The Processing Supervisor, based in Vineland, New Jersey, reports to the Production Manager. This role involves supervising hourly processing employees (Batchers, Assistant Batchers, Relief Batchers, and Press Operators), scheduling and assigning workloads, and maintaining close communication with production to address and prevent issues affecting product quality and safety. The supervisor will also provide coaching, training, and guidance to foster a food safety culture within the department, review and revise Processing SOPs, and conduct HACCP monitoring and facility inspections.
Primary Responsibilities:
Provide shift-focused supervision to Processing Associates.
Understand blending processes related to ingredients, weights, mixing, process flow, and analytical checks.
Communicate daily production schedules, key issues, and challenges to Processing Associates.
Complete ingredient and raw material inventory.
Supervise product production during shifts, ensuring good manufacturing practices, quality, and safety standards.
Identify and resolve problems or bottlenecks in processing.
Document, analyze, and trend data on batching, ingredient waste, maintenance issues, safety issues, employee issues, and other incidents.
Implement food quality and safety standards, laws, good manufacturing practices, training, and continuous improvement.
Ensure availability of processing resources (materials, equipment, people) to maintain production schedules.
Identify and document skills, performance opportunities, learning needs, and attendance of each processing associate, providing routine training.
Ensure all associates, including temporary employees, are consistently trained in required standards and expectations.
Maintain a clean, safe, and positive work environment.
Manage processing performance against plant goals in safety, quality, cost, and waste.
Develop and implement safe work practices with the management team to achieve zero recordable and lost time accidents.
Exhibit strong interpersonal skills and work well with everyone.
Apply policies, procedures, and discipline fairly and consistently.
Enforce food safety and quality standards as per SQF and regulations of major vendors and governmental agencies (OSHA, FDA, EPA), ensuring associates are trained and compliant.
Promote a culture of food safety and quality.
Taste test products as needed, up to a couple of ounces per test.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Manage 4-10 employees.
Recruit, select, orient, and train employees; maintain a safe, secure, and legal work environment; develop personal growth opportunities.
Communicate job expectations; plan, monitor, and assess job results; coach and counsel employees; develop, coordinate, and enforce systems, procedures, and productivity standards.
Establish strategic goals; identify and evaluate trends; choose a course of action; define objectives; evaluate outcomes.
Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Be detail-oriented and able to multi-task.
Have excellent time management skills.
Knowledge, Training, and Experience:
Associate's Degree in Production or Engineering or related field, or equivalent work experience.
Five years of production manufacturing experience required; food manufacturing preferred.
Three years of supervisory experience in a food manufacturing environment.
Supervisory experience in a union environment is a plus.
Working knowledge of batching and CIP equipment and systems.
Working knowledge of food safety and quality standards and regulations (e.g., SQF, environmental and safety regulations).
Proficiency in English (read, write, speak); excellent written, oral, and listening skills.
Knowledge of regulations of major vendors and governmental agencies (FDA, OSHA, EPA).
Basic mathematical skills for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, combined with analytical skills for tracking and trending data to guide decisions and communications.
Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Ability to facilitate cross-functional teams.
Ability to effectively present information to top management.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.