Production Manager

Who we are

Skjodt-Barrett is a world-class manufacturer of food solutions and custom ingredients for North America's most beloved and trusted brands. We take pride in working closely with our customers to understand their unique needs and create innovative, individualized solutions that deliver joy to their customers.

A family-founded company started over 40 years ago, we are backed by the investment company Axel Johnson Inc (AJI). With their investment and support, we are well-positioned to foster growth and explore new opportunities.

Our customers, blue-chip international brands and mid-sized producers alike, are why we exist. Our teams of innovators, communicators, and managers are the people who meet their needs, build trust, and exceed their expectations. 

Who we need

Reporting to the Plant Manager, we are looking for a Production Manager to join our team. You will lead a high-performing production team of 60+ people (upwards of 100 during peak periods), championing safe practices and keeping people, schedules, and resources aligned and operating at optimal levels to meet customer commitments. You will drive efficiency through smart planning, strong decision-making, and hands-on support, ensuring every shift runs with consistency, clarity, and momentum. In this role, you will serve as the primary owner of our CMMS, leveraging the system to enhance maintenance visibility, improve equipment uptime, and drive smarter operational planning.      

This is an onsite role working Monday to Friday, 9 am - 3 pm at our Brampton headquarters with some flexibility to cover other shifts on the rare occasion.

Who you are

You are an operations supervisor, CI lead, plant lead, or assistant production manager with direct experience overseeing a team, and you want to move up. Or you are a Production Manager looking for a bigger plant with more responsibility. Either way, you are seeking exposure and growth at a scaling, fast-paced company undergoing an exciting transformation. You know how to run a safe, efficient, high-performing operation and how to lead and develop the teams that make it happen. You balance big-picture planning with confident, hands-on decision-making, using data, scheduling, and continuous improvement tools to drive results.

What’s in it for you

Impact. You will shape the performance, culture, and consistency of the entire production floor. Your leadership will directly influence product quality, on-time delivery, workforce engagement, and the overall efficiency and reliability of plant operations. This is your opportunity to lead teams, optimize processes, and strengthen how people, equipment, and schedules come together every day.

Exposure. You want to be part of a progressive data-driven environment where you can develop insights into our people and production processes and make recommendations. This is an opportunity to be a change leader, moving us forward and away from the status quo. You will gain visibility across the full operations and see how decisions ripple across the plant. This is a chance to play a key role in cross-functional planning, complex production challenges, and continuous improvement.  

Career development. At Skjodt-Barrett, we believe in developing our people and creating opportunities for those who take initiative. This role gives you the platform to deepen your operational expertise, strengthen your leadership capability, and take on broader influence in plant performance. As you drive improvements, mentor teams, and deliver consistent results, you will be well-positioned for advancement within Operations, Plant Leadership, or cross-functional roles across the business.

How you will make an impact:

• Prioritizing safety. You will ensure safety activities are clearly communicated and executed in line with the company’s safety program. Working in partnership with the Plant Safety Manager, you will oversee compliance, hold supervisors and employees accountable, and review all accidents and incident investigations to implement corrective actions and prevent recurrence.
• Championing continuous improvement. You will lead and prioritize continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen safety, efficiency, innovation, and schedule attainment. By optimizing production capacity, labour hours, equipment usage, and external resources. Actively leveraging planning and scheduling tools, you will minimize productivity losses and support cost-effective operations.
• Budget planning. You will operate within established budget frameworks while identifying opportunities to improve profitability. This includes providing insight into productivity and cost variances, contributing to annual budgeting and capital planning, and supporting workforce and space forecasting activities.
• Leading a team. You will develop, lead, and mentor the production team, reinforcing a culture of accountability and compliance with food safety and regulatory standards. This includes hiring, training, and coaching Production Supervisors, supporting crewing and budgeting decisions, and advising on policy interpretation and employee relations matters when required.
• Strategic decision making. You will interpret policies and make informed decisions to resolve quality, scheduling, and engineering-related issues, particularly where cross-functional coordination is required. Partnering closely with Supply Chain, you will ensure the timely production and shipment of high-quality products that meet customer requirements.

What you bring to the role:

• The experience. You are an experienced plant or production leader with a strong background in food manufacturing, packaging, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetics. You demonstrate progressive growth from frontline supervision into complete production management. You are comfortable in a fast-paced production environment with shifting priorities, and you bring solid working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and plant safety. You understand how people, processes, equipment, and systems (including CMMS) work together to maintain reliable, efficient production.
• The operational strength. You excel at production planning and resource optimization, using structured scheduling, capacity management, and cross-functional coordination to meet customer and business requirements. You know how to leverage data and reporting to balance workforce, equipment, materials, and timelines to maximize throughput, minimize losses, and maintain consistent daily execution.
• The improvement mindset. You use data to analyze performance, interpret trends, and make informed decisions that strengthen operational results. You bring a strong foundation in continuous improvement tools, such as Lean, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, and other problem-solving frameworks. You document clearly, navigate production records with accuracy, and contribute meaningfully to corrective and preventive actions.
• The leadership. You are a trusted manager and mentor who can develop and guide a team. You lead by example, follow through on commitments, and create clarity around expectations. You are organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage timelines, priorities, and cross-functional collaboration. You demonstrate a continuous learning mindset and encourage others to do the same, fostering a culture of consistency, improvement, and shared responsibility.
• The interpersonal skills. You have clear, professional, and adaptable communication skills, verbal and written, including the ability to prepare reports and relay quality expectations. You can work directly with cross-functional teams and build productive relationships across levels and departments, collaborating effectively in a diverse plant environment.

Why join?

We've got great taste. We care deeply about fostering a culture of transparency, responsibility, and integrity. It's what drives us to make great-tasting, convenient, and healthy ingredients and finished products that our customers depend on. With a focus on nurturing and growing our employees' careers and professional satisfaction, we believe in open communication, idea sharing, and knowledge building. Skjodt-Barrett is committed to building an inclusive culture that helps to create longevity, growth, and innovation in the food industry.

We are working towards a sustainable future. We believe that what's good for people and the planet is good for profit. It is everyone's responsibility to do their part. We recognize the growing need to prioritize sustainability in manufacturing, and we continue to take steps to evolve. We strive to accelerate the adoption of sustainable packaging and food products to be a responsible partner for our customers and for the greater good. We take our role as a supply chain partner to heart and adhere to a strict Supplier Code of Conduct to ensure that our vendors uphold the integrity and values we live by.

We believe actions speak louder than words. Every day, we come together to exceed the expectations of our customers, each other and ourselves, inspired by our values:

• We care. About family, honesty, and respect.
• We communicate. Across every level, often, effectively, and clearly.
• We Empower. With trust, integrity, and accountability.
• We Deliver. Every time, through teamwork, innovation, and results.

Apply now.

At Skjodt-Barrett, we aim for diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusion in all of our operations and interactions. We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for and want to play an integral role in delivering innovative food product solutions, apply to express your interest. 

What you can expect from our interview process:

1. A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor to discuss your interest in the role and to learn more about the organization. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview. 
2. An in-person interview with the Plant Manager. This conversation will explore your production knowledge and continuous improvement experience, as well as your approach to team management and cross-functional communication. 
3. An in-person interview with the COO and another senior leader. This includes the opportunity to take a plant tour. You will dive deeper into your experience, your approach to problem-solving, and how you collaborate within an operational environment. You will also have the chance to tour the facility to get a clear sense of the work environment, processes, and culture.

Skjodt-Barrett welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Please let us know what accommodations you require across the selection process.

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