Job Summary
The Shift General Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, coordination, and execution of all manufacturing operations during the assigned shift. As the senior operational leader on the shift, this position provides visible, hands-on leadership across Production, Quality, Maintenance, Warehouse, Sanitation, and other support functions to ensure the safe, efficient, and compliant production of high-quality products.
The Shift General Manager is accountable for delivering daily operational results by achieving safety, food safety, quality, service, labor, throughput, cost, and customer objectives. This role drives employee engagement, develops frontline leaders, removes operational barriers, and creates a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Shift Leadership & Employee Development
- Serve as the senior operational leader for the assigned shift, providing direction and leadership across all manufacturing functions.
- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop Production Team Leaders and hourly employees to achieve operational excellence.
- Establish clear performance expectations while promoting accountability, teamwork, and employee engagement.
- Conduct performance evaluations, employee coaching, corrective action, recognition, and succession planning.
- Support employee development through training, cross-training, and leadership development opportunities.
- Promote open communication and foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive work environment.
2. Production & Operations Management
- Direct daily manufacturing operations to safely achieve production schedules, customer requirements, and operational objectives.
- Monitor production flow, staffing levels, equipment performance, and material availability while adjusting resources to meet changing business needs.
- Coordinate priorities among Production, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, Planning, Sanitation, and Engineering to maximize operational efficiency.
- Monitor schedule attainment and implement recovery plans when production targets are at risk.
- Ensure production documentation, labor reporting, downtime tracking, and operational records are completed accurately and timely.
3. Safety Leadership
- Champion a culture where employee safety is the highest operational priority.
- Ensure compliance with all OSHA regulations, company safety policies, lockout/tagout procedures, PPE requirements, and safe work practices.
- Conduct routine safety observations, audits, inspections, and employee safety meetings.
- Lead investigations of incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions utilizing root cause analysis methodologies.
- Ensure corrective actions are implemented, communicated, and sustained.
4. Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance
- Ensure all products are manufactured in compliance with FDA regulations, FSMA, SQF requirements, HACCP programs, GMPs, sanitation requirements, allergen controls, and company quality standards.
- Partner with the Quality department to investigate product quality concerns, deviations, customer complaints, and food safety incidents.
- Ensure production teams immediately identify, contain, communicate, and escalate food safety or quality concerns.
- Support customer audits, FDA inspections, SQF certification activities, and internal audits while maintaining continuous audit readiness.
- Reinforce food safety culture through daily coaching and leadership.
5. Operational Performance & Throughput
- Own shift performance for safety, quality, service, labor, efficiency, and cost.
- Monitor throughput, labor productivity, schedule attainment, OEE, downtime, changeovers, first-pass quality, waste, and equipment utilization.
- Identify production bottlenecks and coordinate cross-functional resources to quickly resolve operational issues.
- Drive daily execution of production plans while balancing labor, equipment, and material constraints.
6. Financial Performance & Cost Management
- Manage labor utilization, staffing levels, overtime, and departmental operating costs.
- Identify opportunities to reduce waste, overfill, rework, packaging loss, downtime, and inefficiencies.
- Monitor inventory accuracy and material utilization while minimizing product loss.
- Support budget objectives through disciplined resource management and continuous operational improvements.
7. Continuous Improvement
- Lead Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, productivity, waste reduction, and employee engagement.
- Utilize root cause analysis methodologies including 5-Why, Fishbone, and structured problem solving to eliminate recurring issues.
- Standardize successful improvements and ensure sustainability through updated procedures, training, and accountability.
- Encourage employee involvement in identifying opportunities for operational improvement.
8. Communication & Performance Management
- Conduct shift startup meetings, production reviews, safety discussions, and shift handoff meetings.
- Monitor key performance indicators including Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Productivity, OEE, Labor Efficiency, Waste, Downtime, and Schedule Attainment.
- Communicate operational performance and business priorities to employees and leadership.
- Escalate unresolved issues promptly while maintaining ownership through resolution.
- Collaborate with Plant Leadership to develop action plans that improve plant performance.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Directly supervises Team Leaders, and hourly production employees.
- Provides functional leadership to Quality, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Sanitation personnel during assigned shift operations.
- Responsible for interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, evaluating performance, rewarding, disciplining, and developing employees.
- Plans, assigns, and directs work while ensuring accountability for safety, quality, productivity, and operational excellence.
- Builds leadership capability within frontline supervisors and team leaders.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, Food Science, Manufacturing, or a related field preferred.
- Equivalent combination of education and manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
Experience
- Minimum of 7 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
- Minimum of 5 years of supervisory or management experience within food manufacturing.
- Experience in refrigerated, ready-to-eat food manufacturing preferred.
- Experience managing multiple production departments and cross-functional teams.
- Demonstrated success improving safety, productivity, quality, and employee engagement.
Knowledge & Skills
- Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and operational excellence.
- Working knowledge of FDA regulations, FSMA, HACCP, GMPs, SQF, sanitation, allergen management, and food manufacturing operations.
- Strong leadership, coaching, conflict resolution, organizational, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Pay: $120,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
