Production Group Leader

Purpose Statement

As a Group Lead at Rich’s Niles plant, you help lead the daily execution of production activities by supporting safe, efficient, and high-quality operations. This role plays an important part in directing associates, maintaining line flow, solving problems in real time, and ensuring production, safety, quality, food safety, and documentation expectations are consistently met.

At Rich’s, leadership on the floor is not just about keeping lines running—it is about setting the tone, building accountability, developing associates, and doing what’s right, the Rich Way.

Key Accountabilities and Outcomes

• Leads production activities for the assigned shift, ensuring safe, efficient, and continuous operations.
• Provides real-time direction, prioritization, coaching, and problem-solving support to operators and material handlers.
• Maintains a calm, steady presence during high-pressure situations and sets the tone for the team.
• Ensures production lines meet daily output targets, case counts, schedule requirements, and quality standards.
• Adjusts labor, line assignments, and priorities in response to staffing shortages, mechanical issues, or schedule changes.
• Coordinates with scheduling, maintenance, sanitation, quality, and warehouse teams to keep product flowing.
• Ensures operators accurately scan, consume, return, and document materials in SAP.
• Verifies production, waste, material movements, downtime, quality checks, and shift reports are accurate and completed before shift end.
• Supports cycle counts, inventory accuracy, and root-cause analysis for material or production discrepancies.
• Enforces GMPs, allergen controls, sanitation requirements, PPE expectations, and all food safety and safety policies.
• Immediately identifies, contains, and escalates safety, quality, food safety, or operational concerns.
• Trains and develops operators to build skill depth, ownership, teamwork, and problem-solving capability.
• Models professionalism, accountability, reliability, and plant values at all times.
• Drives TPM activities on the floor, including autonomous maintenance, centerlining, 5S, and loss elimination.
• Leads or participates in kaizen events, safety audits, training, incident investigations, and root-cause problem solving.
• Maintains a clean, organized, audit-ready production environment.
• Participates in daily huddles and shift-to-shift handoffs to ensure clear communication and continuity.
• Prepares pallet tags, labels, production records, and documentation needed for traceability and shipping.
• Maintains flexibility to support production needs, including long days, late nights, weekends, and schedule changes.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• High school diploma or GED
• Ability to work independently and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable working around varying temperatures, noise levels, and active manufacturing operations
• Ability to frequently stand, walk, bend, push, pull, and lift up to 55 lbs.
• Ability to lead, coach, and hold associates accountable in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to respond quickly to staffing, equipment, quality, or schedule issues.
• Demonstrates reliability, flexibility, ownership, teamwork, and a strong commitment to plant goals.