Ready to join a U.S. Best Managed Company? Kent Precision Foods Group, a member of the Kent Corporation family of companies, has a fantastic opportunity to join their team as a 1st Shift Production Supervisor! This position is primarily responsible for Sqweeze Pop operations on 1st shift at our Columbus, MS operating plant as well as other functions within the facility. The Production Supervisor is accountable for meeting production schedules, operating efficiencies, sanitation and good housekeeping standards and building effective teams.
This role provides direct supervision of production personnel and other departmental personnel as required and ensures shift is adequately staffed to meet the demand of the production schedule. The supervisor assumes responsibility for plant safety and if able should be the first response and director of clean-up of an illness or injury.
Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises: production personnel, mixing staff and supplemental temporary staff.
• Indirectly supervises: warehouse and maintenance staff.
• Lateral Relationships: quality assurance and procurement; becomes active team member to meet the plant, and company goals and objectives.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Direct shift activities to meet production schedule, production quality requirements, customer needs, safety and productivity goals while minimizing waste.
• Communicate and collaborate with outgoing shift supervisor to understand current status of the production floor to ensure equipment and product availability to meet the demands of the production schedule. Serve as a conduit between shifts for smooth transition from one team to the next.
• Communicate effectively with the warehouse to ensure transfer of materials to the plant and receive items as appropriate.
• Make work assignments for production team members.
• Verify CCPs and CQPs are being met and production documentation is complete and accurate.
• Assist in the development of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and train employees in their use. Verify and audit, assure accuracy and compliance. Assure that all housekeeping/sanitation duties are being performed
• Coordinate the setup, change over, and monitoring of all down line equipment to maximize the quality of products produced and the efficiency of the department.
• Aid in troubleshooting to resolve the more critical operating difficulties involving equipment and personnel.
• Coach, train and evaluate employee performance and ensure compliance with plant rules, SQF quality assurance systems, safety policies and GMP’s.
• Follow all plant safety rules and serve on the plant safety committee, conduct shift safety meetings and monthly safety inspections and audits.
• Address all potential safety hazards with the safety committee and encourage all employees to do the same.
• Assist in all required training and record keeping for shift employees.
• Ensure accident reports and accident investigations are submitted for each incident, including near miss incidents.
• Ensure effective communication of plant goals and performance to employees.
• Actively encourage input from employees on issues relating to shift and plant performance.
• Maintain effective communication and teamwork with other shift leaders and other members of the management team.
• Aid in the process of hiring new employees.
• Schedule, approve and arrange coverage for all production vacation requests.
• Maintain timekeeping system and paid time off systems/logs to assure management of staff hours, overtime, vacations and absences. Train employees on use of time clock and proper forms for time off requests
• Perform employee reviews as directed by HR, initiate progressive disciplinary action as required and work with HR to help resolve employee attendance or performance problems.

EDUCATION

• High school diploma required.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in related business field preferred

Experience & Qualifications

• 2 to 4 years of lead or Supervisory experience in a Manufacturing setting
• Displays and executes good supervisory skills.
• Demonstrated attendance and work reliability.
• Must adhere to strict confidentiality in matters concerning Payroll, Human Resources and Company proprietary information.
• Proficient in the use of personal computers, particularly in the application of Word, Excel and Outlook
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong mechanical trouble shooting skills.
• Food industry experience and knowledge of GMP’s, HACCP and safety training desired.

Must be able to tolerate standing for long periods of time.