What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sanitation & Production Supervisor position at Fresh Del Monte Produce Company?
Benefits We Offer Include:
- Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Employer‑paid life & disability insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- 7 Company Paid Holidays
- 24/7 Telemedicine & Employee Assistance Program
- Optional voluntary benefits (legal, accident, identity protection)
- Eligibility on the first of the month following your hire date
Purpose of Position:
Del Monte Fresh Produce Company Inc. is a global leader in fresh fruits and vegetables, delivering quality products from farm to table. With a strong commitment to safety, sustainability, and operational excellence, we take pride in supporting our people and investing in the teams that keep our operations running safely and efficiently every day.
The Production Supervisor is responsible for supporting day-to-day production operations, sanitation activities, employee supervision, safety, quality, and continuous improvement initiatives at the Plover facility. During the processing season, this role will focus heavily on production support, sanitation oversight, shift coverage, and maintaining compliance with food safety and quality standards. During the non-processing season, the role will support maintenance execution, project work, training, and operational readiness activities.
This position will work closely with the Production Manager, Shift Operations Manager, sanitation team, maintenance, quality, warehouse, and operations leadership to maintain safe, efficient, and compliant production operations. The Production Supervisor will provide leadership and direction to hourly and seasonal employees while supporting operational performance, employee development, and Del Monte Operational Excellence (DMOE) initiatives.
This role provides broader production floor support with a strong emphasis on sanitation readiness, production continuity, and cross-functional support across the facility.
Production Operations Support
• Support daily production operations during the processing season to maintain production, efficiency, and quality goals.
• Provide leadership coverage for assigned production departments, shifts, and processing areas as needed.
• Coordinate daily production activities to support raw product delivery, processing, packaging, and finished product flow.
• Assist with staffing, labor planning, and shift assignments to support production schedules and operational needs.
• Monitor production performance, downtime, labor utilization, and operational issues to help maintain daily targets.
• Review production records, downtime tracking, labor reporting, and operational documentation for accuracy and completion.
• Communicate daily priorities, shift updates, and operational concerns to employees and plant leadership.
• Provide support across departments during production peaks, staffing shortages, vacations, and other operational needs.
Sanitation Oversight
• Coordinate sanitation activities during production and non-production periods to maintain food safety and operational readiness.
• Support sanitation crews, production teams, and maintenance personnel in maintaining clean, organized, and inspection-ready work areas.
• Verify sanitation procedures are completed correctly and documented in accordance with company, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Review sanitation records, pre-operational inspections, corrective actions, and cleaning verification activities.
• Partner with Quality, Food Safety, and Operations teams to address sanitation concerns, audit findings, and improvement opportunities.
• Reinforce proper sanitation procedures, chemical handling, lockout/tagout, allergen controls, and GMP compliance.
• Assist with sanitation scheduling and coordination to minimize downtime and support production startup readiness.
• Support environmental programs, waste handling, wastewater processes, and other sanitation-related activities as needed.
Employee Leadership and Development
• Provide leadership, direction, and daily support to hourly and seasonal employees within assigned production areas.
• Coach employees on safety, attendance, quality, sanitation, productivity, and work expectations.
• Support onboarding, training, and development of new and existing employees.
• Assist with employee performance management, corrective action discussions, and recognition activities.
• Help develop internal talent and support future leadership development opportunities.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, communication, employee engagement, and DMOE participation throughout the department.
• Maintain visibility on the production floor to reinforce expectations, support employees, and resolve issues quickly.
Safety, Food Safety, and Quality
• Promote compliance with all company safety policies, GMPs, food safety programs, environmental requirements, and quality standards.
• Support safe work practices related to production equipment, sanitation chemicals, lockout/tagout, confined space, and powered industrial equipment.
• Participate in safety observations, incident investigations, corrective actions, and continuous improvement activities.
• Maintain responsibility for quality record review and proper response to deviations, non-conformances, and corrective actions.
• Support compliance with all local, state, federal, and corporate food safety and quality requirements.
• Assist with audits, inspections, customer visits, and regulatory activities as needed.
• Reinforce behavioral-based safety practices and safe work expectations among employees.
Maintenance and Off-Season Support
• Support maintenance execution during the non-processing season within assigned areas.
• Assist with work order coordination, parts ordering, contractor support, and project tracking.
• Work with maintenance teams to prioritize repairs, PM activities, and operational readiness for pack season.
• Support planning and execution of capital projects, equipment upgrades, line improvements, and facility improvements.
• Assist with man-hour tracking, project timelines, and resource coordination during the off-season.
• Provide support for startup activities, equipment testing, and line readiness before production begins.
Improvement and Operational Excellence
• Support Del Monte Operational Excellence (DMOE), lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead or participate in team meetings focused on safety, quality, sanitation, production, and cost improvement.
• Identify opportunities to reduce downtime, improve labor utilization, improve sanitation efficiency, and lower operating costs.
• Assist with process improvement projects, standard work development, root cause analysis, visual management, 5S, waste reduction, and operational problem-solving.
• Encourage employee involvement in continuous improvement efforts and operational feedback.
• Support efforts to improve OEE, quality performance, safety metrics, and production efficiency.
Minimum Required Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Food Science, Engineering, Operations, or a related field preferred.
- Minimum of 3–5 years of supervisory, lead, or manufacturing experience required.
- Previous experience in food manufacturing, sanitation, production, or maintenance environments preferred.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, GMPs, HACCP, quality systems, and employee safety requirements.
- Understanding of production processes, maintenance coordination, and manufacturing operations.
- Ability to lead teams, manage employee performance, and support a positive work environment.
- Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- Ability to work off-shifts, weekends, overtime, and varying schedules during the processing season.
Preferred:
- Previous supervisory experience in a food manufacturing or processing environment.
- Experience supporting sanitation programs, environmental compliance, or food safety audits.
- Experience with Operational Excellence Programs, lean manufacturing, lean manufacturing, preventive maintenance practices, operator equipment care, or continuous improvement programs.
- Experience with maintenance coordination, project work, and capital improvement activities.
- Knowledge of behavioral-based safety programs, employee development, and workforce planning.
- Experience supporting seasonal workforces and high-volume production operations.
- SAP experience.
Equivalent Experience:
- Equivalent combinations of education, supervisory experience, military leadership experience, manufacturing experience, maintenance support experience, and food production experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered.
***Please note: This position does not qualify for relocation expenses. ***
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. is a global leader in the production, distribution, and marketing of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Our diverse product portfolio also includes prepared fruits and vegetables, juices, beverages, snacks, and desserts—available in over 80 countries worldwide. With operations spanning more than 35 countries, we’ve proudly been nourishing families for over 135 years.
We are committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Fresh Del Monte and its affiliates do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We also participate in E-Verify* where applicable, to ensure employment authorization eligibility. Driven by our core values—Excellence, Care, Passion, Trust, and Creativity—we invite you to explore our career opportunities and join our FRESH team.