Production Manager - K9 & Kin

About the Role

As K9 & Kin continues to grow, we are seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations at our pet food production facility. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence while fostering a culture centered on safety, quality, food safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Reporting to the Complex Manager, you will provide leadership for all production operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective manufacturing while developing a high-performing workforce. Working closely with Maintenance, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Warehouse, Planning, and Procurement teams, you will help achieve production objectives and support the continued growth of the organization.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manufacturing Operations Leadership: Lead day-to-day production operations to safely achieve manufacturing goals while ensuring efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Team Development & Engagement: Build, coach, and develop supervisors and production team members. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, engagement, and professional growth.
• Safety, Quality & Compliance: Promote and maintain the highest standards of safety, food safety, quality, GMP compliance, and regulatory adherence across all operations.
• Continuous Improvement: Champion Lean Manufacturing principles and operational excellence initiatives to improve productivity, efficiency, and plant performance.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Maintenance, Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Warehouse, Planning, and Procurement teams to optimize production performance and support business objectives.

Who You Are

• Experience: You have progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including leading supervisors and production teams in a food, feed, pet food, animal nutrition, or similarly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Education: A bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, Agriculture, Business, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• Leader: You are a hands-on leader with strong team-building abilities and a passion for developing people and building high-performing teams.
• Problem Solver: You demonstrate sound decision-making, organizational skills, and the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: You have experience improving operational performance through Lean Manufacturing and other process improvement methodologies.
• Collaborator: You build strong relationships across departments and communicate effectively to align teams around shared goals.
• Technical Capability: You are proficient with manufacturing systems and Microsoft Office applications and understand food safety, quality systems, and GMP requirements.

Working Conditions

This role is primarily based within a manufacturing environment and requires regular interaction with production, warehouse, maintenance, and quality teams. The position may involve extended periods on the production floor and exposure to manufacturing conditions.

About the Company

K9 & Kin is a family-owned, U.S.-based pet food company built to develop, produce, and support a diverse portfolio of high-quality pet nutrition brands across multiple segments of the industry. Our platform is designed to serve the unique needs of the farm, feed, and specialty retail channels, delivering products that balance performance, value, and trust.

Being family-owned shapes how we operate. We take a long-term view, value relationships over transactions, and hold ourselves accountable to the same standards we expect from our partners. We collaborate closely with retailers and suppliers who share our commitment to reliability, transparency, and sustainable growth.

Above all, we are driven by a simple goal: to produce pet food people can trust, from a company they enjoy doing business with.

K9 & Kin Offers

• Competitive compensation package
• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits with eligibility from the date of hire
• 401(K) with company match
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy
• Company-paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Company-paid Life Insurance
• Professional development opportunities
• A collaborative and dynamic work environment

K9 & Kin is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate applicants based on their qualifications and experience, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Employment is subject to verification of credentials, reference checks, and a pre-employment drug screening and background check.

Only qualified candidates will be contacted.