Production Manager

2 weeks ago

Plant City, Florida, United States Always Fresh Farms LLC Full time
Production Manager (Berry Operations)

About Always Fresh Farms:
At Always Fresh, everything starts with our growers. They're the ones out in the fields on cold, rainy nights, making sure every sprinkler keeps running. They're up before sunrise and home long after dark—working with heart, grit, and pride. We began as a family business, built on trust and generations of hard work. That's why we don't just say we care about our growers—we show it every day. Any berry company can claim to care. Our growers will tell you we mean it.

Job Summary
The Production Manager is responsible for the strategic and operational management of a high-volume, refrigerated berry production facility. This role focuses on optimizing production run rates, managing labor efficiency, and ensuring strict adherence to customer specifications for packing, repacking, regrading (reconditioning), and labeling of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. The successful candidate will leverage KPI data and budgetary oversight to drive cost savings and process improvements while maintaining rigorous QC/QA and safety standards.

Duties/Responsibilities
  • Production Scheduling & Run Rates: Develop and execute daily production schedules to ensure concurrent tasks—including bulk blueberry packing and berry reconditioning—meet ship dates. Monitor real-time run rates to ensure volume targets are achieved without compromising quality.
  • Labor Management: Determine daily labor needs based on production volume. Monitor, track, and report productivity metrics to minimize labor spend and optimize line balancing.
  • KPI & Financial Oversight: Full ownership of operational KPIs (throughput, yield, downtime, and labor per unit). Manage the production budget, identifying opportunities for cost savings and waste reduction.
  • Process Improvement & SOPs: Draft, implement, and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all packing and labeling activities. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to streamline information flow and equipment utilization.
  • QC/QA & Customer Specs: Ensure all finished goods—including repacked or regraded fruit—meet 100% of customer-specific requirements for grade, weight, and labeling. Collaborate with the QA team to mitigate fruit loss and ensure food safety compliance.
  • Inventory & Materials: Coordinate with the Packaging Materials team to ensure 100% availability of labels, clamshells, and corrugated stock for planned runs.
  • Reporting & Documentation: Ensure all work activity documentation and production logs are reported accurately in the ERP system.
  • Maintenance & Sanitation: Oversee the scheduling of equipment maintenance and sanitation protocols to minimize downtime and meet food safety audits.
  • Leadership: Manage staffing needs with HR, conduct performance reviews, and lead safety training. Foster a culture of high morale and accountability in a fast-paced environment.
Required Skills/Abilities
  • Technical Proficiency: Expert knowledge of berry packing operations, specifically the nuances of regrading/reconditioning and labeling strawberries, blueberries, and cane berries.
  • Data Driven: Ability to interpret complex KPIs and financial reports to make real-time operational adjustments.
  • Software: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel); experience with Famous Software or similar Ag-industry ERPs highly preferred.
  • Communication: Exceptional oral and written communication skills; Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
  • Operational Urgency: Self-motivated with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet tight deadlines under pressure.
  • Physical/Environmental: Must be able to lift 30 lbs and work extended hours (including nights/weekends) in a refrigerated warehouse environment (32°F - 45°F).
Education and Experience
  • Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Ag-Business, or a related field preferred.
  • 3–5 years of management experience in a fresh produce packing facility, specifically with berry varieties.
  • Proven track record of implementing process improvements and achieving measurable cost savings.

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