Production Manager in Avenel, New Jersey at New Classic Cooking LLC

Production Manager – Veggies Made Great

Location: Avenel, New Jersey
Department: Operations / Manufacturing
Position Type: Full-Time- Onsite

About Veggies Made Great

Veggies Made Great is a high-growth, self-manufacturing frozen food company on a mission to make vegetables the hero of every meal. We operate with a vertically integrated model, owning our manufacturing, quality, and supply chain—which allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality products.

As we continue to expand, we are seeking a Production Manager to lead a large-scale manufacturing operation and build a high-performing, accountable, and safety-first culture on the plant floor.

Position Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for the end-to-end execution of daily manufacturing operations, including frontline associates and supervisors.

This role owns production output, labor efficiency, safety, quality, and cost performance, while developing a strong leadership bench across the operation.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on, data-driven operator who can balance execution with continuous improvement, someone who can drive results while building a culture of accountability, ownership, and engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership & Execution

• Lead all day-to-day production activities to ensure attainment of throughput, yield, and service level targets.
• Translate production plans into executable schedules aligned with labor, capacity, and material availability.
• Drive schedule adherence, line efficiency (OEE), and waste reduction across all production lines.
• Maintain tight control over changeovers, downtime, and production flow to maximize output.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of supervisors and frontline employees
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement on the plant floor.
• Establish clear performance expectations and conduct regular performance reviews.
• Develop a strong leadership pipeline and cross-trained workforce to ensure operational continuity.
• Ensure proper staffing, scheduling, and labor utilization while supporting a sustainable work environment.

Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Own execution of all food safety and quality standards, ensuring the facility always remains ready.
• Partner closely with QA to maintain compliance with SQF, FDA, and customer requirements.
• Drive rapid identification, root cause analysis, and resolution of quality issues and consumer complaints.
• Ensure strict adherence to sanitation standards in coordination with the Sanitation team.

Safety Leadership

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture across all shifts.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and company safety standards.
• Lead by example in promoting safe behaviors and immediate escalation of risks.
• Partner with teams to investigate incidents and implement corrective actions.

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor and report on key KPIs including OEE, labor efficiency, yield, downtime, scrap, and OTIF.
• Analyze production data to identify trends, gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead initiatives to improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance operational efficiency.
• Partner cross-functionally to resolve systemic production constraints.

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage departmental labor and operating budgets.
• Monitors spend and proactively address cost overruns with actionable solutions.
• Support capital planning, including evaluation and implementation of new equipment and process improvements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Supply Chain, Planning, Maintenance, QA, and Logistics to ensure seamless operations.
• Align production execution with demand plans and inventory strategies.
• Communicate effectively across departments to resolve issues impacting production flow.

Systems & Data Integrity

• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of production data within ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite).
• Drive adoption and continuous improvement of systems and reporting tools.
• Maintain integrity of production data to support planning, costing, and decision-making.

QualificationsRequired

• Bachelor’s degree in operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 7–10+ years of experience in food manufacturing or CPG production environments.
• 3–5+ years of leadership experience managing supervisors and large hourly teams.
• Strong understanding of high-volume manufacturing operations, labor management, and production KPIs.
• Proven ability to drive performance improvements in safety, quality, and productivity.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred

• Experience in frozen or refrigerated food manufacturing.
• Deep familiarity with SQF, HACCP, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement frameworks.
• ERP experience (NetSuite strongly preferred).
• Experience managing capital projects or scaling production operations.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary + bonus opportunity
• Health, dental & vision insurance
• Paid time off & holidays
• 401(k) with company match
• Opportunity to lead and shape operations in a rapidly growing food company
• A mission-driven culture centered on delivering great-tasting, veggie-forward foods