Production Manager

Company Profile:
At we make it deliciously simple to eat well and feel good everyday.We are guided by a Mediterranean heritage thats beenperfecting how to eat and live for four thousand years. We prioritizeauthenticity curiosity and the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. Weare working towards somethingbig together.

At CAVA Foods we love what we do and we manufactureevery product to be as fulfilling as the our manufacturing center we are looking for fanatics in food who takepride in our products and are ready to ensure every CAVA Restaurant and retailpartner receives products that uphold the high-quality standards of ourbrand.

We foster a culture built on five corevalues:

Generosity First : We lead with kindness. Our best workhappens when we act in of others.

ConstantCuriosity: We are eager tolearn grow and explore beyond the obvious.

Actwith Agility: We welcomechange; its the only constant. We embrace adjust adapt.

Passionfor Positivity: We greet each daywith warmth and possibility.

CollectiveAmbition: We have highaspirations that are achieved when we work together with a shared purpose.

Senior Production Manager

The Senior Production Manager leads and develops theproduction organization across all departments - Ingredient Preparation Batching PackagingHigh-Pressure Processing and Casing - ensuring safe efficient andhigh-quality systems that consistently meet daily goals. Acting as theoperational bridge between production execution and plant-level strategy thisrole demonstrates CAVA Foods core objectives in plant safety product qualityfood safety and employee culture and development.

Success in this role is defined by consistent achievement ofproduction targets measurable improvements in yield labor efficiency andprocess uptime and the successful execution of improvement projects withquantifiable cost savings. The Senior Production Manager fosters strongcross-functional collaboration and cultivates a culture of engagementownership and continuous improvement empowering and developing a productionteam that brings Heart Health and Humanity to Food every day.

What Youll Do:

Lead & Develop Production Operations

• Oversee all production activities from Ingredient Prep Batching Packaging HPP and Casing ensuring schedule adherence safety compliance and product quality.
• Provide direct leadership and guidance to Production Manager and Supervisors across all shifts and departments.
• Partner cross-functionally with FSQA Maintenance Supply Chain Inventory Control and Warehousing to ensure seamless execution of production plans and alignment with business priorities.
• Translate plant objectives into clear measurable goals and performance metrics for each operational area.

Drive Continuous Improvement & Project Execution

• Lead site-level initiatives to improve operational performance eliminate waste and strengthen process reliability.
• Implement Lean and Six Sigma tools including but not limited to 5 Whys Fishbone Kaizen and SMED to reduce changeover time and optimize line efficiency.
• Manage key production system improvement projects from conception through implementation coordinating with cross-functional teams to ensure deliverables timelines and budgets are met.
• Analyze production and downtime data to identify improvement opportunities and track ROI on implemented changes.
• Collaborate closely with Maintenance Engineering and People & Cutlure teams to ensure that processes systems equipment and people work together effectively to sustain high automation performance and operational reliability across the facility.

Champion Quality & Food Safety

• Partner with FSQA to ensure compliance with FDA State and BRC requirements.
• Model and reinforce Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and maintain audit readiness across all production areas.
• Drive a proactive quality mindset through training documentation and accountability systems.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented and validated for effectiveness.

Develop High-Performing Teams

• Coach and develop Production Managerssupervisors and team members to strengthen leadership capabilities and succession readiness.
• Build a culture of engagement ownership and accountability across all teams.
• Promote cross-training and knowledge sharing to increase flexibility and resilience.
• Lead by example modeling CAVAs mission values competencies and safety-first culture.

Operational Planning & Performance

• Oversee resource allocation labor efficiency and shift optimization to meet production demand.
• Partner with Supply Chain Inventory Control and Warehousing to ensure material readiness and minimize downtime.
• Develop and maintain KPI dashboards to monitor production performance waste and automation efficiency.
• Support the Senior Plant Manager with budget development capital project execution and strategic initiatives.
• Lead daily and weekly production review meetings to assess progress align priorities and close performance gaps.

The Qualifications:

• Experience: 510 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing with at least 35 years in a production management leadership role.
• Education: Preferred Bachelors degree in Operations Management Food Science Industrial Engineering or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and develop multiple layers of management and cross-functional production teams.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of food manufacturing systems batching filling and packaging operations with hands-on experience in high-automation environments.
• Food Safety Knowledge: Solid understanding of food safety regulations and HACCP standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Skilled in Lean Manufacturing Six Sigma Kaizen SMED and root cause analysis. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional CI initiatives that drive measurable results.
• Project Management: Experienced in managing capital and process improvement projects including scope development budgeting timeline management and execution tracking.
• Regulatory: Deep understanding of GFSI standards (BRC or SQF) FDA and VDACS regulations combined with a proactive approach to compliance and audit readiness.
• Systems Skills: Proficiency in ERP systems production scheduling and data analytics (Excel Power BI or equivalent).
• Soft Skills: Excellent communication decision-making and problem-solving skills with a track record of driving collaboration across departments.
• Bilingual: English/Spanish preferred.

What we offer:

CAVARestaurant Meal Benefit: M-F Employee meal covered 100% Guest 50% off!

Competitivesalary plus bonus and long-term incentives*

EarlyWage Access!

UnlimitedPTO paid parental leave plus paid opportunities to give back to the community

HealthDental Vision Telemedicine Pet Insurance plus more!

401kenrollment with CAVA contribution

Company-paidSTD LTD Life and AD&D coverage for salaried positions*

Casualwork environment

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available.

The posting range is an all cash range.