Production Manager

Job Description

Production Manager - Dairy Manufacturing
Industry: Dairy Manufacturing

Employment Type:

Full-Time

I'm working with a well-established dairy manufacturer that has been in business for over 40 years and is experiencing significant growth. They are expanding their facility and adding production lines, and this is a key leadership position within their operations team.

This role is perfect for a hands-on Production Leader who prefers leading from the production floor, building strong teams, and developing supervisors - not sitting behind a desk.

Responsibilities:

• Lead daily production operations to meet safety, quality, and throughput goals
• Drive production scheduling and coordinate with maintenance, quality, and warehouse teams
• Monitor KPIs including labor efficiency, yield, downtime, and waste reduction
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, HACCP, OSHA, and regulatory standards
• Develop supervisors and frontline leaders through coaching and accountability
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives to improve productivity and reduce costs
• Manage staffing levels, labor planning, and employee engagement
• Support capital improvements and equipment optimization projects

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of production leadership experience in dairy or food manufacturing
• Strong background in regulated food production environments
• Solid understanding of food safety, quality systems, and operational compliance
• Experience managing production metrics and labor efficiency
• Proven ability to develop teams and improve retention
• Lean / continuous improvement experience preferred
• Hands-on leadership style with a strong floor presence

This is a critical hire for the organization, and they are moving quickly for the right candidate.

If you have dairy production leadership experience and are open to confidential conversations, reach out directly to

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, age, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable laws or regulations. GPAC (Growing People and Companies) is an award-winning search firm specializing in placing quality professionals within multiple industries across the United States since 1990.

We are extremely competitive, client-focused and realize that our value is in our ability to deliver the right solutions at the right time.