Production ManagerBalchem is committed to making the world a healthier place by delivering trusted, innovative, and science-based solutions for the health and nutritional needs of the world. Balchem employs approximately 1,400 employees worldwide who provide the service, quality, and technology that enables our customers to win with their customers. We have built a reputation for delivering results to all of our stakeholders.
Founded in 1967, Balchem, a Maryland corporation, became a publicly-traded company in 1970 and is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol "BCPC." Our corporate headquarters is located in Montvale, New Jersey, and we have a broad network of sales offices, manufacturing sites, and R&D centers, primarily located in the U.S. and Europe. The Company consists of three business segments: Human Nutrition and Health, Animal Nutrition and Health, and Specialty Products.Position SummaryThis position is responsible for the efficient day to day operation of the production rooms as well as the development and management of the production team.
This position is also responsible for motivating the safety and continuous improvement culture while achieving operating goals to meet growth expectations.Essential FunctionsResponsible for department incident rate consistent with IFP company goals; must maintain department safety rules compliance and be a positive safety role modelResponsible for training all department employees on safe work practicesResponsible for ensuring an organized, clean and safe work environmentEnsure procedures and work practices have appropriate safety review and new equipment is reviewed for proper guarding, safe operating procedures, and lockout tagoutMust have regular safety discussions with team and proactively listen to employees' safety concerns/suggestions; must act upon those concerns and provide feedbackResponsible for implementing corrective actions after an incident or near missFollow all Food safety practices and processes applicable to the departmentPerform/execute job duties keeping the company's commitment to quality in mindMonitor and maintain all food safety activities as part of daily tasksEnforce food safety plan while producing productBuild a unified, successful teamResponsible for achieving established performance measures for productivity, quality, and safety levels as set for the production rooms and the whole department; meet or exceed daily production goals related to safety, quality, and quantity producedPerform troubleshooting of production room issues as capable and perform minor maintenance on the lines; accurately assess when to call in additional support from maintenance and managementCross trained to operate all production rooms including paperwork and set-up; provide backup to positions as needed to ensure efficient operationsDrive, initiate, and support continuous improvement and elimination of waste and variation in processes using established improvement processesResponsible for the timely, efficient, thorough, and effective cleaning and sanitation of their area of responsibility, including but not limited to production or packaging equipment and the surrounding areas or rooms, support areas, and other areas as may be requiredProvide daily work assignments and production priorities to the operatorsBuild and maintain a high-performance team environment and coach others in effective team interaction and function; foster an empowerment environmentLead, motivate, and direct employees to achieve clear performance objectivesMust understand the company vision and set goals that will drive the Team in that directionDetect quality issues and source the root cause to resolve the issue; perform any necessary adjustments to batchesCoordinate and participate in PM (preventative maintenance) tasks on a daily, weekly, monthly basisPromote GMP compliance and help correct GMP issuesPromote quality awareness and help correct quality issuesUnderstand the product specs and operating standards by customer product and implement the necessary equipment for processingLearn, understand, train to, develop and follow documented policies, procedures, and work procedures and drive others to do so; this includes product codes, coding system, line changeovers, and wet and dry line cleaning processesSet up of daily productivity board and track production to board targets; maintain detailed and organized data records for the departmentEnsure all necessary supplies, materials and WIP are stocked on the line for daily production needs; verify correct incoming materials and ingredients are in the right area, ensure conformance to established standards and complete the material usage formAssist in managing production supplies; deliver Kanban cards to designated purchasing area for replenishment of suppliesAssist in development of work instructions, training and auditing team members and assisting in special projectsPerform audits within the production areas for paperwork accuracy and compliance with SOPs, GMPs, and Safety proceduresAssist Commercialization group with scale-ups and customer trialsLead others in maintaining good housekeeping and an orderly work area; support 5S initiativesAssist in implementation of productivity improvements; this person will also help plan ahead to improve utilization of resourcesSupport and assist as needed in maintaining and improving operations of the production roomsMust continuously assess employees for selection, promotion and discipline situationsProvide frequent, specific performance feedback and coaching to all Operations employees, including proactively addressing performance issuesAssure that Production team members are appropriately trained, coached and developed in support of individual career development paths and IFP growth plans; identify potential successors within the team and develop them towards this goalConduct timely and thorough employee reviews giving accurate and constructive feedback to reportMeet or exceed customer expectations for on-time delivery and quality of product delivered; communicate Customer Satisfaction to the team using quantitative measuresCoordinate and conduct meetings with direct reports individually and in regularly scheduled team meetings; include support staff as needed to maximize efficient operations and foster "One Team" approachPlan ahead for the shift to ensure and approve full utilization of resources; ensure consistent application of Operational and other Company proceduresDocument and monitor procedures and processes to eliminate variation and promote sharing of knowledgeCross train in related functions and assist others in obtaining cross-functional capabilitiesMust develop cooperative relationships with other departmentsPlan, control, and measure all aspects of the production operations areaSupport, understand, and coach others in understanding and use of lean toolsAll other duties as necessary to the success of Balchem CorporationRequirementsHigh School Diploma/GEDSolid background/work experience in manufacturing (2+ years); food or pharmaceutical a plus2+ years leadership experienceKnowledge of Lean Manufacturing concepts and 5S organizational tools; Six Sigma training a plusProficient computer skills (Word, Excel, ERP)Mechanical aptitude/trouble-shooting abilityKnowledge of food GMP's a plusTraining and mentoring mindset with constant operator trainingStrong safety orientationStrong organizational skillsPositive attitude and professional imageSelf-motivation and ability to work independently; ability and willingness to provide support and training to employees on all shiftsDemonstrated ability to lead, work, and develop others in a team environmentSensitive to other cultures/backgrounds, able to work in a multi-cultural workplaceAbility and willingness to learn, understand, and follow documented work proceduresDemonstrated ability to function in a fast-paced environment while moving multiple simultaneous projects forwardAbility to manage time and workload efficiently, and the ability to prioritize and modify priorities accordinglyExcellent verbal and written communication skills necessary to interface with customers and colleaguesAble to work with all personality types and connect with people - quickly earn their respect and dedicationWorking ConditionsWhile performing the functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hearThe employee is occasionally required to kneel, crouch, crawl, bend, ascend and descend stairs and/or laddersThe employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and armsThe employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 poundsVision requirements include close vision, depth perception, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus