Press Production Manager - MN - 8th Ave Food & Provisions

8th Avenue Food & Provisions is a growing organization made up of businesses that produce and sell quality products including pasta, peanut butter, granola, and fruit and nut trail mixes to retail, foodservice and ingredient customers. The company was formed in October 2018 through a combination of Post Holdings’ private brands businesses and is owned by Post Holdings and funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. (“THL”), a private equity firm.

Position Summary:

The Production Manager position is responsible for guiding a team of leadership and front-line employees to safely meet current production needs, while helping the business prepare for the future. To tackle the issues in the short and long term, our Production Manager leverages analysis of assets, processes, people, and outputs to help the business make improvements and meet customer needs. This role has a strong focus on the technical and leadership development of front-line and supervisory staff and is viewed as the subject matter expert in the development of our people. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform analysis on department equipment and processes; set production goals and develop project plan for department to drive maximized production, minimize waste, and achieve customer needs. In partnership with operations leadership team, leverage trend and gap analysis techniques to drive continuous improvement for capital projects and preventive/predictive maintenance programs
• Demonstrate ownership of department budget by monitoring historical expenses in the areas of: labor, repairs and maintenance, energy management, materials and supplies, and training. Reference technical knowledge, business volume, and critical metrics to set plans that ensure better yield, lower waste, and improved quality to meet customer demand
• Leverage data and changing business needs to identify next-best investments for capital expenses. Partner with Plant Engineering, Operations, Finance, Quality Assurance, Planning, and Human Resources functions to scope/design cross functional projects that reduce costs, increase EBITDA, and improve quality. Provide technical input during project planning and execution phases to mitigate safety, production, and quality risks, while meeting customer demand
• Partners with Quality Assurance function to diagnose issues regarding quality and food safety within the operations group. Leverage trends to tackle repeated issues, and improve product quality for customers
• Responsible for supporting and maintaining food safety and quality programs.
• Partner with the Health & Safety function to proactively identify gaps in employee health and safety programs, methods, and procedures. Use findings and develop strategic approach to improve employee safety within the workplace
• Partner with Plant Manager and Human Resources Manager to identify current state of technical and leadership gaps; prioritize opportunities for improvement of capabilities in front line staff, and develop plan to improve front-line staff through training, process development, process improvement, and experiential learning
• Leverage 5S, lean, and continuous improvement methodologies to drive improved throughput for respective department, while reducing expenses
• Other duties, as assigned

Education and Experience Required:

• High School Diploma or GED Equivalent from an accredited institution and 8+ operations experience
• 5+ years’ experience leading production operations
• Previous experience with advanced Microsoft Excel functions (formula development, pivot tables, VLOOKUP, conditional formatting, text-to-columns)
• Previous experience developing and managing a department budget 
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and extra hours, as needed

Preferred Education, Experience, and Skills:

• Previous experience in a food manufacturing facility
• Previous experience developing capital projects 
• Must be able to handle multiple priorities with professionalism in a fast-paced work environment while maintaining safety and quality

Physical Requirements: Qualified candidates must be able to perform the following physical job requirements, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Must be able to lift up-to 50 pounds 
• Must be able to work in hot, humid, and cold manufacturing environment
• Must be able to work in crowded spaces for 4+ hours per shift
• Must be able to bend and crawl for 4+ hours per shift
• Much be able to crouch, kneel and stoop for 4+ hours per shift
• Must be able to climb ladders for 4+ hours per shift
• Must be able to sit, stand and walk for 6+ hours per shift
• Must be able to perform simple grasping, push, pull, perform fine manipulation, and feel for 6+ hours per shift
• Must be able to make fine distinctions in sound, express and exchange written or spoken word, and distinguish objects and equipment visually