Production Manager

Griffith Foods is the caring, creative product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers while sustaining the planet. As a family business founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA, Griffith Foods is known for true, collaborative innovation guided by their Purpose of "We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World." The company's product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet.

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Production Manager

Avon, OH

$99,901–$166,502 per year plus eligibility for target incentive plan

Custom Culinary, a subsidiary of Griffith Foods, is hiring a Production Manager to lead daily plant operations with a strong focus on Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Sustainability, and Morale. This position oversees all stages of production‑batching, staging, mixing, and packaging‑to ensure efficient, high‑quality output. The Production Manager drives a lean culture, standardizes best practices, leads continuous improvement efforts, and partners cross‑functionally to strengthen operational performance.

This is your opportunity to lead a high‑performing production team, influence key operational outcomes, and shape the culture of a growing facility. You will have the autonomy to drive Continuous Improvement, develop leaders, and directly impact plant safety, quality, and efficiency.

• Executing production operations aligned with the master schedule to meet safety, quality, service, and cost targets
• Leading a culture of teamwork, accountability, and operational excellence across all production shifts
• Ensuring cross‑functional alignment with Safety, Environmental, Quality, R&D, Engineering, and Planning teams
• Championing CI initiatives such as GEMBA walks, Kaizen events, Lean practices, and waste‑reduction projects
• Overseeing employee safety programs, training, incident investigations, and safety observations
• Partnering with Engineering and Maintenance to support capital projects and eliminate process bottlenecks
• Leading the Daily Management System (Tier I–III) and driving clear communication of performance metrics
• Managing KPIs, scorecards, and performance trends; participating in Tier IV business reviews
• Acting as the site’s Autonomous Maintenance SME, leading TPM training and implementation
• Providing leadership and oversight for Production Supervisors and influencing CI Engineering direction
• Maintaining a strong shop‑floor presence (minimum 50% of time)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Food Science, Business, or similar (equivalent: 8 years relevant experience)
• 10+ years manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in a leadership/managerial role
• Demonstrated experience managing high‑volume manufacturing operations (10–12+ million lbs annually)
• Proven track record of improving Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale metrics
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, GEMBA, CI programs, and Daily Management Systems
• Willingness to work onsite in Avon, OH, Monday‑Friday with weekend presence as needed
• Strong capability in KPI analysis, performance reporting, and problem‑solving
• Excel in leading diverse teams and building a culture of trust, accountability, and high performance
• Thrive in a dynamic, high‑volume manufacturing environment
• Communicate effectively across all levels—from operators to senior leadership
• Solve problems through data, root‑cause analysis, and Lean thinking
• Take initiative, anticipate risks, and proactively drive improvements
• Comfortable making decisions and staying hands‑on at the shop‑floor level

• Experience implementing Autonomous Maintenance/TPM programs
• Ability to uncover insights from KPIs to predict and prevent operational issues
• Hands‑on leadership style with a strong frontline presence
• Experience leading major improvement projects or plant expansions
• CI Certifications (Green Belt, Black Belt, TPM Practitioner)

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible…