Production Manager – USDA Steak Processing Facility

Job Summary
The Production Manager oversees all production operations in a USDA‑regulated steak processing facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and high‑quality manufacturing across beef fabrication, portion cutting, packaging, and distribution. This role provides strategic leadership to production supervisors and hourly teams, drives performance improvements, ensures regulatory compliance, and works closely with QA, maintenance, and planning to achieve operational goals.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Management

• Plan, organize, and manage all production activities for steak fabrication, trimming, portion cutting, grinding (if applicable), and packaging.
• Execute daily and weekly production schedules aligned with customer demand, product specifications, and yield targets.
• Optimize labor utilization, line outputs, and workflow to ensure operational efficiency and cost control.
• Monitor yields and trim levels daily to maximize product utilization and minimize waste.

USDA & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure continuous compliance with USDA regulations, HACCP plans, GMPs, SSOPs, and food safety programs.
• Work directly with USDA FSIS personnel to maintain audit readiness and resolve non‑compliance findings (NRs).
• Verify proper documentation of critical control points, sanitation validations, and traceability systems.

Quality Assurance & Product Standards

• Ensure all steak products meet exact customer specifications for quality, weight, marbling, grading, trim, and packaging.
• Partner with QA to conduct inspections, address deviations, and drive corrective actions.
• Lead initiatives to improve product consistency, reduce defects, and enhance overall quality performance.

Leadership & Workforce Development

• Lead a high‑performing team of Production Supervisors, Leads, and production employees.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop team members to build capability and support long‑term workforce growth.
• Promote a positive, safety‑focused culture with strong communication and accountability.

Safety & Sanitation Oversight

• Enforce workplace safety policies and ensure compliance with OSHA guidelines.
• Conduct safety audits, lead incident investigations, and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Ensure sanitation teams meet all pre‑op and post‑op requirements for equipment and processing areas.

Continuous Improvement & KPI Management

• Use data and KPIs (yields, throughput, downtime, labor efficiency, scrap rate, etc.) to drive continuous improvement.
• Implement lean manufacturing practices to enhance flow, reduce waste, and improve productivity.
• Collaborate with maintenance on preventive maintenance schedules, equipment reliability, and downtime reduction.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of production leadership experience in a USDA‑regulated beef, steak, or meat processing facility.
• Strong knowledge of beef fabrication, primal/subprimal breakdown, portion control cutting, and yield optimization.
• Deep understanding of USDA regulations, HACCP, GMPs, and SSOPs.
• Proven success managing multiple supervisors, large teams, and fast‑paced operations.
• Ability to work in a cold, refrigerated production environment.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Meat Science, Food Science, Business, or related field.
• Experience with case‑ready beef programs or high‑volume steak portion‑cutting operations.
• Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement certification.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.

Work Environment

• Cold processing environment (approximately 32–45°F).
• Standing, walking, and supervising on the production floor for extended periods.
• Flexible schedule required based on production demands (early mornings, late evenings, or weekends).