Production Supervisor
superior skilled tradesHackettstown (NJ)
About the role
Production Supervisor Superior Skilled Trades is seeking an experienced Production Supervisor for a direct-hire opportunity with a growing food manufacturing operation in Hackettstown, NJ. This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for overseeing production personnel, maintaining operational standards, and ensuring safe, efficient, and consistent production throughout the assigned shift. The ideal candidate will have previous manufacturing leadership experience along with food manufacturing experience and be comfortable maintaining a strong presence on the production floor. Schedule MondayFriday with some weekend requirements Minimum of 45 hours per week, which may fluctuate based on production needs Exact schedule will be assigned by the Plant Manager and may change based on departmental and operational needs Full-time, onsite position
Key Responsibilities:
- Production & Shift Leadership
- Lead daily manufacturing activities for the assigned shift
- Communicate production schedules, priorities, and expectations to operators and production leads
- Monitor production output, downtime, scrap, labor utilization, and workflow throughout the shift
- Ensure employees follow established work instructions, SOPs, and production standards
- Identify performance gaps and take immediate corrective action
- Oversee proper equipment startup, production changeovers, and shutdown procedures
- Escalate unresolved production or operational issues to management
- Maintain consistent execution of production goals and expectations
- Team Leadership & Accountability
- Directly supervise production operators and team leads
- Maintain accountability for employee attendance, conduct, productivity, GMP compliance, and overall performance
- Coach, train, and provide ongoing performance feedback to employees
- Assist with onboarding and training new production employees
- Develop employees and reinforce performance expectations
- Ensure accurate and complete shift-to-shift handoff communication
- Partner with management and HR regarding performance concerns and disciplinary actions when necessary
- Safety, Food Safety & Quality
- Enforce company safety policies, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food safety requirements, and quality standards
- Ensure employees properly utilize required PPEIdentify and immediately address unsafe behaviors or working conditions
- Support QA requirements and production responsibilities associated with food safety programs
- Ensure production records and documentation are completed accurately and on time
- Assist with investigations, corrective actions, and process deviations
- Work closely with QA while respecting QA authority regarding food safety verification and product hold/release decisions
- Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
- Maintain clean, organized, and inspection-ready production areas
- Support initiatives designed to reduce downtime, scrap, and production waste
- Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend improvement opportunities
- Reinforce standardized processes and consistent operating practices
- Support implementation of new procedures, process improvements, and operational changes
- Monitor key production metrics, including safety, quality, labor utilization, output attainment, downtime, waste, and attendance
- Cross-Functional Coordination
- Work closely with Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Sanitation teams
- Proactively communicate equipment problems, production risks, and operational concerns
- Ensure required materials, personnel, and equipment are available to meet production requirements
- Support equipment troubleshooting and production recovery efforts
- Coordinate resources to minimize production interruptions and downtime
Qualifications:
- RequiredHigh school diploma or equivalent
- Previous manufacturing leadership/supervisory experience
- Previous food manufacturing experience
- Experience supervising production employees in a manufacturing environment
- Working knowledge of GMPs and food safety requirements
- Strong leadership, communication, and employee-accountability skills
- Ability to understand and work with production KPIs and performance metrics
- Ability to identify and troubleshoot operational issues in real time
- Basic computer skills and experience completing production documentation
- PreferredExperience leading teams in a high-volume, fast-paced food production environment
- Experience monitoring labor utilization, production output, downtime, scrap, and waste
- Experience working cross-functionally with QA, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Sanitation
- Previous experience supporting continuous-improvement initiatives
- Work Environment
- This is an active, hands-on production-floor leadership position. Candidates must be comfortable:
- Standing and walking for extended periods
- Working around heat, noise, moving machinery, and active production equipment
- Wearing required PPE while in production areas
- Maintaining an active presence on the production floor for the majority of the shift
- Working a flexible schedule based on production and operational requirements
What We're Looking For:
We're seeking a strong floor leader, not someone who manages solely from an office. The successful Production Supervisor will be comfortable holding employees accountable, responding quickly to production issues, enforcing safety and food-quality standards, and keeping the shift focused on production goals. This individual will take ownership of safety, quality, labor performance, output, downtime response, waste reduction, attendance, and overall shift execution while developing a productive and accountable manufacturing team. This is a Direct Hire opportunity through Superior Skilled Trades. INDH
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