Burlington, NJ
Who we are:
Founded in 2013, Thistle is an early-stage food-tech startup empowering our customers to get and stay healthy while improving our food system’s sustainability. We deliver delicious, organic, healthy, plant-forward meals, cold-pressed juices, and snacks to customers on the West Coast at the elusive intersection of convenience, health, and sustainability.
We don’t want to be just another food delivery startup. Our focus is on our customers’ health and happiness, and we are revolutionizing how fresh, nutritious, high-quality food is purchased, manufactured, and delivered at scale. Thistle is headquartered in San Francisco, and we are backed by some amazing investors.
Until now, Thistle has only operated in California and surrounding states. We are building out a brand new production facility in Burlington, NJ, in preparation for expanding our business and our mission to an East Coast audience. We are incredibly excited about this milestone and are currently looking for entrepreneurial candidates to help lead this new facility.
About the role:
Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Production Manager is responsible for managing a team consisting of Production Supervisors, Leads, and Associates. The Production Manager maintains the entire production function, including plating and packaging meals, snacks, and beverages. The person in this role will work closely with leadership to develop and execute the production function in our new facility and build and scale a high-performing team.
The ideal candidate has a roll-up-your-sleeves approach, has a positive attitude, is a hands-on leader, works to empower and motivate their team, and thrives in a fast-paced, high-volume, evolving environment.
What you’ll do:
People Management:
Develop, oversee, and scale the production team
Partner with Talent Acquisition to identify hiring needs for the team, recruit, and interview talent
Collaborate with People Operations to train new additions to the team with a focus on setting new hires up for success and retention, handle disciplinary actions, and identify areas for performance coaching and evaluation
Identify continuous training and/or coaching opportunities in productivity and KPIs for staff
Audit and approve timecards promptly for payroll
Production Oversight:
Develop and set production objectives and implement action plans for achieving set targets
Prepare periodic reports to update upper management on food production activities
Plan, organize, and map plate and pack functions throughput for all shifts; assign team members appropriately to respective lines for maximum efficiency and balance
Ensure that all required documentation is completed in full, is accurate, and submitted after each shift
Ensure that all staff follows and understands Allergy SOP to maintain and allow for “0” (zero) allergy misses
Partner with Kitchen team to ensure accurate menu production
Collaborate with internal Warehouse and Logistics teams for inventory, shipping, and delivery functions
Create and institute SOPs or protocols as needed to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and discipline for the production function and team
Safety & OSHA Compliance:
Participate in consistent safety meetings; monitor attendance for policy changes and rollouts
Ensure OSHA compliance standards are adhered to at all times by staff
Conduct weekly internal QA Audits in collaboration with QA Team; institute and manage preventative measures to reduce the level of infractions and build internal team discipline
What you’ll bring:
4+ years of supervisory or management experience in a production or manufacturing facility required; CPG and/or food production experience highly preferred
Working knowledge of relevant Employment Law
Strong decision-making skills and a results-driven approach
Working knowledge and understanding of GMPs, quality standards, and safety & OSHA regulations
Proven experience in setting and reporting on key production metrics
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
Excellent organizational and time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate them when appropriate
Ability to function well in a high-paced and, at times, stressful environment
Ability to successfully and consistently meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail and adhering to our company mission and values
Tech-savvy approach to everyday tasks and communication; comfortable with G-Suite and Slack a big plus
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early morning, nights, and/or weekend shifts
Verbal proficiency in Spanish is a plus
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values at Thistle. We know we’ll do our best and most impactful work when we feel we’re represented and we belong. We’re proud to actively recruit and hire talented people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. You can get some deeper insight into how we approach DEI, along with some statistics on the internal demographics of the company and leadership team, here:
https://www.thistle.co/learn/thistle-thoughts/thistle-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.
