Food Production Manager

Position Summary:

Craftory is seeking an experienced and hands-on Food Production Manager to lead daily manufacturing operations for our ready-to-eat broths, soups, and protein products. This role oversees the entire production process—from raw material intake to packaging—ensuring operations are efficient, safe, compliant, and consistently yield high-quality food products.

As a critical leader on the floor, the Food Production Manager is responsible for managing staff, maintaining equipment, controlling costs, and driving continuous improvement across all processing and packaging lines. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of food manufacturing operations, strong leadership skills, and thrives in a fast-paced, scale-up environment focused on innovation and execution.

Supervising and Managing Daily Operations Staff

• Hire, train, schedule, supervise, and motivate production team members - line workers, operators, and shift supervisors
• Ensure an inclusive work environment for all shifts
• Ensure safety protocols and labor compliance
• Supervise production staff and manage the end-to-end manufacturing process from raw material prep to final packaging (e.g., Tetra Recart).

Production Planning and Scheduling

• Develop and implement production schedules to meet output goals
• Allocate labor and materials efficiently across lines

Quality Control & Compliance

• Enforce food safety, sanitation, and product quality standards
• Maintain compliance with food safety (HACCP, FDA, USDA) and quality control standards, coordinating with QA and sanitation teams

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Identify bottlenecks and lead initiatives to reduce waste and increase throughput
• Implement Lean Manufacturing principles where applicable
• Track production KPIs, minimize downtime, and identify bottlenecks or process improvements.

Equipment Maintenance

• Coordinate preventive maintenance and emergency repairs with maintenance team
• Minimize production downtime and extend equipment life with proper calibration

Inventory Management

• Monitor inventory of raw materials and finished goods
• Collaborate with procurement to maintain appropriate stock levels

Budget and Cost Management

• Assist in developing and managing the production budget
• Track operational costs and implement cost‑saving measures

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with QA, R&D, procurement, marketing, and logistics to align operations with business goals
• Partner with engineering, maintenance, and leadership teams to support new product rollouts with operational readiness

Reporting and Data Analysis

• Track and analyze production KPIs and yield performance
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports for leadership
• Maintain accurate production logs, batch records, and report performance metrics to leadership

• 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing, preferably with USDA or FDA-regulated products
• Proven team leadership, production scheduling experience, and conflict resolution skills
• Strong understanding of food processing equipment, workflows, and sanitation practices
• Knowledge of food safety and quality systems (GMP, HACCP, SQF)
• Experience with hot‑fill, retort, or aseptic packaging processes is a plus
• Working knowledge of production planning systems, management software, and reporting tools
• Budgeting and cost‑control experience
• Excellent problem‑solving, time management, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to lead in a bilingual and multicultural work environment
• Spanish or Vietnamese language proficiency a plus
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand for extended periods in a manufacturing environment
• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or equivalent experience

Craftory is reimagining how Asian heritage flavors are shared with the next generation. We produce ready-to-eat broths, soups, and proteins in shelf‑stable Tetra Recart packaging. With product lines like Simmer Craft organic broths and Craft Cuts luncheon meats, we serve consumers seeking ethnic comfort foods and aim to partner with mass retailers.

Well established food manufacturing in Southern Cali. We specialize in Vietnamese meatball, sausage to retail and food service. We have been in the industry for over 38 years.