About Us:
The Michigan Milk Producers Association is a dairy farmer owned cooperative and dairy processor. Founded in 1916, the MMPA serves dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.
MMPA maintains a strong presence within the dairy industry with strategic business relationships through a variety of channels like processing shelf-stable, value added dairy products. MMPA has four member owned processing plants in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, including Superior Dairy and the Middlebury Cheese Company. Products made at MMPA’s plants include fluid milk, sour cream, cheese, ultra-filtered milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, butter, nonfat dry milk, cream and condensed skim milk.
Why you’ll love working here:
- Competitive salary
- Health and wellness benefits with medical coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield, including mental health benefits
- Disability insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement including 401k with employer contributions
- Personal and professional growth opportunities
- Employee appreciation events and recognition awards
- Employee wellness initiatives
- Employee feedback and suggestion forums
As a production supervisor at MMPA’s Ovid facility is responsible for supervising and supporting a team of production employees to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality operations. We are searching for a 2nd & 3rd Shift shift production supervisor. Key responsibilities include planning and assigning work, implementing operational policies and procedures, and driving continuous improvement in production methods, equipment use, and overall working conditions. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with strong problem-solving skills and a commitment to safety, quality, and team development
Key Responsibilities:
- Time is shared between the production/warehouse environment and in the office.
- Plan and organize available resources (employees, materials, time, equipment) to best meet shift production, quality and safety goals. Monitors and adapt plans throughout the shift as needed; ensure priorities are handled effectively.
- Maintain accurate inventories of packaging materials, ingredients, powder, butter, and other items in storage by both manual and computerized methods.
- Receive inbound deliveries in accordance with MMPA’s policies and procedures.
- Work closely with the sales department to coordinate shipments of butter and powder.
- Develop, coach, and counsel employees to ensure a motivated and competent workforce on the shift.
- Work cooperatively with other production supervisors and shift coordinators to ensure effective shift-to-shift transitions and to minimize disruption due to unplanned absences. This includes conducting a pre-shift briefing with the supervisors and coordinators to be relieved, completing shift notes for the current shift and briefing the incoming supervisor and coordinator when done for the shift.
- Keeps other Departments within the organization informed of the status of work items.
- Continually develops a stronger understanding of the operation of our milk balancing plant to include equipment operations, workflow, and labor contract features. This includes developing hands-on familiarity with operating processing equipment and the ability to update the production plan.
- Evaluate and maintain effective application of the SQF plan and regulatory requirements to ensure product quality.
- Evaluate and maintain effective application of the MMPA Safety System to ensure worker and workplace safety.
- Maintain the plant’s manufacturing equipment in sanitary condition (ensure employees clean and sanitize tanks and pipe routings, hook up and load / unload raw/finished material delivery tankers, clean work areas according to plant SSOPs to assure the quality of the manufactured product.
- Inspect facility (production, warehouse, grounds) to assure adherence to safety and operating policies and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) using Company policies and procedures.
- Ensure consistency and compliance with policies, procedures, and standards to ensure consistent guidance and direction.
- Pay attention to details; Accomplish tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; show concern for all aspects of the job; accurately check processes and tasks.
- Manage conflict appropriately; Identify and address areas of disagreement and conflict; arrive at constructive solutions while maintaining positive working relationships.
- Monitor information as appropriate; Establish and use ongoing procedures to collect and review information necessary to manage projects or ongoing activities.
- Validate employee performance through feedback to ensure effective training.
- Coach, support and enforce plant work rules constantly.
- Other duties as assigned.
What We’re Looking For:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Food Science, Business, or related field required.
- 3-5 years of experience supervising in a plant environment
Experience:
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- Food, beverage, or pharmaceutical manufacturing experience preferred. Excellent analytical problem solving and trouble-shooting abilities.
- 1-3 years of union environment experience.
- A proven ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Excellent analytical problem solving and trouble-shooting abilities.
- Ability to work effectively with regulatory agencies.
- Effective communication and presentation skills.
- Excellent planning/organizational skills.
- Ability to work with deadlines and schedules.
- Self-starter; requires minimum supervision.
- Candidate must be proficient with Microsoft Office based programs.
- Must have a valid Driver’s license.
Preferred:
- Experience with milk processing such as separation, pasteurization, evaporation, spray drying, butter making, and powder packaging.
- Knowledgeable in FDA, MDARD and USDA requirements.
- Experience with MMPA systems and personnel.
- Experience supervising in a unionized environment.
Safety and Environmental:
- Follow plant safety/environmental objectives and targets.
- Follow plant safety rules, report incidents & unsafe conditions immediately.
- Maintain compliance with regulations and refer to the Safety & Environmental Management System(s) on all related procedures and programs.
Quality:
- Demonstrates total commitment to the manufacturing of safe and compliant products.
- Participates as a change control member to manage corrective actions in the production area.
- Directs the troubleshooting of operational deviations.
- Participates in periodic audits of sanitation, general GMP’s and manages corrective actions.
Production/Operations:
- Participate in setting production standards amongst all shifts.
- Participate in the review of efficiencies/performances and yields and support corrective actions for improvements.
- Participates and occasionally lead operational review meetings.
- Participate in Root Cause Analysis Exercises, including cost savings projects, communications, culture change.
- Enforce the use of operational Forms and SOP’s.
Schedule:
- Understands and provides input into the production master planning for the site.
- Reviews the short-term and long-term production schedules as set by Logistics, Dispatch, and the Plant to optimize productivity and schedule attainment.
- Participate in the weekly and daily production scheduling meetings.
Personnel:
- Supports the team in effective execution of 365, 24-7 operations to meet cost, quality, and fulfillment goals.
- Develops talent and coaches’ team to improve organizational effectiveness.
- Set goals for the shift. Conducts performance appraisals.
- Shows passion to lead efforts to coach, train, and develop department members.
