Position Summary
The Tender Production Manager is responsible for the overall performance of the tender operation, including tender cutting and tender grading departments. This role owns end-to-end execution of product quality, customer specifications, training effectiveness, hourly employee performance, labor efficiency, and overtime control.
The Production Manager is accountable for ensuring that product leaving the tender grader is verified and confirmed to meet customer specifications, and that quality ownership does not stop at automation or equipment. This role will also design, implement, and manage performance-based incentive programs to drive accountability, consistency, and engagement across hourly employees and supervisors.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong floor presence, disciplined labor planning, and the ability to reset expectations, training, and performance culture.
Key Responsibilities
Department Leadership & Ownership
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Own daily operations of the Tender Cutting and Tender Grader departments, including safety, quality, productivity, labor, and employee performance.
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Provide strong floor presence and visible leadership during production.
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Establish and enforce clear expectations for supervisors and hourly employees.
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Drive a culture of accountability, standard work, and continuous improvement.
Quality & Customer Specification Compliance
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Ensure tenders meet all customer size, weight, trim, and specification requirements.
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Oversee consistent execution of cutting standards across medium and jumbo tenders.
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Ensure graded product is verified and not assumed to be in spec solely based on grader output.
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Partner with Quality Assurance to analyze defects, customer complaints, rework, and non-conformance trends.
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Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions related to cutting, grading, sizing, yield, and verification.
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Maintain and enforce SOPs aligned with current customer specifications.
Tender Grader Department Oversight & Verification
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Own staffing, training, and performance of the Tender Grader Department.
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Establish verification, audit, and escalation processes to confirm graded product meets specifications.
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Ensure grading equipment is treated as a process tool, not final quality approval.
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Monitor grader accuracy, drift, and variability; ensure recalibration, retraining, and corrective action.
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Implement layered quality checks involving supervisors and QA.
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Ensure hourly employees understand that quality responsibility continues beyond the grader.
Training & Standardization
- Develop, implement, and maintain structured training and certification programs for all hourly employees.
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Establish standard work and certification requirements for:
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Medium tender cutting
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Jumbo tender cutting
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Tender grading and verification procedures
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Ensure new hires are trained and certified within defined timelines.
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Conduct routine audits to verify training effectiveness and adherence to standards.
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Retrain employees based on performance trends, quality issues, or process changes.
Hourly Performance Management
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Define and communicate clear, measurable performance expectations.
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Ensure supervisors actively coach, correct, and document hourly performance.
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Address underperformance promptly through retraining, reassignment, or corrective action.
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Reinforce that quality, verification, labor discipline, and adherence to standard work are non-negotiable.
Supervisor Development & Accountability
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Directly manage and develop front-line supervisors and team leaders.
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Hold supervisors accountable for:
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Training completion and certification
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Quality and specification compliance
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Verification and audit execution
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Labor scheduling and overtime control
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Hourly performance management
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Coach supervisors on leadership, communication, and accountability.
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Escalate or replace supervision that does not meet expectations.
Labor Planning, Scheduling & Overtime Control
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Own labor planning and scheduling for both tenders cutting and tender grader departments.
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Develop labor schedules aligned with production plans, product mix, and staffing levels.
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Actively manage and reduce overtime while maintaining quality, safety, and service.
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Identify and address root causes of overtime, including:
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Inefficient scheduling or line balance
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Training gaps and lack of cross-training
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Quality rework or verification failures
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Attendance or staffing challenges
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Hold supervisors accountable for schedule adherence and proactive labor management.
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Ensure overtime is planned, approved, justified, and continuously improved not habitual.
Incentive Program Development & Management
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Design, implement, and manage performance-based incentive programs for hourly employees and supervisors.
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Ensure incentive metrics are aligned with:
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Customer specification compliance
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Post-grader verification and audit adherence
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Yield improvement and waste reduction
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Training and certification completion
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Labor efficiency and overtime reduction
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Safety and attendance
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Partner with HR, QA, and Finance to ensure incentive plans are measurable, fair, and sustainable.
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Monitor incentive effectiveness and adjust metrics to drive desired behaviors.
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Ensure incentives reward doing the job right, not just producing volume.
Production Planning & Execution
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Execute daily and weekly production plans to meet volume, service, and delivery requirements.
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Balance labor and throughput without compromising quality or safety.
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Adjust processes in real time to manage raw material variability.
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Coordinate with maintenance to ensure equipment readiness and reliability.
Continuous Improvement
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Lead improvement initiatives focused on:
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Cutting and grading consistency
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Yield improvement and waste reduction
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Verification effectiveness
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Labor efficiency and overtime reduction
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Use data and KPIs to measure performance and drive improvement.
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Partner cross-functionally with QA, Maintenance, Procurement and Safety
Food Safety & Safety Compliance
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Ensure compliance with GMPs, SQF, and sanitation standards.
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Enforce all safety policies and maintain a safe work environment.
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Support internal and external audits and corrective actions.
Metrics, Reporting & Communication
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Track and report KPIs including:
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Customer spec compliance (% on-spec tenders)
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Post-grader defect and rework rates
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Yield, trim loss, and waste
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Training and certification completion
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Labor efficiency and overtime %
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Safety and food safety performance
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Lead daily production meetings and shift handoffs.
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Communicate performance, issues, and corrective action plans to leadership.
Qualifications
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5+ years of experience in food manufacturing or protein processing.
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2+ years in a production leadership or management role.
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Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
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Experience using factory production or efficiency tracking systems (such as Redzone) a plus
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Strong knowledge of GMPs and food safety standards.
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Proven experience leading hourly teams in a high-volume environment.
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Demonstrated success building training systems and improving performance.
Preferred Qualifications
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Poultry or meat processing experience.
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Experience with cut-to-spec products and grading systems.
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Experience developing or managing incentive-based performance programs.
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Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement experience.
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Candidate must successfully pass post-offer/pre-employment drug and background screen.
Holly Poultry, Inc. and its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
