Production Shift Manager - Weekend Nights

At Utz, we're passionate about creating delicious snacks that consumers love while building a workplace where our associates can thrive. As we continue our journey to become the fastest-growing pure-play U.S. snacking company of scale, we're looking for a dynamic Production Manager to help lead our manufacturing operations and inspire high-performing teams.

The Production Shift Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating daily production operations to ensure safety, quality, and efficiency across all shifts. This role serves as a key liaison between production teams and cross-functional departments, aligning staffing strategies and ensuring consistent communication throughout processing and packaging areas.

Requirements:

• Leads, coaches, and develops the Production Supervisor and holds the supervisory team accountable for safety, quality, productivity, and people-related results on the assigned shift.
• Directs daily processing and packaging operations for the assigned shift and serves as the escalation point for production, quality, safety, and personnel issues.
• Executes the production schedule efficiently and maintains quality, adjusting for downtime, equipment issues, staffing gaps, or supply shortages as needed.
• Monitors and analyzes labor hours and crew size needed to efficiently run production lines, and adjusts staffing and line assignments in real time.
• Partners with HR and the Production Manager on interviewing, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, attendance, and corrective action for shift personnel.
• Ensures appropriate training is delivered and documented for all shift personnel to ensure proper job performance and cross-training coverage.
• Ensures production of quality product by ensuring all processing and packaging standards are upheld.
• Develops and implements methods of achieving plant performance and efficiency to meet plant and corporate goals.
• Analyzes and assesses line level performance, drives process improvements, and identifies and reduces waste.
• Manages material usage and waste, including film waste, on assigned lines to support cost initiatives.
• Monitors and analyzes RedZone for packaging and fryer efficiencies, quality checks, and downtime, and ensures root causes of losses are addressed.
• Ensures work orders and preventative maintenance tasks are entered and tracked in EAM, and coordinates with Maintenance and Sanitation to minimize downtime.
• Ensures data integrity and accuracy in the ERP data system through execution and monitoring of production transactions.
• Works with production planning, quality, maintenance, warehouse, and other departments to ensure production attainment and schedule adherence goals are achieved.
• Communicates shift performance, issues, and priorities through shift handoffs and regular updates with the Production Manager and other shift leaders.
• Supports and sustains Integrated Work Systems in the plant to include maintaining and communicating line level KPIs and performance standards.
• Assists with month end inventory counting and ensures inventory accuracy for the assigned shift.
• Responsible for the safety performance of the assigned shift while supporting the culture of safety and health through active engagement with employees and the maintenance of a safe work environment.
• Follows and enforces all GMP and food safety practices and all applicable requirements of the SQF system.
• Follows instructions and training for reporting and escalating food safety problems to appropriate personnel.
• Flexible to work additional shifts and extended hours as needed based on business demand.
• Performs other duties as assigned that impact and support the overall outcome of the company and department objectives.

Requirements:

• Flexible to work across both weekend shifts as needed based on demand.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and interpersonal skills to lead, motivate, and develop supervisors and teams.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of food safety practices, GMPs, and SQF requirements.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, including under pressure.
• Ability to assess performance data and implement process improvements.
• Effective delegation and follow-up to ensure task completion and accountability.
• Competency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Ability to lift moderately heavy materials and perform occasional physical tasks such as skid pulling
• Attention to detail, organizational ability, and commitment to quality standards
• Strong commitment to maintaining a safe and compliant work environment

External Recruitment Process:

• Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started.
• Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours.
• Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.