Production Department Manager

For nearly a century, The Jel Sert Company has focused on creating high-quality, high-value foods and beverages that help bring people together. Jel Sert is proud to have been awarded the Great Place to Work certification, as well as recognized by Fortune as a Great Place to Work in Chicago and a Great Place to Work in Manufacturing and Production. We are currently looking for a passionate and dedicated individual to join our team as a PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT MANAGER. If you are looking for a work environment that encourages personal growth, responsibility, and a shared vision for creating incredible products that help create lasting memories, then Jel Sert wants you!

This newly created role within our manufacturing environment is designed to provide comprehensive training and development. The selected candidate will get the unique opportunity to rotate through our three key manufacturing departments, Blending, Liquid, and Powder, while gaining valuable insights and hands-on experience. Throughout this period, the manager will be trained and mentored by our senior management team, who will offer guidance, support, and expertise to foster professional growth and ensure the manager is well-prepared for their role. This fresh approach will ensure a well-rounded understanding of our production process before the manager is assigned to a specific production department.

The Production Department Manager will manage and coordinate the activities of Jel Sert’s Manufacturing Department to obtain optimum operational efficiency and maximize profits. The Department Manager will respond to all production issues by pursuing and implementing solutions. The manager will follow all production and organizational objectives and be responsible for the Safety, Quality, and Efficiency of production within the department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES may include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Safety awareness and utilize KPA System.
• Compliance with SQF requirements (HACCP, Verification of CCP’s etc.).
• Sanitation and housekeeping.
• Planning of production requirements.
• Departmental Goals, Training, Discipline and Accountability.
• Inventory reporting.
• Development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures.
• New Item Development and Implementation.
• Assist in creating and achieving departmental goals.
• Employee training, discipline and accountability.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a food & beverage manufacturing leadership role.
• Ideal candidate will have experience leading teams, departments, and managing and developing staff.
• Understanding of labor relations and working within a union environment.
• Proven leadership with excellent communication skills.
• Build and sustain successful business relationships, both internally and externally.
• Strong understanding of safety within the manufacturing environment.
• Understanding of quality within manufacturing and supply chain processes, continuous improvement methodologies, and environmental practices.
• Experience in diagnosing manufacturing issues by problem-solving to increase operational efficiencies.
• An associate's degree is preferred.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE and ABILITIES

• Solid knowledge of manufacturing operations.
• Desire to develop your career and grow with a stable company.
• Professional yet strong communication skills, both verbal & written.
• Highly organized, methodical, disciplined, and detail-oriented.
• Effective interpersonal skills with strong problem-solving skills.
• A customer-focused team player with strong planning and organizational skills.
• Utilize leadership and teambuilding skills for employee growth and retention.
• Lead by example, morally and ethically.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred, but not required.

BENEFITS & SALARY

The Jel Sert Company is committed to pay transparency and will provide further compensation information during the interview process. The minimum annual compensation for the Production Department Manager is $116,734. This position is also eligible for the EBIT Bonus program. Compensation is determined by a candidate’s experience, education, skills, training, and the internal equity within our organization. The actual compensation to be paid will be determined upon receipt of an offer. In addition to a competitive compensation package, regular full-time corporate employees of Jel Sert are eligible for our extensive benefits programs that can be reviewed here.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces.
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount and kind of balancing the amount and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Standing: Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound.
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes. In addition to determining the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned, or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Must be able to discern differences between red/green/amber

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Manufacturing environment

• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions, as activities occur both inside and outside.
• The worker is subject to noise: There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout to be heard above the ambient noise level.

ACCOUNTABILITIES CHECKLIST

Planning/ Coordinating/Supervising/ Controlling

• Prioritizes and schedules own work and work of direct reports.
• Checks the quality and timeliness of their own work and that of their direct reports.
• Communicates company programs, policies, and procedures.
• Orients new staff members to departmental policies and procedures.
• Recommends promotions, transfers, demotions, and terminations.
• Maintains discipline and recommends corrective actions.
• Plans and evaluates the performance results of employees.
• Ensures compliance with SQF requirements

FOOD SAFETY and QUALITY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Follow applicable procedures and work instructions.
• Monitor Quality Control Points (QCP) if Applicable QCCP’s.
• Back-up to Sr. Department Manager

IMPACT ON JEL SERT

By leading and providing overall operational direction to Jel Sert’s Manufacturing Department, this job directly supports our commitment to supply safe, high-quality food products to consumers by consistently meeting the requirements of our Food Safety and Quality Systems.