Production Manager at Malibu Wellness Inc – Indianapolis, Indiana
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About This Position
Job Title: Production Manager Reports to: Plant Manager Department: Operations | Classification: Salary Exempt Job Type: Full-Time Effective Date: 03/18/2025 |
Job Summary:
The Production Manager leads daily production operations across the Fill Lines to ensure manufacturing activities are executed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with quality and regulatory requirements. This role is primarily hands-on and plant-floor focused, providing visible leadership, directing workflow, coaching employees, addressing production and quality issues, and driving continuous improvement in productivity, labor efficiency, and standard work.
Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Production Manager exercises direct supervisory responsibility over production employees, spending approximately 85% of time on the production floor and 15% on planning, analysis, and administrative responsibilities. This role coordinates closely with Maintenance, Quality, and Production Planning to ensure equipment reliability, accurate production records, effective staffing, and achievement of production goals.
In alignment with The Malibu Way, the Production Manager is expected to lead with integrity, professionalism, empathy, and accountability; actively promote a safe and respectful work environment; communicate clearly; and model behaviors that support trust, dignity, collaboration, and staying above the line.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Provide active, visible leadership on the production floor, ensuring safe work practices and operational discipline as they oversee the daily workflow of the department.
- Ensure all employees follow and adhere to GMP, safety policies, and regulatory requirements as set forth by the company.
- Directly supervise production employees such as Material Handling Specialists and the Fill Line Manager, including performance management, coaching, and corrective actions as needed.
- Perform supervisory administrative tasks, inclusive of managing time off requests, timecards and backing up duties of team members as necessary.
- Coordinate training, onboarding, and cross-training of production employees.
- Complete annual performance evaluations and ongoing performance feedback.
Duties/Responsibilities:
Production Floor Leadership & Daily Operations:
- Maintain a strong daily presence on the production floor, actively monitoring workflows, staffing, safety behaviors, and production output.
- Lead daily production floor operations through visible leadership, directing workflow, coaching employees, addressing production and quality issues, and removing bottlenecks.
- Partner closely with the Fill Line Manager to review daily assignments, labor utilization, production goals, and open issues.
- Coordinate with Department Managers to provide additional production personnel for special projects as approved.
Safety Leadership & Compliance:
- Serve as an active member of the Safety Committee.
- Actively support and reinforce the Respiratory Protection Program, Hearing Conservation Program, and Heat Illness/Heat Policy on the production floor.
- Ensure safety training is completed, documented, and reinforced through daily coaching and observable behaviors.
- Maintain a safe, clean, and positive working environment by promptly addressing unsafe conditions or behaviors and implementing corrective actions.
Continuous Improvement and Process Effectiveness:
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, waste reduction, labor efficiency, standard work, and process reliability.
- Identify operational bottlenecks and implement practical, floor‑level solutions.
- Recommend and support improvements to production processes, equipment, tools, layout, and work methods.
- Participate in evaluations and recommendations related to capital expenditure improvements.
Production Controls, Records, &
- Review production data and completed work orders to monitor quotas, labor hours, and efficiency metrics.
- Review and verify production and manufacturing records in DataNinja for Fill Line and Packet Fill for completed work orders as the Fill Line Manager signs off on them in DataNinja.
- Confirm production supplies and materials (including supply cabinet min/max levels) support uninterrupted production.
Maintenance, Facilities, and Quality Coordination:
- Coordinate with Maintenance and Facilities to address production equipment failures and ensure preventive maintenance is completed.
- Review, approve, and initiate order of production parts and supplies as needed to support equipment reliability and uninterrupted production operations in coordination with Maintenance, Purchasing, and established approval processes.
- Collaborate with the Quality Department to maintain and continuously improve production quality standards, processes, and systems.
Training Development & Workforce Capability:
- Ensure production employees are properly trained, competent, and cross‑trained to perform assigned duties safely and effectively.
- Support development and maintenance of standardized work instructions and training materials.
- Maintain forklift certification and serve as back up to the Train‑the‑Trainer for forklift operations.
- Participate in recruiting activities, including interviewing candidates for production roles as needed.
Planning, Analysis, and Administrative Responsibilities:
- Conduct time studies for new products and process changes to establish labor standards and support costing, capacity planning, and quoting.
- Assist the Production Planning Manager with weekly production scheduling inputs related to capacity and labor constraints.
- Review, approve, and submit production‑related purchase requisitions.
- Lead the annual budget process for the Production Department.
- Participate in goal setting and performance planning with the Plant Manager.
- Review and respond to time‑sensitive production‑related communications.
Coverage, Collaboration, and Other Responsibilities:
- Serve as back‑up to the Fill Line Manager, Production Planning Manager, and Fill Line Operators in emergencies or absence situations.
- Communicate with subcontractors regarding production needs as required.
- Participate in R&D activities when requested by the President or Executive R&D & Regulatory Manager.
- Assist the Plant Manager with special projects as assigned.
Other Duties:
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Strong, hands-on leadership presence in a manufacturing environment, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
- Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement on the production floor while adapting to changing priorities and operational demands.
- Proven supervisory skills, including coaching, conflict resolution, and the ability to build a strong rapport with direct reports.
- Working knowledge of safety programs, regulatory compliance, and the ability to remain calm and decisive during high-pressure situations.
- Excellent communication, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the flexibility to adjust approach as situations evolve.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with team members and across departments in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to multi-task, shift priorities, and meet competing deadlines.
- Proficiency with basic computer systems and production documentation tools.
- Ability to work effectively in a high-accountability, fast-paced manufacturing environment while maintaining composure and focus under stress.
- Strong self-motivation, resilience, and teamwork orientation.
- Strong knowledge of MS Office Suite.
- Must be fluent in speaking, reading, and writing English.
Education and Experience:
- Associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of five (5) years of work experience in a manufacturing or production environment.
- Proven track record in a managerial or supervisory role.
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds individually or heavier loads as a part of a team lift when necessary.
- Ability to stand, walk, and move through the production floor for extended periods.
Work Environment:
- Work is primarily performed inside the warehouse.
- Exposure to loud noise levels, vibration, chemicals, dust, mechanical hazards, and moving objects or other vehicles.
- May be exposed to cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Malibu Wellness, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.