Packaging Supervisor

About the role

Founded nearly 120 years ago and based in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, with other operations across Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, we are a farmer-owned cooperative committed to producing high-quality products while investing in our people, communities, and operational excellence. We believe the best ideas come from those closest to the work, fostering a culture built on safety, integrity, continuous improvement, and teamwork. Our employees have the opportunity to make a direct impact in an organization that values hands-on leadership, innovation, and developing future leaders from within.

Why join us?

• Competitive Compensation: Competitive base salary (DOE)
• Annual Bonus Opportunity
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
• Generous PTO & Paid Holidays
• Stable Industry Leader: Long-standing, farmer-owned organization
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Collaborative Work Environment Focused on Continuous Improvement
• Hands-On Leadership Role: Spend 80%+ of your time driving improvements where the work happens
• No Travel Required

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Champion a zero-injury safety culture through visible leadership and daily engagement.
• Conduct gemba walks and reinforce safe work behaviors.
• Maintain 5S standards and perform regular workplace audits.
• Lead and coach packaging shift leads to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC).
• Foster employee engagement and encourage frontline problem-solving.
• Develop, implement, and sustain SOPs and best practices.
• Train employees and hold teams accountable to standards.
• Coordinate effective shift handoffs and communication processes.
• Utilize visual management systems to drive performance.
• Conduct root cause investigations using:
• 5-Why
• Fishbone/Ishikawa
• A3 Problem Solving
• Drive permanent corrective actions.
• Partner with Procurement to ensure packaging material availability.
• Apply inventory management and pull-system principles.
• Collaborate with Maintenance to improve TPM initiatives.
• Improve OEE and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Ensure compliance with GMPs and third-party audit standards.
• Partner with Quality and Operations teams to prevent defects.
• Utilize customer feedback to prioritize improvements.
• Analyze operational metrics and translate data into action plans.
• Spend 80%+ of working time on the production floor coaching and removing barriers.
• Provide operational support beyond scheduled hours when necessary.

Qualifications Needed

• Associate's degree or Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Equivalent hands-on experience in a lean manufacturing environment will be considered.
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience in packaging, food manufacturing, warehousing, or comparable production environments.
• Experience leading teams in packaging and warehouse operations.
• Strong background in lean manufacturing methodologies.
• Experience driving continuous improvement initiatives with measurable results.
• Working knowledge of:
• 5S
• Standard Work
• Visual Management
• TPM
• Root Cause Analysis
• Kaizen
• Proven ability to coach and develop frontline employees and shift leads.
• Proven ability to improve safety, quality, productivity, and waste reduction metrics.
• Experience developing and maintaining SOPs.
• Strong understanding of GMP requirements and audit readiness.
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with Maintenance, Procurement, Quality, and Operations.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office:
• Excel
• Outlook
• Word
• PowerPoint
• ERP experience required.
• SAP experience strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication skills across all organizational levels.
• High-energy, collaborative leadership style focused on accountability and people development.