Production Manager Fondu (TLC)

You know our brands, The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Boursin, Kaukauna, Merkts and Price's, which elicit smiles across America. They are daring, responsible and deliver dairy goodness. As you imagine, this mindset is contagious! Bel Brands USA is part of an international family company, which has led an ambitious growth strategy for 150 years and is today the world's third largest branded cheese company. If like our 12,000 employees globally, you want to have an impact in an entrepreneurial and demanding company, and share smiles around the world, dare to live the Bel experience!

Be you. Be ambitious. Be Bel.

Bel Brands USA has been named Chicago's "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" for 10 years in a row. The company is headquartered in Chicago and operates three manufacturing plants in Little Chute, WI, Leitchfield, KY, and Brookings, SD.

 

Job Description Summary

The Manager, Production will direct all the production operations on the Leitchfield site through a team of functional supervisors. This position is responsible for the manufacturing of the finished products while respecting all the legal, and customer requirements. This position is ultimately responsible for approx. 100 employees across multiple shifts.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Demonstrate being a role model for safety —both employee safety and food safety. Ensure team of supervisors demonstrate the same mindset.
• Provide a defined and clear strategy for entire department in line with company objectives.
• Create and manage departmental budget.
• Drive the overall departmental performance including managing KPIs like OEE, recycle and scrap %, first time good %, and labor hours per ton
• Lead the team of supervisors in the development and implementation of departmental policies, procedures and programs.
• Ensure all employees are trained properly
• Drive a continuous improvement mindset throughout the team
• Develop and maintain all necessary reporting tools to assess the department performance.
• Determine production headcount needs and work with HR on staffing plans and priorities. ,
• Exhibit great collaboration within the team and also with supporting departments
• Identify and communicate opportunities for capital investments with supporting business cases

• Performs other duties as assigned by management.
• Follows all Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Follows all safety rules and procedures by working safely and ensuring safety of others.
• Follows all food safety procedures.
• Follows all environmental protocols as applicable to job to prevent pollution to air, land, or water.
• Follows all sanitation procedures and work instructions.
• Follows all continuous improvement actions and rules and best practices.

 

Qualifications and Competencies

• High School Diploma or GED Required.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred. Master’s degree a PLUS.
• Ability to remain professional in all situations.
• 5 years of experience supervising/managing in a manufacturing environment strongly preferred.
• Ability to understand advanced level of cheesemaking/cooking equipment and technology.
• Ability to perform and read Quality/Sanitation tests.
• Requires proficiency in MS Office. 
• SAP experience preferred.
• Requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as well as excellent project management skills. 
• Lean experience a plus. 

 

Performance Expectations:  Confidentiality, quality, accuracy, timeliness, reliability, and thoroughness of work performed; ability to gain the trust and respect of senior management, management team at the facility and employees, maintain the integrity of confidential business and product information; ability to communicate effectively and develop good working relationships with employees at all levels of the company, ability to work with and through others is essential to accomplish goals and objectives of the Company.

 

Working Conditions:  Work is performed in office and manufacturing environments.  Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours and average at least 40 hours a week.  There will be some variation in work hours due to special projects, deadlines and other concerns. Employee is required to frequently stand and walk through the plant and is required to inspect equipment.  There will be infrequent lifting up to 50 lbs., and occasional crawling into confined spaces.  Some travel will be required – US as well as international.  All Safety and Quality guidelines must be adhered to when working in the plant. 

 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that mus