Production Lead

Production Lead

We are looking for a skilled and proactive Production Lead to join our milk processing plant team. This role is critical in managing day-to-day production operations, ensuring that production targets are met while maintaining quality standards and adhering to safety protocols. The Production Lead will report directly to the Production Supervisor and play a key role in optimizing workflow and leading the production team.

This individual will assist in the daily needs of the Production Department:

• Direct and oversee sanitation activities to guarantee that equipment cleanliness and periodic cleaning criteria are consistently met.
• Ensure adherence to both internal and regulatory requirements, maintaining our high standards.
• Utilize statistical process control tools to monitor, assess, and fine tune operating parameters effectively.
• Complete designated Corrective Actions in a timely and resource efficient manner.
• Provide motivational leadership and clear direction to your team.
• Implement approved corrections to System SOPs, SSOPs, and the Sanitation Program.
• Deliver accurate inventory and constructive feedback to the Logistics function.
• Monitor and uphold safety SOPs, ensuring a secure working environment in accordance with OSHA regulations.
• Foster positive employee relations through coaching and development initiatives.
• Cultivate team-oriented and efficient staff, enhancing collaboration and engagement.
• Create a dynamic environment that encourages employee involvement and innovative ideas for process improvements.
• Utilize shift pass down meetings and plant meetings to communicate progress, share objectives, and invite suggestions from team members.
• Ensure employees receive adequate training, materials, and resources to enhance their understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
• Undertake additional tasks and responsibilities as delegated.

Education:

• Required: High School Education or Equivalent
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree in Dairy science, Engineering, Business Management, or related field

Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in the dairy food industry within a production setting.
• Minimum 2 years of experience managing personnel in a highly diverse and dynamic work environment

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proficiency in a variety of computer software applications, particularly Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective prioritizing, organizing, and time management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead people and get results through others.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible, execute plans, strategies and achieve desired results.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively to achieve defined goals on time.
• Demonstrated ability to balance and achieve positive results in the areas of safety, quality, productivity, cost, and employee relations.
• Experience solving problems, analyzing information, highlighting relevant information and suggesting appropriate actions.
• Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent changes, delays or unexpected events.
• Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully
• Ability to anticipate and solve problems, act decisively and persist in the face of obstacles.
• Improves working conditions (safety, quality, productivity, cost) and increases subordinates' skills and capabilities.

Physical Requirements:

• Excessive ascending and/or descending of ladders and stairs using feet and legs and/or hands and arms on a regular basis. Body agility is emphasized.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for short distances on a regular basis.
• Repetitive motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time on concrete.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist on a regular basis.
• Reaching: Extending hands and arms in any direction.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees occasionally.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Lifting: Able to lift up to 50lbs on an occasional basis and up to 100lbs rarely.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Includes activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Subject to up to at least 92db's.
• Subject to extreme heat: Temperatures above 100 degrees.
• Subject to environmental conditions as activities occur both inside and outside.
• There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard above the ambient noise level.

Equipment Operated:

• A diverse array of advanced systems, including Separators, UF, RO, NF Membrane systems, HTST, Evaporators, Dryers, as well as Bagging and Bulk Bagging equipment, Palletizers, Scales, CIP systems, and various analytical and technical tools.