Production Supervisor

POSITION SUMMARY

The Production Supervisor is responsible for overseeing daily production activities to ensure products are manufactured safely, efficiently, consistently, and in compliance with company standards, GMPs, HACCP requirements, SQF requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.

This position provides direct leadership to production employees and is responsible for ensuring production schedules are met while maintaining high standards for food safety, product quality, employee safety, sanitation, productivity, and documentation.

The Production Supervisor leads by example and is expected to coach, train, and develop employees while holding the team accountable for following established procedures and standards.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Production Operations

• Supervise daily production activities and ensure production schedules are completed accurately and on time.
• Assign employees to production tasks based on staffing, production requirements, training, and qualifications.
• Monitor production throughout the shift to identify and address delays, quality issues, equipment problems, staffing concerns, or other obstacles.
• Ensure employees follow approved production procedures, batch instructions, work instructions, and SOPs.
• Monitor product yields, production efficiency, downtime, waste, and other operational performance measures.
• Coordinate with the Cook Room, Bottle Room, Warehouse, Quality Assurance, Food Science, Maintenance, and Customer Success teams as necessary.
• Communicate production priorities and changes clearly to employees and other departments.
• Ensure proper line clearance and production changeover procedures are followed.

2. SQF & Food Safety Responsibilities

The Production Supervisor is a key member of the company's food safety and SQF team and is responsible for ensuring food safety requirements are followed during production.

• Ensure employees comply with SQF, GMP, HACCP, food safety, sanitation, and company policies.
• Maintain a strong food safety culture and immediately address behaviors or conditions that could compromise food safety or product quality.
• Ensure employees understand and follow applicable food safety procedures and work instructions.
• Monitor production areas for potential food safety hazards, contamination risks, allergen concerns, foreign material risks, and GMP violations.
• Ensure proper handling, identification, storage, and protection of raw materials, work-in-process, packaging, and finished products.
• Ensure allergen controls and product changeover procedures are properly followed.
• Ensure employees follow proper personal hygiene, handwashing, PPE, protective clothing, and GMP requirements.
• Immediately report food safety concerns, product contamination, deviations, or potential non-conforming product to Quality Assurance and management.
• Assist with investigations, corrective actions, preventive actions, and root-cause analysis when food safety or quality issues occur.
• Support SQF audits and inspections by maintaining an audit-ready production environment.
• Ensure production records and food safety documentation are completed accurately, legibly, and in a timely manner.
• Never allow production to continue when there is a known food safety or quality concern that requires investigation or management direction.

3. Quality Control

• Ensure products are manufactured according to established specifications and customer requirements.
• Work closely with Quality Assurance and Food Science to identify and correct quality issues.
• Monitor critical production steps and required quality checks.
• Ensure employees understand product specifications and quality expectations.
• Prevent the release or use of materials or products that do not meet established requirements.
• Assist with product holds, deviations, rework, and non-conforming product procedures.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented and maintained.

4. Employee Supervision & Development

• Provide clear direction and expectations to production employees.
• Train employees on SOPs, GMPs, food safety requirements, equipment operation, quality standards, and job responsibilities.
• Verify that employees are properly trained before assigning them to tasks requiring specific qualifications.
• Coach employees when performance, safety, quality, attendance, or conduct concerns arise.
• Recognize employees who demonstrate strong performance, teamwork, safety, and food safety practices.
• Conduct or assist with employee performance evaluations.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Address employee concerns promptly and communicate significant issues to management.
• Maintain appropriate documentation of training, coaching, and corrective actions.

5. Safety

• Maintain a safe working environment and ensure employees follow all company safety procedures.
• Conduct routine observations of production areas to identify unsafe conditions or behaviors.
• Ensure employees use required PPE and operate equipment safely.
• Immediately address unsafe behavior or conditions.
• Report workplace injuries, near misses, and safety concerns according to company procedures.
• Support safety training and continuous improvement initiatives.

6. Sanitation & GMP

• Ensure production areas remain clean, organized, and audit-ready throughout the shift.
• Verify employees complete required cleaning and sanitation activities.
• Ensure equipment and production areas are properly cleaned between products and production runs.
• Monitor compliance with sanitation procedures and cleaning schedules.
• Ensure chemicals and cleaning supplies are properly identified, stored, and used.
• Address GMP violations immediately and document issues when required.

7. Documentation & Recordkeeping

• Ensure production records are completed accurately and in real time.
• Review batch records, production paperwork, checklists, and other required documentation for completeness and accuracy.
• Ensure deviations, downtime, waste, rework, holds, and other production issues are properly documented.
• Maintain accurate employee training records and verify required training is completed.
• Ensure documentation is completed in accordance with SQF and company recordkeeping requirements.
• Never allow employees to falsify, backdate, or improperly complete production or food safety records.

8. Equipment & Maintenance

• Monitor equipment performance and report maintenance needs promptly.
• Coordinate with Maintenance to minimize production downtime.
• Ensure employees operate equipment according to approved procedures.
• Ensure equipment issues that could affect food safety or product quality are immediately communicated to Quality Assurance and management.
• Verify equipment is properly cleaned and ready for production following maintenance activities.

9. Communication & Shift Management

• Conduct shift meetings and communicate production priorities, food safety concerns, quality issues, safety topics, and operational updates.
• Maintain effective communication between shifts.
• Provide accurate shift handoffs regarding production status, equipment issues, employee concerns, product holds, deviations, and unfinished work.
• Escalate significant production, food safety, quality, safety, or employee issues to management promptly.
• Maintain a professional and respectful work environment.

10. Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, employee performance, product quality, food safety, and workplace safety.
• Participate in root-cause analysis and corrective action activities.
• Recommend improvements to SOPs, workflows, equipment, training, and production processes.
• Support company initiatives related to SQF certification and continuous improvement.
• Promote a culture where employees are encouraged to identify problems and suggest solutions.

SQF EXPECTATIONS

The Production Supervisor must demonstrate a strong understanding that food safety is everyone's responsibility.

The successful candidate will:

• Lead by example in following SQF and food safety requirements.
• Maintain an audit-ready production environment.
• Understand the importance of accurate documentation and traceability.
• Immediately communicate food safety concerns.
• Prevent shortcuts that could compromise food safety or product quality.
• Ensure employees understand why food safety procedures are required, not simply how to perform them.
• Support a positive food safety culture through training, coaching, communication, and accountability.
• Participate in SQF audits, internal audits, corrective actions, and food safety initiatives as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Previous supervisory or leadership experience in a food manufacturing or production environment preferred.
• Experience with GMPs, sanitation, food safety, HACCP, or SQF preferred.
• Ability to read and understand production instructions, SOPs, specifications, and safety procedures.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to train, coach, and hold employees accountable.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, or overtime when business needs require.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of food manufacturing experience.
• 5+ years of supervisory experience.
• SQF practitioner, HACCP, PCQI, GMP, or other food safety training.
• Experience with batch production, cook room operations, bottling/packaging, or similar food manufacturing processes.
• Experience with production management systems and electronic recordkeeping.
• Experience participating in SQF or third-party food safety audits.

KEY PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

The Production Supervisor will be evaluated on:

• Food Safety & SQF Compliance
• Production Schedule Performance
• Product Quality
• Employee Training & Development
• Safety Performance
• GMP & Sanitation Compliance
• Documentation Accuracy
• Waste and Production Efficiency
• Teamwork and Communication
• Leadership and Accountability
• Continuous Improvement

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The position requires the ability to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods of time.
• Work in a food manufacturing environment with varying temperatures, noise levels, and production conditions.
• Frequently bend, stoop, reach, and move throughout production areas.
• Lift and move materials as required by the position.
• Wear required PPE and protective clothing.
• Safely navigate production, warehouse, and storage areas.

CORE LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

The Production Supervisor is expected to be a working leader, not simply an overseer. The supervisor should be visible on the production floor, understand the work being performed, identify problems early, and help employees succeed.

The Production Supervisor should consistently demonstrate:

Safety First • Food Safety First • Quality • Accountability • Communication • Teamwork • Coaching • Continuous Improvement

Employees should understand what is expected of them, have the training and resources necessary to succeed, and be held accountable when standards are not followed.