Job description
NovaBite Foods is a premium producer of ready-to-eat meals and gourmet sauces. We combine culinary artistry with robust manufacturing processes to deliver high-quality products to retailers and consumers nationwide. We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Food Production Manager to lead our Los Angeles manufacturing line.
In this role, you will drive operational excellence, safety, quality, and continuous improvement across daily production, scheduling, and on-time delivery. You will partner with Procurement, Quality, and Maintenance to optimize line performance, reduce waste, and ensure regulatory compliance.
What you'll do: lead shift teams, manage line readiness, monitor KPIs, and implement process improvements that boost yield and product integrity. You will be a hands-on leader who mentors the team, champions food safety, and upholds our quality standards.
Responsibility
- Lead daily production planning and staffing across shifts to meet demand while controlling labor costs.
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP, FSMA, and other food safety standards; drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Monitor and optimize line performance metrics (OEE, yield, downtime, scrap) and implement corrective actions.
- Collaborate with Quality Assurance to manage in-process and finished product quality, audits, and CAPA.
- Oversee sanitation, maintenance coordination, and equipment readiness for reliable operations.
- Coach and develop production supervisors and line leads to build a high-performance culture.
- Lead inventory accuracy, batch traceability, and regulatory reporting for the site.
- Partner with Supply Chain and Procurement to ensure material availability and on-time production scheduling.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
- 5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in food, beverage, or similar industries.
- Proven track record implementing Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement programs (any certification is a plus).
- Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, FSMA, and food safety regulatory requirements.
- Excellent people leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Data-driven with proficiency in production planning systems and basic analytics (ERP/MIS, Excel).
- Ability to manage high-ambiguity environments and lead change across teams.
- Flexibility to work on multiple shifts as needed.