Production Manager (RTE)

Position Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for overseeing daily production operations within a Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meat processing facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant manufacturing of finished products. This role leads production teams to achieve volume, quality, food safety, and cost objectives while maintaining strict compliance with USDA/FSIS, HACCP, and RTE-specific food safety programs.

Key Responsibilities

Production Operations

• Plan, coordinate, and manage daily production activities to meet production schedules and customer demand

• Ensure efficient utilization of labor, materials, and equipment across RTE processing lines

• Monitor production performance, yields, and throughput; implement corrective actions as needed

• Ensure compliance with all production SOPs and operational standards

Food Safety & Quality (RTE Focus)

• Enforce strict adherence to USDA/FSIS regulations, HACCP plans, GMPs, and RTE-specific controls

• Ensure compliance with Listeria control programs, environmental monitoring, and post-lethality handling requirements

• Partner with Quality Assurance to maintain product safety, quality, and regulatory readiness

• Support internal audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, train, and develop production supervisors and hourly team members

• Promote a strong culture of food safety, accountability, and continuous improvement

• Manage staffing levels, scheduling, and performance management

• Support onboarding and ongoing training for food safety and operational excellence

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and company safety programs

• Promote safe work practices and conduct incident investigations

• Maintain clean, organized, and audit-ready production areas

Continuous Improvement & Cost Control

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to efficiency, yields, labor productivity, and waste reduction

• Utilize Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies where applicable

• Collaborate with Maintenance, Sanitation, and Engineering to improve line performance and uptime

• Monitor and control production costs while maintaining quality and food safety standards

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Sanitation to ensure effective pre-op and operational sanitation in RTE areas

• Coordinate with Maintenance on equipment readiness and downtime reduction

• Partner with Supply Chain, Planning, and Warehouse teams to ensure smooth material flow

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Animal Science, Operations Management, or related field or equivalent industry experience

• 5+ years of production leadership experience in a USDA-regulated food manufacturing environment

• Direct experience in Ready-to-Eat meat or high-risk food processing strongly preferred

• Strong working knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, and USDA/FSIS regulations

• Experience managing large hourly workforces in a multi-shift operation