Department Manager - Russell Stover Chocolates

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! 

A day in the life…

As the Department Manager, you are responsible for managing all resources related to a production department. This includes ensuring products are manufactured in the quantities required by production planning, within designated timeframes, and at the most efficient cost without compromising high standards for safety and quality.

What you will be doing…

Leadership

• Understand, communicate, and drive results consistent with company goals and strategic plans
• Responsible for hiring, training, motivating, and development of supervisory and up to 400 hourly production staff to ensure optimal production results and establish solid, internal bench strength within the manufacturing facility
• Actively coach, monitor, and review the performance of direct reports on a yearly basis. Develop goals with direct reports and follow up to ensure company goals are met.
• Lead the department applying lean methodologies in all areas to reduce or eliminate NVA (non-value added) tasks and to reduce any form of waste.
• Develop and encourage effective working relationships within the department and functional support groups to ensure timely communication and proper operational execution.
• Develop and ensure adherence to all standard procedures (SOP’s, COP’s).
• Facilitate positive partnerships amongst support departments to enhance business processes and remove roadblocks
• Lead, coach, and promote kaizen activities across the business in efforts to reduce or eliminate losses
• Proposing/implementing/executing engineering projects/improvements that align with a 3-5 year plan/goals

o Align Ensure capex budget and plan with organizational strategy

o Assist with project scope defining and execution

o Identifying and managing potential risks and liabilities of projects while ensuring daily operation goals

o Motivate team to participate in projects and meet key deliverables

Ensure Safety and Quality Standards

• Ensure safety programs are current and effectively executed to minimize incidents or accidents and company liability.
• Ensure that manufactured products are produced in compliance with company Quality specifications, policies, government regulations, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s), Hazard Analysis (HACCP) as well as ISO standards and other Quality Standards.
• In a collaborative spirit, ensure internal and external stakeholders understand requirements and expectations.
• Proactively address safety issues, owning your area, and deploying data-driven improvements to minimize risk
• Collaboration with Research and Development to Achieve the Following:
• Provide input for new product development including constraints and engineering installations necessary for existing production lines
• Identify and drive cross-functional efficiency improvement projects
• Understanding of critical production machinery/parameters and its effect on quality to make timely decisions

Fiscal Responsibility

• Drive efficiencies and reduce waste and rework on production lines. Review performance regularly with staff and align maintenance plans based on set goals.
• Responsible for compliance with direct and indirect support labor budgets.
• Participate in the development of the department’s annual budget, manage departmental spending, and ensure budgetary compliance within own area of responsibility.
• Remain within budgetary confines on all internally led engineering projects
• Production line scheduling in cooperation with the Planning dept.
• Assist with scheduling and planning of production lines to reduce changeovers and optimize operations
• Ensure maintenance activities align with production schedules
• Manage and plan production staffing in conjunction with standard rates

Lindt Production Way (LPW)

• Participate in LPW pillars and teams and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Follow the LPW methodology (TPM) to monitor and report production (PCS) and continuously improve processes to reduce waste (breakdowns, labor, overweight, etc.) using LPW/lean tools and processes such as 5S, 5-Why, Kaizen events, etc.
• Support and coach employees in critical, independent thinking and root cause analysis to empower them to challenge, improve and standardize processes. Get each supervisor and staff member to take initiative to solve problems and make improvements.
• Support a hands-on approach (Gemba) to go, observe, and understand problems to best support employees and solutions.
• Build effective and autonomous teams, drive change, and promote new ideas to improve processes revolving around production, quality, safety, and maintenance.

Do you have what it takes? 

(Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of supervisory experience preferably in a chocolate manufacturing environment
• 5+ years of food/quality/safety experience in a manufacturing environment
• Proven experience in continuous improvement in a manufacturing setting using lean tools (5S, TPM, Six Sigma, or similar programs)
• Proven knowledge of food quality standards, federal state, and local regulations
• Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, and Quality – Standards (ISO, AIB, Siliker).
• Understanding of analytical testing, sensory methods, food microbiology, IPM (integrated pest management)
• Excellent computer skills with working knowledge of MS Office
• Strong interpersonal, managerial, and leadership skills required with a strong focus on accountability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working with individuals at all levels within the organization
• Formal training in sanitation, food, safety, regulatory

What it’s like at the Russell Stover Plants

• Safety. Your safety is important to us, so we provide protective gear. We also go through an in-depth Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training on your first day and continue to share safety tips daily
• Surroundings. You’ll be working around different machines – Schubert’s, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and chocolate candy banks/steels.
• Activity. Some activities may require standing in one place for long periods, walking around, or climbing stairs/ladders, and routinely lift 50 lbs.
• Temperature. You will be comfortable year-round with our climate-controlled environment. Our temperatures are consistently around 63°F but could fluctuate depending on your specific role.
• Smell. You will enjoy a variety of deliciously sweet aromas and you may end your day smelling like chocolate!
• Dress code. Relaxed, with a few rules to follow for food safety, personal safety and in guidance with our good manufacturing practices (GMP). Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are required. Leather, imitation leather, or rubber boots or shoes must be worn in the kitchen and other areas when working around hot liquid/product or hot water.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.