food safety, and safety procedures, and that training records are maintained.
• Support audit readiness and compliance activities within the production area.

Recall & Crisis Response:

• Support the recall team as assigned by the FSQA Director (Recall Team Coordinator).
• Support product holds, line clearance, and production records needed for traceability during a recall.
• Participate in mock recalls and implement resulting corrective actions within the production area.

Line 2 Installation, Integration & Startup

• Serve as a key Operations Partner for the installation, integration, commissioning, and startup of Line 2.
• Work closely with Engineering, Maintenance, throughout installation and integration activities.
• Provide an operational perspective during equipment installation and testing to ensure the line is safe, practical, and production ready.
• Support equipment commissioning, trial runs, startup activities, and performance validation.
• Assist with developing standard work, operating procedures, staffing plans, training requirements, and shift routines for Line 2.
• Coordinate operator involvement and training during commissioning and startup.
• Identify operational risks, constraints, and improvement opportunities and escalate issues appropriately.
• Support the transition of Line 2 from project and startup activities into stable day-to-day production.
• Help drive post-startup stabilization and continuous improvement in throughput, downtime, waste, labor efficiency, and overall line performance.

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as throughput, OEE, yield, waste, labor efficiency, downtime, and schedule attainment.
• Identify bottlenecks, recurring downtime, and process inefficiencies and drive corrective actions.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability and line performance.
• Participate in root cause analysis and continuous improvement activities.
• Use production data to identify trends and opportunities for improved performance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with the Warehouse Manager and Procurement to support material availability and production flow.
• Partner with FSQA to maintain product integrity and compliance.
• Coordinate with Maintenance and Engineering regarding planned and unplanned downtime.
• Support new product introductions, process changes, equipment improvements, and future line expansions, following the site?s documented change-control process.
• Escalate production risks and operational constraints in a timely manner.

Salary

$90,000 - $110,000 + Bonus

Benefits Available

What We Are Looking For:

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate?s or Bachelor?s degree preferred.
• 3+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, food production, CPG, or another high-volume production environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading frontline manufacturing teams.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, organization, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with changing priorities.
• Ability to work flexible schedules as required during installation, commissioning, startup, and production ramp-up.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Food manufacturing experience (strongly preferred).
• Experience supporting equipment installation, commissioning, line startups, or major process changes.
• Working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP/SQF, food safety, and OSHA requirements.
• Experience with ERP or MES systems, and familiarity with Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies.

What Success Looks Like:

• Consistently meets or exceeds production, safety, quality, and delivery targets on the assigned shift.
• Builds a high-performing, engaged, and accountable team.
• Line 2 is successfully installed, started up, and transitioned into stable routine production.
• Identifies production issues early, resolves them cross-functionally, and drives continuous improvement in team and operational performance.

**If you?d like to hear more about this opportunity and others we are currently working on, please reach out to Jeff Fee at jfee cps4jobs.com.

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