Production Lead

Salary and Details

Salary Range: $22.00 per hour

Benefit Eligible: Yes

Location: Onsite in Mesa, AZ

Shift: 1st Shift (6:00 AM - 2:30 PM)

Classification: Non-exempt, full time

Reports to: Production Manager

Paleovalley and Wild Pastures were born from a simple but radical idea: real food can heal — people, animals, and the planet. When Paleovalley co-founders Autumn and Chas Smith saw how industrialized food was affecting human health and the health of the land, they refused to play along. Autumn’s own journey of healing through nutrient-dense foods lit a fire that became Paleovalley.

From there, the mission grew roots, sprouted wings, and eventually expanded into Wild Pastures to bring regeneratively raised meats directly to families nationwide.

Today, Paleovalley crafts deeply nourishing snacks and supplements made with organic ingredients and honorable sourcing. Wild Pastures connects small American farmers practicing regenerative agriculture with customers who believe better food is worth fighting for. Every product, every partnership, and every decision is guided by a commitment to real ingredients, regenerative practices, and the belief that health is built from the soil up.

We’re a team of grounded doers, curious thinkers, bold builders, and warm humans who like to laugh while doing meaningful work. We re growing quickly, fueled by purpose and a shared desire to repair the food system one thoughtful choice at a time.

If you feel energized by impact, drawn to mission, and ready to join a company rewriting the future of food, we’d love to meet you!

This role is essential to keeping our production floor running smoothly, safely, and with integrity. As a Production Lead, you’ll translate plans into action—guiding people, protecting quality, and ensuring the products we make live up to the trust our customers place in us. Your leadership directly impacts both daily output and the long-term strength of our operations.

• Lead daily production execution by assigning work, setting priorities, and keeping processing and packaging operations on schedule.
• Coordinate people, materials, and equipment to ensure each shift is properly staffed and prepared to meet production goals.
• Enforce GMPs, food safety standards, and SOPs to ensure all products are made safely, accurately, and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Monitor quality throughout production by verifying labels, code dates, weights, seals, and in-process checks, addressing issues in real time.
• Speak up and take action when safety, quality, or process issues arise, escalating concerns to QA, Maintenance, or Production Management as needed.
• Oversee changeovers and line setups to ensure equipment, labelers, and date coders are correctly configured for each run.
• Maintain accurate production documentation including batch records, LOT tracking, downtime logs, and other required paperwork.
• Support and guide a bilingual production team by providing clear direction, answering questions, and reinforcing expectations on the floor.
• Promote a safe, organized, and efficient work environment by enforcing PPE, sanitation standards, and housekeeping practices.
• Collaborate with Production, QA, and Maintenance to resolve issues, improve processes, and keep operations running smoothly.

• At least 1 year of hands-on leadership experience in a food or supplement manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of GMPs and food safety standards, with experience enforcing them on the production floor.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, with the ability to give instructions, correct issues, and answer questions in real time.
• Ability to lead on the floor, including delegating work, speaking up about issues, and holding others accountable.
• Comfort with production documentation, including batch records, logs, and other required paperwork.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including prolonged standing, lifting up to 50 lbs, and working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Flexibility to support business needs, including occasional overtime or weekend work.
• Legally authorized to work in the…