Production Manager

Griffith Foods is the caring, creative product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers while sustaining the planet. As a family business founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA, Griffith Foods is known for true, collaborative innovation guided by their Purpose of "We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World". The company's product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet. For more information, visit www.griffithfoods.com.

TITLE: Production Manager
LOCATION: Avon, OH
COMP RANGE: $99,901-$166,502/year plus eligibility for target incentive plan

Custom Culinary, a subsidiary of Griffith Foods, is hiring a Production Manager to lead daily plant operations with a strong focus on Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Sustainability, and Morale. This position oversees all stages of production-batching, staging, mixing, and packaging-to ensure efficient, high-quality output. The Production Manager drives a lean culture, standardizes best practices, leads continuous improvement efforts, and partners cross-functionally to strengthen operational performance.

This is your opportunity to lead a high-performing production team, influence key operational outcomes, and shape the culture of a growing facility. You will have the autonomy to drive Continuous Improvement, develop leaders, and directly impact plant safety, quality, and efficiency.

* Executing production operations aligned with the master schedule to meet safety, quality, service, and cost targets
* Leading a culture of teamwork, accountability, and operational excellence across all production shifts
* Ensuring cross-functional alignment with Safety, Environmental, Quality, R&D, Engineering, and Planning teams
* Championing CI initiatives such as GEMBA walks, Kaizen events, Lean practices, and waste-reduction projects
* Overseeing employee safety programs, training, incident investigations, and safety observations
* Partnering with Engineering and Maintenance to support capital projects and eliminate process bottlenecks
* Leading the Daily Management System (Tier I-III) and driving clear communication of performance metrics
* Managing KPIs, scorecards, and performance trends; participating in Tier IV business reviews
* Acting as the site's Autonomous Maintenance SME, leading TPM training and implementation
* Providing leadership and oversight for Production Supervisors and influencing CI Engineering direction

* Maintaining a strong shop-floor presence (minimum 50% of time)

* Excel in leading diverse teams and building a culture of trust, accountability, and high performance
* Thrive in a dynamic, high-volume manufacturing environment
* Communicate effectively across all levels-from operators to senior leadership
* Solve problems through data, root-cause analysis, and Lean thinking
* Take initiative, anticipate risks, and proactively drive improvements
* Are comfortable making decisions and staying hands-on at the shop-floor level

* Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Food Science, Business, or similar
(Equivalent: 8 years relevant experience)
* 10+ years of manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in a leadership/managerial role
* Demonstrated experience managing high-volume manufacturing operations (10-12+ million lbs annually)
* A proven track record of improving Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale metrics
* Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, GEMBA, CI programs, and Daily Management Systems
* Willingness to work onsite in Avon, OH, Monday-Friday with weekend presence as needed
* Strong capability in KPI analysis, performance reporting, and problem-solving

* Experience implementing Autonomous Maintenance/TPM programs
* Ability to uncover insights from KPIs to predict and prevent operational issues
* Hands-on leadership style with a strong frontline presence
* Experience leading major improvement projects or plant expansions
* CI Certifications (Green Belt, Black Belt, TPM Practitioner)

This role is based at the Avon, OH facility. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance and be onsite regularly. Travel to other locations may occur periodically for training or meetings.

The employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts and risk of electrical shock. Occasional exposure to wet/humid conditions, elevated workspaces, outdoor weather, vibration, dust, and strong odors may occur. Noise levels are typically loud.

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts, EAP, Health Advocacy, Financial Planning, Parental Leave, Care.com, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance, Education Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement, Safety Reimbursement, Lifestyle Spending Account, Group Life & AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short- & Long-Term Disability, 401(k) with Company Match, ESOP, PTO, Holidays & Leaves, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Home & Auto Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Long-Term Care + Life Insurance, and Legal Assistance.

There is also potential for a discretionary bonus, with a target of 6%. This bonus is based on personal and company performance and is not guaranteed."

EOE - Vet/Disability
EEO Notice of Rights

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Griffith Foods believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. Griffith Foods does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of the following actual or perceived characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic characteristic or information, AIDS or HIV status, order of protection status, marital status, military or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspect of the employer-employee relationship, including recruitment, hiring, participation in benefit programs, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and termination.

Benefits:

Benefits for this role include Medical, Rx, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending & Health Savings Accounts, EAP, Health Advocacy, Financial Planning, Parental Leave, Care.com, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance, Education Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement, Safety Reimbursement, Lifestyle Spending Account, Group Life & AD&D, Voluntary Life Insurance, Short Term & Long Term Disability, 401(k) Plan with Company Match, ESOP, PTO, Holiday's & Leaves, Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Home & Auto Insurance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Long Term Care + Life Insurance & Legal Assistance. There is also potential for a discretionary bonus, this bonus is based on personal & company performance and is not a guaranteed bonus plan.