Production Manager
Job Description
- A leading food manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Production Manager to oversee operations within a high-volume processing environment. This role is responsible for driving production performance, optimizing efficiency, and ensuring the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance.
- Lead and manage daily production operations to achieve targets related to quality, yield, labor efficiency, and schedule adherence
- Optimize the use of personnel, equipment, and capital resources to meet customer expectations and operational goals
- Foster a positive, respectful, and high-performing team culture through strong leadership and employee development
- Ensure consistent adherence to product quality standards, equipment performance, and operational best practices
- Support budgeting processes, monitor spending, and analyze operating costs within assigned areas
- Identify cost or labor variances, communicate risks to leadership, and implement corrective actions
- Collaborate cross-functionally to promote strong employee relations and operational alignment
- Ensure full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including food safety and workplace safety standards
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field required
- 5+ years of leadership experience in food manufacturing, preferably within protein or meat processing environments
- Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams
- Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements (OSHA, FDA, USDA)
- Experience with GMPs, SOPs, HACCP, and food safety/quality systems
- Direct experience working in USDA-regulated facilities required
- Strong communication skills with the ability to develop and implement clear processes and procedures
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus
Meet Your Recruiter
Alicia Alexander
Technical Recruiter & Team Mentor
Alicia Alexander is a Technical Recruiter and Team Mentor at Sterling Engineering with four years of recruiting experience and nearly three years with Sterling. She specializes in engineering, manufacturing, and technical recruiting, supporting roles across maintenance, reliability, operations, engineering, and industrial environments, including food and life sciences.
Alicia is passionate about helping people find careers where they feel genuinely happy, supported, and positioned for long-term growth. She enjoys building meaningful relationships with candidates, helping them take the next step in their careers, and supporting companies as they build strong, high-performing teams.
With a background in psychology and human resources from North Central College, Alicia brings a people-focused approach to recruiting. Her understanding of relationship building, communication, and candidate motivation helps her create successful matches between talent and opportunity.
Alicia is known for developing strong partnerships with both candidates and hiring managers, with a focus on creating long-term placements that benefit both the individual and the organization.