Senior VS Manager

World's Finest Chocolate•Chicago, IL

3d•$140,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

World’s Finest Chocolate does more than make delicious chocolate. Since 1949, we’ve helped our fundraising customers raise over $4,600,000,000! These funds are used to buy playgrounds, pay for reading specialists, purchase musical instruments, fund field trips, and more. Our employees work as a team to support our company’s mission: To Deliver Extraordinary Value with Fun & Purpose . POSITION OVERVIEW: The Senior Manager, Manufacturing position is a strategic leadership role responsible for directing production for one of the core value streams at World's Finest Chocolate, our renowned Queen Anne cordial cherries operations. Our ideal candidate is eager for the opportunity to make an impact as our company grows. The successful candidate will lead a multishift operations team to drive excellence across Safety, Quality, Cost, Service, and People metrics, ensure regulatory compliance, and champion a culture of engagement and continuous improvement. This role is on-site in Chicago with occasional evening and weekend work required This role reports to the VP of Manufacturing

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, or Food Science), Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related technical field required
5-10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in CPG, food production, or confectionery industries, directly managing salaried and hourly production teams.
Expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies
Strong understanding of HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, FDA food safety regulations, and allergen control programs
Proficiency with manufacturing ERP systems including ERP (SAP preferred)
Strong analytical and data analysis skills, for use in production and people planning, budgeting, constraint analysis, and problem solving / process improvement.
Exceptional leadership and people development skills with ability to inspire diverse teams across multiple production areas
Outstanding communication and collaboration skills
Project management capabilities with experience leading NPIs, packaging automation implementation, and process improvement projects
Financial acumen including labor and material cost management, budgeting, and modeling
Results-driven leader with proven ability to manage complexity and deliver results
Hands-on, visible presence on the manufacturing floor with willingness to engage directly with production challenges
Customer-focused mindset with appreciation for premium quality and attention to detail
Change agent with ability to drive continuous improvement while maintaining quality standards
Collaborative partner who builds strong cross-functional relationships (Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Engineering, Marketing, etc.)
Passionate about people and creating a world-class workplace culture

Nice To Haves

Master's degree (MBA or MS in Engineering) preferred
Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt preferred)
Background in chocolate, confectionery, or food manufacturing strongly preferred
FDA-regulated food manufacturing experience with SQF, BRC, or similar preferred
Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

Responsibilities

Direct daily manufacturing operations for Queen Anne cordial cherries and other assigned product lines.
Lead, develop, and mentor a team of production supervisors, line leads, and hourly manufacturing employees
Optimize production planning and scheduling to balance efficiency and service
Drive equipment reliability and efficiency through partnerships with Engineering, Maintenance, and 3 rd party contractors
Lead by example in Safety, Food Safety, and our Core Values.
Champion a zero-incident safety culture; institute safety audits, near-miss investigations, and root cause analysis to prevent incidents and improve safety performance.
Maintain rigorous adherence to Food Safety and Quality Management Systems, including SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification
Ensure compliance with FDA regulations, HACCP principles, FSMA requirements, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), including allergen control programs.
Partner with Quality Assurance on corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) for quality deviations and customer complaints
Own and manage department budget. Including $3MM+ Labor spend and controlling Material Variance on over 10MM production pounds.
Drive waste reduction initiatives
Control labor costs with productivity improvements, investing in cross-training and employee engagement, keeping a long-term outlook
Achieve on-time delivery targets considering holiday season production ramp-up and new emerging seasonal and non-seasonal products
Manage seasonal workforce planning including hiring, training, and onboarding; determine and maintain ideal ratio of temporary to full time employees
Build and lead a high performing team through coaching, performance management, training & development, and succession planning
Model and promote company core values while fostering an inclusive, safe, and engaging workplace culture
Create an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and connected to the company mission
Lead by example through servant leadership, collaboration, and a commitment to delivering the finest experience
Partner with R&D, Marketing, and Sales to commercialize and scale new products
Evaluate manufacturing feasibility and costing for new products, material and packaging changes, process and equipment innovations, and new technology implementations
Champion Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles; Lead and champion process improvement projects
Establish and monitor KPIs including OEE, first-pass yield, changeover time, scrap rate, and labor efficiency across product lines
Maintain or implement 5S workplace organization, visual management systems, and standard work for complex production processes
Drive root cause analysis (RCA) for quality issues, downtime events, and customer complaints
Identify automation opportunities for various moulding, enrobing, and packaging processes