Sr. Production Manager

A growing manufacturing company is seeking a Sr. Production Manager to join the team. This is a hands-on leadership opportunity overseeing all daily operations at a high-volume production facility. The Sr. Production Manager is responsible for coordinating production, ensuring USDA, SQF, and HACCP compliance, owning product quality, managing raw-materials inventory, and driving the plant to meet its production, quality, and efficiency goals. 

Salary + Additional Benefits: 

• $75,000–$95,000 

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance 

Location: Houston, TX 
Type of Position: Direct Hire 

Responsibilities: 

• Manage and coordinate daily production operations to meet volume, efficiency, and quality targets. 

• Perform pre-operational inspections at the start of each production day. 

• Support production scheduling and staffing to meet daily demand. 

• Enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and standard work; identify and implement process improvements. 

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as labor efficiency, yields, downtime, and production output, and take action to improve them. 

• Handle additional operational duties as needed to keep the plant running efficiently. 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the on-site USDA inspector — communicate daily and address any issues or findings promptly. 

• Complete or verify and maintain SQF and HACCP logs and food-safety documentation. 

• Ensure compliance with USDA regulations, HACCP plans, and internal food-safety and sanitation standards (GMPs, SQF readiness). 

• Own product quality at the plant — ensure in-process and finished-product checks consistently meet specifications, weight, and labeling requirements. 

• Monitor Critical Control Points (CCPs) and quality parameters throughout production; document results and act decisively on deviations. 

• Identify, segregate, and disposition non-conforming product (holds, rework, or rejection), and lead root-cause corrective actions to prevent recurrence. 

• Drive SQF audit readiness and lead the plant through internal and third-party audits, partnering with Quality Assurance. 

• Track and improve quality metrics (defects, holds, rework, customer complaints), setting the standard for continuous improvement. 

• Oversee, lead, and direct a production team of approximately 50 employees. 

• Motivate and hold accountable a bilingual crew, leading by example on the floor. 

• Address employee disciplinary actions and performance issues in line with company policy. 

• Train, develop, and onboard production staff while maintaining a safe, productive floor. 

• Maintain raw-materials inventory; reorder as needed or communicate needs to admin to place orders. 

• Communicate with leadership regarding production goals, staffing, equipment, and operational needs. 

Requirements: 

• Fluent in English and Spanish, with the ability to communicate effectively with employees at all levels 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in food manufacturing in a USDA-inspected facility 

• Proven experience managing a production plant or leading production teams, with a track record of improving efficiency, yields, and food-safety performance 

• HACCP Certification — or familiarity with HACCP and the ability to complete the course in the first week 

• Proven quality-control experience in food manufacturing — enforcing product specifications, managing non-conforming product, and driving corrective actions 

• Working knowledge of USDA, SQF, or GMP food-safety and sanitation standards 

• Strong computer skills, including ERP systems, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook 

• Strong leadership, organization, follow-through, and communication skills 

• Able to work on the production floor — standing and walking throughout the shift 

• Able to work flexible hours, including a 5:30 AM start for pre-operational inspection and occasional overtime or Saturdays as production demands 

• High school diploma or equivalent 

• Experience leading a plant through growth, a new-facility startup, or multiple shifts 

• Experience transitioning a plant from paper-based systems to digital/ERP tools 

• Formal training or certification in food safety, quality (e.g., SQF practitioner), or operations management 

• Associate's or bachelor's degree in operations, food science, business, or a related field 

• An experienced leader who sets the standard and raises the bar for the plant 

• Hands-on and accountable: leads by example on the floor, not only from the office 

• Quality-focused — holds product to spec and drives continuous improvement 

• Calm and decisive under pressure during busy production periods 

• Strong communicator who keeps the team, leadership, and the USDA inspector in sync 

• Detail-oriented with food-safety records, HACCP logs, and compliance 

• Eager to build and improve systems in a fast-growing company 

Due to the high volume of applications we typically receive, we regret that we are not able to personally respond to all applications. However, if you are invited to take the next step in the process, you will typically be contacted within one week of submitting your application. 

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