Food Manufacturing Line Captain — Manteno, IL
Employment type: Full-time, Contract-to-Hire
Step onto the production floor as the go-to leader who keeps product moving, quality tight, and people safe. In this hands-on role, you’ll set the pace, coach operators, and solve problems in real time so our food manufacturing lines run smoothly from first product to last case.
A day in the life
You’ll arrive ready to align people, materials, and machines. You’ll stage the right ingredients and packaging, guide operators on setup and centerlines, rotate team members for breaks, watch output and downtime indicators, and clear bottlenecks the moment they appear. You’ll partner with Quality to uphold food-safety and GMPs, and you’ll document results for complete, accurate records.
What you’ll handle
- Direct and coordinate employee assignments on production lines.
- Train new employees on job duties, safety procedures, quality expectations, and production processes.
- Plan workstation rotations and coordinate breaks to maintain flow.
- Monitor equipment performance and remove operational bottlenecks.
- Troubleshoot operator-level equipment issues to keep lines running.
- Ensure adherence to safety procedures, GMPs, food-safety requirements, and company policies.
- Work closely with Quality Assurance to maintain food-safety and quality standards.
- Observe processes for compliance with specifications and SOPs.
- Record output, downtime, and material usage accurately.
- Complete centerline documents and production boards with precision.
- Verify the correct materials are at each line and that approved recipes are followed.
- Coordinate with warehouse personnel on inventory and material needs.
- Escalate equipment issues, shortages, safety concerns, and production challenges to supervisors and management.
- Coach team members and champion continuous improvement.
What you bring
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- 2–3 years of production experience in food manufacturing or a similar manufacturing setting.
- Hands-on knowledge of production equipment and workflow.
- Demonstrated line leadership skills.
- Mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting ability.
- Capability to perform routine operator-level maintenance.
- Clear communicator and collaborative teammate.
- Solid math skills; able to read and follow instructions.
- Consistent compliance with GMP, food-safety, quality, and workplace-safety requirements.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and stand or walk for extended periods, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Comfort working around variable temperatures and loud machinery/equipment alarms.
- Strict adherence to required PPE and safety procedures.
- Flexibility to work up to six days per week based on business and production demand.
Preferred extras
- Direct food manufacturing/food-production experience.
- Background with film-based packaging equipment.
- Experience operating Texwrap or Shanklin equipment.
- Time on food manufacturing production or packaging lines.
Compensation & schedule
- Pay: $24.00–$28.00 per hour.
- Schedule: 1st and 2nd shift opportunities available.
- Assignment: Contract-to-Hire.
Benefits upon client hire
- Health, dental, and vision coverage effective from day one.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Paid time off.
- Growth and development opportunities.
- Additional benefits.
Why this role
Stay hands-on while growing your leadership chops. You’ll direct crews, resolve floor issues quickly, support safety and quality, and help a food manufacturing operation run at peak efficiency. This role is an excellent bridge toward a future Supervisor position.
Proficiencies that help you excel
- Leadership / People Management
- Continuous Improvement
- Food and Beverage Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Instruction (MI)
- FDA Regulations
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Supervisory Experience
- Production Optimization
- Coaching and Mentoring Experience
- ERP & MRP Systems
- Inventory Management & Control
- Workplace Safety & EHS Management
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Tools & tech