Cruzader Advanced Recruiting Solutions is a hybrid recruitment partner delivering both professional and executive-level hiring solutions. We combine speed, precision, and a relationship-driven approach to connect organizations with talent that drives innovation, growth, and long-term impact. We are conducting a confidential search on behalf of an established specialty food and ingredient manufacturer in the Cranbury, New Jersey area. The company operates a hands-on, multi-step manufacturing environment where raw materials move through processes such as weighing, batching, blending, mixing, processing, packaging, and quality control before becoming finished products. Its operations emphasize safety, quality, GMP compliance, food-safety standards, traceability, and consistent production execution.
JOB SUMMARY:
The Production Supervisor – Night Shift is the primary leadership presence for the company’s night production team. The role oversees day-to-day shift activities, keeps production on plan, provides hands-on direction and accountability to employees, identifies production deviations, and escalates issues appropriately when senior leadership is not onsite. The ideal candidate understands a multi-step manufacturing process in food ingredients and/or chemical ingredients. Relevant experience may include batching, blending, mixing, weighing, staging, processing, packaging, production documentation, GMP-controlled operations, safety, quality, and coordination with Quality and other plant functions.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:
The successful candidate will become the primary leadership presence for the night shift and will be expected to:
- Keep production on plan.
- Identify issues and escalate appropriately when production deviates from normal operations.
- Improve communication between shifts.
- Provide consistent direction and accountability to employees.
- Address behavioral and performance issues appropriately.
- Partner effectively with Quality and other departments.
- Build credibility with the team.
- Operate independently when senior leadership is not onsite. The individual will initially spend approximately one month training on first shift before transitioning to the permanent night schedule.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:- Assign production personnel to specific tasks and ensure standard operating procedures are followed.
- Lead, coach, and hold accountable approximately 6–10 employees on the night shift.
- Monitor production against the plan, identify deviations, troubleshoot issues, and escalate when appropriate.
- Ensure required production forms and documentation are completed accurately and on time.
- Monitor work for safe, proper, and timely completion.
- Ensure GMP, OSHA, HACCP, food-safety, and site safety expectations are followed.
- Ensure production areas are maintained in a safe, organized, clean, and efficient manner.
- Coordinate with Quality and other functions when production, product, process, or compliance issues arise.
- Improve shift handoffs and communication between first shift and night shift.
- Address employee performance and behavioral issues appropriately and consistently.
- Support manufacturing activities involving raw-material staging, weighing, mixing, blending, batching, processing, packaging, changeovers, and related production steps.
- Reinforce quality, traceability, lot-control, housekeeping, and production documentation expectations throughout the shift.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE:
The company is looking for a hands-on production leader who is comfortable working independently and leading employees in a smaller manufacturing environment. The individual does not need to know the company’s exact manufacturing process coming in. The process is specialized and will be taught. Strong transferable backgrounds include:
- Food manufacturing.
- Food ingredient or food additive manufacturing.
- Chemical ingredient or specialty chemical manufacturing.
- Bakery production.
- Flavor, fragrance, extract, seasoning, concentrate, beverage-ingredient, or nutraceutical manufacturing.
- Other manufacturing environments involving a multi-step production process.
- Production environments where a product is created from raw materials through multiple stages.
- Batch, blending, mixing, compounding, formulation, or process-manufacturing operations. Pure warehouse/distribution experience is generally not the target profile. A strong lead or team leader who has already been responsible for directing approximately 6–8 employees and is ready to move into a formal supervisor role may also be considered. TARGET EXPERIENCE
- Approximately 2–5 years of relevant manufacturing / production experience.
- Approximately 2–5 years of supervisory, team-lead, shift-lead, or progressively responsible production leadership experience preferred.
- Candidates slightly outside the range may still be considered when their process-manufacturing background and leadership scope are highly relevant. KEY MUST-HAVES
- Manufacturing or production experience.
- Prior supervisory, lead, or leadership responsibility.
- Understanding of a manufacturing process that converts raw materials through multiple production stages into finished product.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to work independently.
- Self-motivation and initiative.
- Strong people skills.
- Ability to earn credibility with an established workforce.
- Adaptability and flexibility.
- Ability to respond calmly when production conditions change.
- Ability to identify when an issue needs to be escalated.
- Working knowledge of GMP requirements.
- Exposure to ERP or production tracking systems. LEADERSHIP PROFILE
- Hands-on.
- Comfortable coaching employees.
- Able to hold employees accountable.
- Calm under pressure.
- Process-oriented.
- Organized.
- Independent.
- Flexible.
- A strong communicator.
- Resilient when challenged. Because this person will be new to an established team, the candidate should have the interpersonal skills and confidence to build relationships without becoming easily discouraged.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:- Food manufacturing experience.
- Food ingredient or chemical ingredient manufacturing experience.
- Bakery manufacturing experience.
- HACCP knowledge.
- Experience in a regulated production environment.
- Spanish-speaking ability.
- Experience working with multilingual production teams.
- Previous night-shift supervisory experience.
Bilingual ability is a strong plus but is not required. A candidate who is willing and able to learn basic Spanish terminology to communicate with employees may also be successful.
TECHNICAL / COMPLIANCE KNOWLEDGEGMP: Required working familiarity. Candidates coming from manufacturing should generally understand basic GMP practices.
HACCP:
Preferred. Can be trained if the candidate has the right manufacturing background.
ERP / Production Systems: Prior exposure is expected. The individual does not need experience with the specific system.
SCHEDULE & TRAININGPermanent schedule: Monday–Thursday, approximately 6:00 PM–6:00 AM.The selected candidate will spend approximately one month training on first shift before transitioning to the night schedule.
Overtime is expected. Final overtime and meal-break details are being confirmed and will be provided before an offer is made.
