Kitchen Lead - 2nd Shift

About the Role

Tandem Foods is expanding operations at our Omega facility with the launch of our new SL6 production line. As part of this growth, we are building our team across all three shifts and seeking skilled talent to support our expanding operation. The Kitchen Lead is responsible for leading and coordinating production activities within the assigned processing area to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent production of high-quality products.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct employees within the assigned processing area, coordinating daily activities, breaks, and relief coverage as needed.
• Manage production activities to ensure compliance with established formulas, specifications, procedures, and quality standards.
• Review labor schedules and ensure trained employees are assigned to appropriate job functions with necessary tools and resources.
• Monitor and enforce plant safety, GMP, food safety, and quality requirements, taking corrective action and escalating concerns when necessary.
• Ensure compliance with BRC, HACCP, GMP, FDA, USDA, allergen, and Gluten Program requirements as applicable.
• Partner with Production Supervisors and management to ensure employees complete all required training.
• Coach, train, and motivate employees while promoting teamwork, accountability, safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Communicate regularly with the Production Supervisor regarding production performance, employee concerns, equipment issues, and potential operational problems.
• Coordinate with other Leads and processing employees to ensure effective shift handoffs and communication of outstanding issues between shifts.
• Monitor employee attendance and escalate concerns to the Production Supervisor.
• Ensure accurate and timely completion of production paperwork, data recording, and required documentation.
• Partner with Maintenance, Warehouse, Quality, Sanitation, and other support functions to coordinate production activities, scheduled downtime, changeovers, and startups.
• Monitor equipment and production line conditions, make minor adjustments, assist with repairs, and submit work orders or maintenance requests as needed.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance line efficiency, solve production problems, and leverage plant resources.
• Develop, improve, and audit standard work, procedures, and One Point Lessons (OPLs) to ensure consistent execution.
• Support labor scheduling, production supplies, quality control, maintenance coordination, sanitation, improvement projects, employee training, and line efficiency within the assigned area.
• Report safety incidents and promote safe behaviors throughout the workforce.
• Serve as backup to the Production Supervisor as needed.
• Support production operations across an assigned shift, including 8–12 hour shifts and 5–7 days per week based on business needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

The role oversees employees and activities throughout the production process, including ingredient preparation, scaling and mixing, depositing and forming, slab forming, enrobing, cooling, cutting, and slitting before finished product is transferred to Packaging. The Kitchen Lead provides day-to-day leadership on the assigned production line and serves as a backup to the Production Supervisor, working closely with Production, Maintenance, Warehouse, Sanitation, Quality, and other support teams to maintain safety, food safety, quality, line efficiency, and production standards.