Production Leader; Berkowitz

Job Description

Mars is looking to hire a Production Leader for our state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing plant in Topeka, Kansas! Being a Mars Associate is all about opportunity. The opportunity to do challenging, exciting work that shapes the world’s best‑loved brands. To work with real purpose, supported by talented, friendly people from different backgrounds. Access the tools, training, and experience you need to positively impact our business, the planet, and, most importantly, your career.

Being a Mars associate is more than a job. It’s the opportunity to start your day tomorrow.

As part of our overall total compensation package, Mars offers a competitive benefits package to all associates:
Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance, Short‑ & Long‑Term Disability, and 401k match. Associates are also immediately eligible (based on hire date) for up to three weeks of vacation, 12 Paid Holidays per year, Sick Pay, Maternity & Parental Leave, and annual bonus earning potential, plus many other ancillary benefits not listed here.

The Production Leader is a shift‑based, front‑line operations people leader who efficiently improves Quality, Human Safety, and Product Cost Conversion while Engaging and Developing talent. The Production Leaders are responsible for delivering operational targets and leading teams of, on average, 15 production associates. The Production Leader drives safety, quality, continuous improvement, performance management, associate development, team engagement and operating results for their assigned area through shift‑based leadership of a line or area that exists within a larger Value Stream organization.

This leader will coordinate the short‑term activities of the area within established guidelines and standards to produce the highest quality, lowest cost product most safely and efficiently, while also partnering with the other members of the 24‑hour Area Leadership Team to deliver area continuous improvement and Mars Supply Excellence (MSE) program implementation. The Production Leader is responsible for building an effective team on his/her shift and in his/her area of responsibility and for managing the training strategy for both the individual associates and the team.

This leader will implement and enforce established policy and area and organizational strategies.

• Conversion – Manage the efforts of operating teams of a multi‑line, area, or technology on one shift in efficiently converting materials into quality products in a safe, secure, and sanitary manner within the product design specifications.
• Change Agent – Implement changes in methods, equipment, systems, and organization, as needed, to ensure that the objectives of the line/area are met and give input and recommendations for such changes by using a continuous improvement mindset.
• Mars Supply Excellence – Lead or participate in one or more MSE Pillars;
  Lead and support the implementation of Autonomous Maintenance (AM) and Autonomous Work Teams (AWTs) in area of responsibility;
  Lead key connection points and own reliability data collection accuracy.
• Area Ownership – Collaborate with the rest of the Area Leadership Team (Area Manager or Continuous Improvement Engineer, Continuous Improvement Specialist, Maintenance Coordinator) to create and execute the reliability strategy for the area of responsibility.
• Coaching – Coach operators to build their functional and leadership capabilities and to drive accountability in safety, Quality and Food Safety, Autonomous Maintenance, and team engagement.
• Line Operations – Coordinate materials, staffing and resources to support line operation and changeovers.
• Standards Implementation and Adherence – Ensure standards are implemented on shift and in areas of responsibility through effective communication, change management, consistent reinforcement, and coaching, guidance, and accountability measures.
• Associate Safety – Ensure safe working conditions, behaviors, and mindsets through the direct implementation of Mars Safety programs and driving a relentless focus among a team of operators.
• Food Safety and…