Production Manager
Since 1992 our mission has been to see premium exquisite teas steaming in the cups of individuals everywhere, and to emphasize a Sip by Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp lifestyle. The Republic of Tea offers more than 300 premium teas, herbs, bottled iced teas and nature-inspired sipware. A socially and environmentally responsible organization, The Republic of Tea is a family-owned business dedicated to sharing our prosperity by developing products to support worthy philanthropic organizations as well as provide learning and growth opportunities for our Employees internally, whom we refer to as Ministers. Join our TEAm and enjoy a collaborative work environment, opportunities to grow your professional network, and become part of the tea revolution!
POSITION SUMMARY
The Production Manager is responsible for providing leadership, guiding collaboration, and overarching direction of the production team (up to 45 direct reports) and the core operations of The Republic of Tea, located in Nashville, IL. In this role you will be responsible for evaluating cost, quality and safety of production and shipping of tea and tea related products.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead teams for receiving and production of tea and herbs.
- Corroborate weekly production schedule.
- Oversee production variance investigations, determine root causes, and identify resolutions.
- Lead by example to instill a quality mind set and culture of a premium brand.
- Reduce quality related issues ensuring greater citizen satisfaction.
- Lead change efforts to support a culture of collaboration, teamwork, open communication, and internal and external customer focus.
- Collaborate with the Financial Analyst to identify and track cost reduction methodologies.
- Perform analysis of current production processes and procedures, present proposals for improvement, oversee implementation and follow-through of changes.
- Participate in recruitment efforts focusing on quality of hire, retention, and engagement strategies for hourly employees.
- Develop written training programs for hourly positions.
- Build and invest in employee relationships to motivate and develop future talent opportunities.
- Monitor lines daily to achieve daily goals, direct employees as needed.
- Lead the execution of processes associated with our ERP system, Sage.
- Lead safety efforts aiming to achieve an injury free work environment.
- Support the Innovation TEAm and the Sip Tank Lab (Research and Development) TEAm efforts to develop new teas & herbs.
- Partner with the Quality Control TEAm to achieve Safe Quality Food (SQF) and Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) goals.
- Partner with the Maintenance Department to identify machine variances and drive preventative maintenance programs.
- Responsible for validating and submitting weekly time records for all direct reports.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum of a 4-year bachelor's degree.
- Minimum of 5 years of Manufacturing/Operations experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated application of Lean Manufacturing Principles desired.
- Previous experience supervising Production and Packaging employees.
COMPETENCIES
- Solution oriented mindset.
- High sense of urgency and motivation to yield results.
- Food/beverage manufacturing experience preferred, Tea-specific even better!
- Must possess strong leadership and communication skills.
- Comfortable challenging the Status Quo and leading change.
- Exceptional critical thinking skills
TRAVEL
- Minimal travel required.
The Republic of Tea is an Equal Opportunity Employer