Shift Supervisor - Operations

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Position Title: Operations Shift Supervisor

Reports To: Production Manager

FLSA Status: Exempt

Job Grade: 7

Pay Range: $78,000-$110,000

Date Revised: December 2025

Position Overview:

The Shift Supervisor is a key operational leader responsible for overseeing all manufacturing activities during an assigned shift in a 24/7 food manufacturing environment. This role ensures safe, efficient, and compliant production while leading and developing hourly team members. The Shift Supervisor drives daily execution by coordinating people, processes, and equipment to deliver high-quality products, meet production goals, and uphold company standards for safety, quality, and continuous improvement at the Cayuga Milk Ingredients facility.

The Shift Supervisor serves as the primary point of leadership on their shift, maintaining a strong floor presence, resolving issues in real time, and escalating concerns as appropriate to the Production Manager.

Key Responsibilities

Shift Operations & Execution

• Lead and oversee all manufacturing operations during the assigned shift, including raw milk receiving, batching/processing, packaging, warehousing, utilities, sanitation (CIP), and support functions.
• Execute daily production schedules to meet safety, quality, cost, and efficiency targets.
• Ensure effective CIP changeover and turnaround times from product stop to product start.
• Monitor labor utilization, equipment performance, and material flow to minimize downtime and waste.
• Act as the owner of shift execution, ensuring the right people, processes, and materials are in place to deliver safe, quality food efficiently.

Team Leadership & Development

• Supervise, coach, and support production team members to ensure safe and effective equipment operation.
• Provide hands-on leadership with a consistent presence on the production floor.
• Conduct shift start-up meetings, communicate priorities, and reinforce expectations.
• Support employee onboarding, job training, and cross-training efforts.
• Participate in employee performance evaluations and provide timely feedback to drive accountability and engagement.
• Foster a positive, respectful, and team-oriented work environment.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Enforce all safety, food safety, sanitation, and allergen control programs.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, OSHA, HACCP, and company policies and procedures.
• Verify accurate completion of production records, manufacturing protocols, and labeling requirements.
• Support internal audits, regulatory inspections, and third-party audits as needed.
• Collaborate with Quality Assurance to address product issues, deviations, and customer-related concerns.

Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving

• Identify and resolve shift-level operational issues related to safety, quality, equipment, or staffing.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, efficiency, and consistency.
• Share best practices and improvement opportunities with other shifts and leadership.
• Assist in maintaining and updating standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Communication & Collaboration

• Communicate shift performance, issues, and handoffs effectively to incoming supervisors and management.
• Partner with Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Warehouse, and Transportation teams to resolve challenges and maintain production flow.
• Provide operational reports and feedback to the Production Manager as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Technology, Dairy Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum of 2-5 years of supervisory or lead experience in manufacturing, preferably food or dairy.

• Experience with aseptic or ESL processing is a strong plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to navigate all areas of the facility, including office spaces, warehouse areas, and the exterior perimeter.

• Must wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary to safely perform job duties.

• Ability to stand, sit, and carry out tasks throughout a full shift, with appropriate meal breaks.

• Physically capable of standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, reaching, twisting, lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing, balancing, and crouching as needed.

• Able…