Sr. Production Manager

Spectra Tech, Inc. is hiring for a Sr. Production Manager in Southaven, Mississippi.

Position Summary:
The Senior Production Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of plant production and warehouse operations to ensure safety, efficiency, quality, and food safety standards are met. This role provides day-to-day leadership to Shift Managers, Leads, Operators, and the Warehouse Manager and plays a critical role in continuous improvement efforts and cross-functional collaboration with Maintenance, Quality, Sanitation, R&D, and other departments.

The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, a background in food manufacturing, and experience driving operational excellence through people development, process discipline, and regulatory compliance.

The plant operates on a 12-hour rotating A/B shift schedule:

• A Shift: 3:45 AM - 4:00 PM
• B Shift: 3:45 PM - 4:00 AM

Employees work a 4-day week (Monday-Thursday) one week, followed by a 3-day week (Monday-Wednesday) the next week. While weekends are not required, employees may be scheduled to work on Thursday during their 3-day week if production demands increase.

To maintain safety and product quality, all employees must follow the plant dress code:

• No jewelry of any kind.
• No artificial items that could contaminate products (fake nails, fake eyelashes, etc.).
• Head and beard coverings required.
• Clothing must be free of rips/tears (e.g., no ripped jeans).
• Slip-resistant shoes required (shoe covers provided).

• Company-issued long lab coat and all appropriate PPE will be provided.

Production & Operational Leadership

• Lead daily operations to meet production schedules and efficiency targets while maintaining safety and product quality.
• Drive compliance with HACCP, SQF, GMP, SOPs, and food safety regulations.
• Partner cross-functionally with Warehouse, Maintenance, QC, R&D, and Sanitation to ensure seamless operations and readiness.
• Monitor production KPIs, investigate deviations, and implement corrective actions.
• Address sanitation and GMP issues promptly and maintain a clean and safe work environment.
• Review and submit weekly production reports and updates to senior leadership.
• Support production scheduling, item maintenance, and serve as a backup to the Production Scheduler.
• Support inventory planning and ensure raw materials and packaging are aligned with production needs.

Leadership & People Development

• Directly supervise Shift Managers, Supervisors, Leads, and all Production and Warehouse employees.
• Support hiring, staffing, and headcount planning in partnership with HR.
• Set department goals and assist with individual performance planning and coaching.
• Ensure employees are trained on SQF, food safety, and job responsibilities.
• Foster a culture of safety, engagement, and continuous improvement through effective leadership and communication.
• Participate in safety walks, committee meetings, and incident investigations.

Continuous Improvement & Compliance

• Assist the Continuous Improvement Manager with floor-level implementation of CI projects.
• Support the development and execution of Sanitation procedures and Production SOPs.
• Participate in annual food safety system reviews and contribute to ongoing system updates.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, FDA, EPA, and other regulatory bodies.
• Maintain high ethical standards and professional behavior in all situations.

• Identify and report irregularities, proposing solutions proactively.

• Minimum 7-10 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing or related industry.
• Minimum 3-5 years of direct supervision over production teams, including hourly employees and frontline leadership.
• Experience in planning, budgeting, and working with external vendors and service providers.
• Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred but not required.
• HACCP and SQF certification required or must be obtained within a designated timeframe.
• Strong working knowledge of food processing operations and regulatory requirements (FDA, OSHA, HACCP, SQF, GMP, etc.).
• Proven ability to lead and develop large production teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and production planning systems.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus.