Senior VS Manager

• This role is on-site in Chicago with occasional evening and weekend work required
• This role reports to the VP of Manufacturing

Manufacturing Operations Leadership

• Direct daily manufacturing operations for Queen Anne cordial cherries and other assigned product lines.
• Lead develop and mentor a team of production supervisors line leads and hourly manufacturing employees
• Optimize production planning and scheduling to balance efficiency and service
• Drive equipment reliability and efficiency through partnerships with Engineering Maintenance and 3^rd party contractors

Leadership in Safety and Quality

• Lead by example in Safety Food Safety and our Core Values.
• Champion a zero-incident safety culture; institute safety audits near-miss investigations and root cause analysis to prevent incidents and improve safety performance.
• Maintain rigorous adherence to Food Safety and Quality Management Systems including SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification
• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations HACCP principles FSMA requirements and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) including allergen control programs.
• Partner with Quality Assurance on corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) for quality deviations and customer complaints

Cost Management & Financial Performance

• Own and manage department budget. Including $3MM Labor spend and controlling Material Variance on over 10MM production pounds.
• Drive waste reduction initiatives
• Control labor costs with productivity improvements investing in cross-training and employee engagement keeping a long-term outlook

Service & Customer Focus

• Achieve on-time delivery targets considering holiday season production ramp-up and new emerging seasonal and non-seasonal products

• Manage seasonal workforce planning including hiring training and onboarding; determine and maintain ideal ratio of temporary to full time employees
• Build and lead a high performing team through coaching performance management training & development and succession planning
• Model and promote company core values while fostering an inclusive safe and engaging workplace culture
• Create an environment where employees feel valued empowered and connected to the company mission
• Lead by example through servant leadership collaboration and a commitment to delivering the finest experience

Product Innovation & New Product Introduction

• Partner with R&D Marketing and Sales to commercialize and scale new products
• Evaluate manufacturing feasibility and costing for new products material and packaging changes process and equipment innovations and new technology implementations

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Champion Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles; Lead and champion process improvement projects
• Establish and monitor KPIs including OEE first-pass yield changeover time scrap rate and labor efficiency across product lines
• Maintain or implement 5S workplace organization visual management systems and standard work for complex production processes
• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) for quality issues downtime events and customer complaints
• Identify automation opportunities for various moulding enrobing and packaging processes

Education

• Bachelors degree in Engineering (Mechanical Chemical Industrial or Food Science) Manufacturing Operations Management or related technical field required
• Masters degree (MBA or MS in Engineering) preferred
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt preferred)

Experience

• 5-10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in CPG food production or confectionery industries directly managing salaried and hourly production teams.
• Background in chocolate confectionery or food manufacturing strongly preferred
• FDA-regulated food manufacturing experience with SQF BRC or similar preferred

Skills & Competencies

• Expertise in Lean Manufacturing Six Sigma and continuous improvement methodologies
• Strong understanding of HACCP GMPs FSMA FDA food safety regulations and allergen control programs
• Proficiency with manufacturing ERP systems including ERP (SAP preferred)
• Strong analytical and data analysis skills for use in production and people planning budgeting constraint analysis and problem solving / process improvement.
• Exceptional leadership and people development skills with ability to inspire diverse teams across multiple production areas
• Outstanding communication and collaboration skills
• Project management capabilities with experience leading NPIs packaging automation implementation and process improvement projects
• Financial acumen including labor and material cost management budgeting and modeling
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

Personal Attributes

• Results-driven leader with proven ability to manage complexity and deliver results
• Hands-on visible presence on the manufacturing floor with willingness to engage directly with production challenges
• Customer-focused mindset with appreciation for premium quality and attention to detail
• Change agent with ability to drive continuous improvement while maintaining quality standards
• Collaborative partner who builds strong cross-functional relationships (Quality Maintenance Supply Chain Engineering Marketing etc.)
• Passionate about people and creating a world-class workplace culture

• Base Salary: $140000 - $160000 per year
• Annual Bonus: 10% of base salary based on company and/or individual performance
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Wellness Program
• 401k Matching
• HSA/FSA
• LifeLock Identity Theft Protection
• STD/LTD
• Life Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement