Production Manager

Job Description

The Production Manager plans, organizes, directs, and controls the plant production function across Packaging and Processing. The role translates business priorities into executable operating plans; ensures compliance with food safety, quality, safety, labor, and regulatory requirements; and owns performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, and Sustainability. This leader is expected to understand the economics of the operation, make fact-based tradeoffs, and proactively remove barriers to performance.

What Business Ownership Means in This Role:

·   Own results, not activities: understand the drivers behind performance and close gaps with speed and discipline.

·   Run Packaging and Processing as one integrated value stream, balancing throughput, labor, material flow, maintenance needs, quality, and customer service.

·   Make decisions using data, plant economics, operational risk, and consumer impact.

·   Build strong operating routines so performance is visible, abnormalities are escalated, and actions are completed on time.

·   Develop the organization: create clear expectations, coach leaders, strengthen succession, and hold the team accountable for standards and results.

Key Responsibilities:

KHMS and Operating System Leadership:

·   Lead KHMS as the way the operation is managed, not as a separate initiative. Establish and sustain Daily Management Systems, leader standard work, tiered accountability, visual management, standard work, and structured problem solving.

·   Assess KHMS maturity across Packaging and Processing, identify priority gaps, and build a practical roadmap that strengthens capability and delivers measurable business results.

·   Ensure KPIs, losses, actions, ownership, and due dates are clearly understood at every operating tier.

·   Use PDCA, root-cause analysis, and loss elimination to prevent recurrence rather than repeatedly managing symptoms.

·   Create a culture of continuous improvement in which employees identify abnormalities, solve problems at the right level, and protect standards.

Safety, Food Safety, Quality, and Compliance:

·   Own a zero-loss safety culture through visible leadership, risk identification, timely escalation, corrective action, and consistent adherence to Life Saving Rules and plant safety standards.

·   Ensure all production activities comply with GMPs, SOPs, Kraft Heinz specifications, food safety requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.

·   Lead operational readiness for audits and support the development, execution, and sustainment of corrective actions.

·   Partner with Quality to reduce defects, consumer complaints, rework, holds, giveaway, and repetitive failures through robust problem solving and process control.

·   Maintain high standards for sanitation, housekeeping, product protection, and process discipline.

Operational Performance and Reliability:

·   Own execution of the production plan across roasting/processing and packaging, delivering schedule attainment, service, throughput, yield, labor productivity, and cost targets.

·   Lead daily and weekly operating reviews, identify the critical constraints, and ensure recovery plans are specific, resourced, and time-bound.

·   Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve OEE, strengthen basic equipment care, prioritize planned maintenance, reduce chronic losses, and improve startup reliability.

·   Optimize labor and production schedules based on demand, line capability, changeovers, maintenance requirements, material availability, and cost.

·   Ensure effective shift handoffs, escalation, and cross-functional communication across the 24/7 operation.

Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement:

·   Apply Lean principles and tools to improve flow, eliminate waste, reduce variability, shorten changeovers, stabilize processes, and increase asset utilization.

·   Use value-stream thinking to connect Processing, Packaging, Quality, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Supply Planning decisions.

·   Build a prioritized loss pipeline and convert improvement opportunities into sustained productivity, capacity, quality, and cost results.

·   Coach teams in standard work, 5S, visual management, centerlining, SMED, problem solving, and Kaizen methods.

·   Validate that improvements are embedded in standards, training, ownership, and management routines before benefits are closed.

Financial and Business Management:

·   Own departmental budget performance and explain variances related to labor, overtime, productivity, yield, materials, packaging supplies, product weights, sanitation, and operating losses.

·   Understand conversion cost and the operational levers that influence margin, service, inventory, and working capital.

·   Develop annual operating plans and productivity commitments, track benefits, and take corrective action when performance is off plan.

·   Build clear business cases for capital, resources, and improvement work based on risk, return, capacity, and strategic value.

People and Organization Leadership

·   Lead, coach, and develop production leaders with clear expectations for safety, standards, decision quality, urgency, executive presence, and accountability.

·   Build a high-performance, inclusive team with strong succession plans, technical capability, and ownership at every level.

·   Partner effectively with hourly employees and union leadership while maintaining consistent standards, contractual compliance, and respectful employee relations.

·   Ensure employees are qualified for their roles through structured training, skills development, and verification of capability.

·   Recognize strong performance, address gaps promptly, and create an environment where constructive challenge and problem escalation are expected.

Cross-Functional Leadership

·   Partner with Supply Planning, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, R&D, Procurement, Warehouse, Finance, HR, and suppliers to solve end-to-end business problems.

·   Communicate operational risks, decisions, tradeoffs, and recovery plans clearly to plant and business leadership.

·   Lead change effectively by connecting the reason, operating expectation, capability plan, and accountability required for adoption.

Required Qualifications:

·   Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent relevant manufacturing leadership experience may be considered.

·   Minimum 7 years of progressive manufacturing experience, including significant leadership responsibility

·   Demonstrated experience leading both people and performance across multiple production areas, shifts, or value streams.

·   Strong working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, daily management systems, standard work, structured problem solving, OEE, and loss elimination.

·   Demonstrated ability to manage safety, quality, service, cost, labor, and reliability as an integrated business system.

·   Ability to lead in a 24/7 operating environment and respond to critical business needs outside normal working hours.

Strongly Preferred Qualifications:

·   Hands-on experience implementing or advancing KHMS in a manufacturing operation.

·   Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent record of leading Lean transformation and sustained productivity delivery.

·   Experience in both packaging and processing operations, including high-speed filling, material handling, thermal processing/roasting, or comparable technologies.

·   Experience working in a union manufacturing environment.

·   Financial acumen, including budgeting, variance management, productivity validation, and capital justification.

Role Requirements:

This position is based at the Maxwell House Jacksonville Plant. The role requires regular presence on the production floor and flexibility to support a multi-shift, 24/5 manufacturing operation.

Our Total Rewards philosophy is to provide a meaningful and flexible spectrum of programs that equitably support our diverse workforce and their families and complement Kraft Heinz’ strategy and values.

New Hire Base Salary Range:

$104,200.00 - $130,200.00

Bonus: This position is eligible for a performance-based bonus as provided by the plan terms and governing documents.

The compensation offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors

Benefits: Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs. Coverage for benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.

You’ll be able to participate in a variety of benefits and wellbeing programs that may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors, for example:

• Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments

• Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training

• Emotional – Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs

• Financial – 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

Location(s)

Jacksonville Plant

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for protected individuals, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact NAZTAOps@kraftheinz.com for assistance.