Production Supervisor - 1st Shift - Days Off: Tuesday and Wednesday

Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available online at homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,100 Kroger grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy they are.

In 2023, Home Chef introduced a new brand, Tempo! Tempo features a rotating selection of ready-to-heat meals delivered directly to your door. These meals are better-for-you versions of familiar favorites, designed to save you time and reduce stress while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our Tempo menu includes options that are protein-packed, fiber-rich, calorie and carb conscious, keto-friendly, and dietitian-approved.

Similar to our recipes, we recognize that variety is the spice of life, and therefore, our employees also bring their uniqueness and color to our fantastic team. We’re eager to work with humble team players and pragmatic next-level thinkers to innovate on Home Chef’s offerings.

This role follows a 1st Shift Schedule, working from 6:00 AM - 4:00 PM, with designated days off on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Supervisor must execute the production plan as established by the Shift Manager and supervise an assigned team consisting of hourly production leads, production associates, machine leads and machine operators throughout the shift. The Supervisor is responsible for managing the performance of the individuals reporting to their respective team which includes participating in hiring, having coaching discussions, delivering feedback, and conducting performance reviews. Supervisors must be able to oversee multiple activities simultaneously and take ownership of the output of leads and associates working on their team. The Supervisor is responsible for exhibiting a strong working knowledge of all machinery, equipment, and processes and must be able to perform basic troubleshooting processes. The Supervisor must be able to manage and troubleshoot all technological tools used in production (e.g., production tracker, scanners, date coder, etc.). The Supervisor is also expected to work closely with other functions within the facility to execute plant-wide initiatives.

Detailed Responsibilities

Pre-Production Set Up

The Supervisor is responsible for arriving prior to the start of production to receive the day’s production plan from the Shift Manager. The Supervisor must coordinate with their production leads to set up all tables and/or lines prior to the arrival of production associates.

• Receives production targets from Shift Manager. Manages delegation of production tasks to production leads and ensures proper staffing for all tasks
• Works with warehouse team to ensure all product required for production tasks has been dropped to the production floor in the quantities required for the production plan
• Sets up for each activity according to standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Coaches production leads on set up processes and procedures to ensure that SOPs for table and line set up are followed
• Ensures workstations are setup for each production activity (labeling,portioning, meal bagging) in a manner that ensures we meet production targets
• Shares recommendations for improvements to safety, equipment, and/or SOPs with Continuous Improvement Manager
• Demonstrates leadership during adoption of new processes and continually works to identify opportunities to gain efficiency and improve quality in production 

Portioning and Meal Bagging

The Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the portioning and meal bagging tables/lines and managing the output of their respective lines. 

• Inspects working area and holds team accountable for maintaining a clean, safe work environment and operating in a safe manner
• Ensures all tables are operating according to Home Chef standard operating procedures
• Ensures leads are properly utilizing production sheets and coming prepared to shift with multiple copies, if needed
• Ensures teams are on track to meet production targets for the day
• Verifies that all meal bagging and portioning pods clearly understand what’s expected of them in terms of output and quality standards, as well as tracking progress through the day via internal apps and tracking tools
• Identifies opportunities to improve portioning and meal bagging efficiency and shares ideas with Continuous Improvement team
• Speaks professionally and respectfully to leads and associates and provides on-the-floor coaching and motivation to boost production pace and improve quality
• Anticipates product and packaging shortage issues and works with warehouse and/or runners to deliver more product to the floor to prevent a production halt
• Works with quality team to resolve issues identified related to food safety and/or product quality
• Escalates quality issues that may result in future product shorts to shift manager and procurement
• Takes responsibility for the accuracy of counts conducted by the leads through submissions and physical inventory reconciliation
• Coaches the leads on best practices related to counts, submissions, and usage of Opps Apps
• Demonstrates working knowledge of all production equipment and machinery (date coder, sprinter, PS-125, piston fillers) and can perform basic troubleshooting processes

Shipping

The Supervisor is responsible for overseeing shipping lines. 

• Inspects working area and holds team accountable for maintaining a clean, safe work environment and operating in a safe manner
• Works with warehouse team and runners to ensure all product required for shipping is present on the line and that sufficient replenishment quantities are available on the floor, requesting product through internal ERP systems as needed
• Works with warehouse team to improve standard processes and procedures related to line set-up
• Utilizes boxing line set up sheet to verify line prior to the start of shipping
• Follows shipping SOPs and coaches leads and associates on shipping line SOPs
• Makes sure the shipping line remains organized throughout entire shift
• Works with quality department to ensure appropriate levels of FSQA staffing on the line
• Manages the pace of the shipping line, ensuring team is on pace to meet production targets and monitors hourly vs. internal tools
• Demonstrates working knowledge of all shipping line equipment and technology and can perform basic troubleshooting procedures (scanners, case sealers, etc.)

Output Tracking and Inventory Management

The Supervisor is responsible for ensuring counts delivered by their leads are accurate. 

• Ensures all SOPs for inventory management are being followed by all leads and associates (standard number of portions and meal bags in a tote, standard number of totes in a tower, tower labeling procedures) 
• Ensures WIP is stored in proper location
• Holds leads accountable for delivering accurate counts 
• Ensures counts are accurate and enters production numbers into tracker and/or approves progress submitted by leads
• Identifies possible issues with production counts and issues with tracker and escalates them to production manager or shift manager

Promoting and Upholding Employee Safety and Food Safety Procedures

As part of their daily responsibilities listed above, Supervisors are expected to continually promote and uphold employee and food safety. Specifically, the Supervisor:

• Ensures Leads / FSQA are conducting a GMP check on all their associates at the start of the shift and after lunch
• Calls out and corrects GMP violations when they occur and serves as an example of proper GMPs
• Understands the complete scope of GMPs
• Ensures working conditions are safe and that the team is using best safety practices (e.g., proper lifting technique, proper storage of blue wheels, etc.) 
• Ensures all work areas and work surfaces are clean prior to starting production
• Ensures work surfaces are properly sanitized when production team transitions between activities
• Conducts daily sanitation walkthrough with FSQA when requested
• Ensures that product is staged in a food safe manner 
• Supports the efforts of the company to maintain our food safety system (SQF) and quality programs

Training, Coaching, and Culture

Supervisors are expected to take people leadership seriously, spending almost a third of their time building and maintaining a high-performing, engaged team. 

• Facilitates and leads huddles with assigned team to communicate safety topics, production plans, GMPs and changes to processes
• Works with their leads to help them better motivate and coach their assigned team of associates
• Trains leads on their assigned team on all SOPs and actively coaches leads when SOPs are not executed
• Coaches and works with leads on problem solving as obstacles impacting production pace, safety, quality, or planned activities arise
• Manages conflict among employees on their assigned team as needed, but escalates more serious issues to the Shift Manager
• Evaluates performance of their assigned team and provides performance feedback on an ongoing basis
• Participates in the hiring/promotion process of associates and leads for their team
• Cultivates culture of mutual respect and demonstrates a “Safety First, Quality Always” mentality
• Is approachable and collaborative with all hourly production associates and leads, especially their team

Post Production

• Takes ownership of production tracker, ensuring all progress is entered and accurate 
• Works towards mastery of production tracking tools 
• Writes “End of Shift” report via internal tools
• Makes sure all required items are communicated to supervisors on the subsequent shift in the shift handoff 

This position requires 0-10% travel. 

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2+ years of successful supervisory or leadership experience in a fast-paced environment. 
• Cross-functional experience in 2 more departments (warehouse, production, quality, procurement etc.) preferred
• Track record of driving KPIs and meeting or exceeding goal required
• Experience in developing team members through both leading and managingProficient with Excel or Google Sheets, ERP systems, and mobile technology (tablets, cell phone, etc)
• Open availability to work weekend shifts 
• Must be able to lift up to 49 pounds occasionally with or without reasonable accommodation
• Must have floor presence and be able to stand/walk for up to 10-12 hours in a cold environment less 40 degrees
• General high school degree, or equivalent, (e.g. GED).

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