Production Plant Manager

Lucky Goat Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster based in Tallahassee, Florida, with national reach and a strong focus on quality, consistency, and customer experience. Since opening in 2010, Lucky Goat Coffee has grown by pairing disciplined operations with a values driven culture.

The Production Plant Manager leads daily manufacturing operations across roasting, production, cold brew, and shipping. This is a hands on, player coach and leadership role accountable for safety, quality, throughput, and on time order fulfillment. The role focuses on execution, team leadership, and operational reliability while partnering with the Vice President of Operations on planning, improvement initiatives, and execution of approved capital projects.

Primary Function

This position serves as the senior on site manufacturing leader for Production, Roasting, Cold Brew, and Shipping teams. The Production Plant Manager is responsible for running safe, efficient, and reliable daily operations while developing people and maintaining high quality standards.

Capital strategy, major equipment purchases, and long term capacity planning are owned by the Vice President of Operations, with operational input and feedback from this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute daily and weekly production plans to meet demand, service expectations, and quality standards.
• Lead, schedule, and coach production teams to ensure safe, efficient, and consistent execution.
• Maintain strong floor presence and actively support day to day operations and real time problem solving.
• Ensure strict adherence to food safety, HACCP, sanitation, and workplace safety standards.
• Monitor and control raw material, work in process, and finished goods inventory to support FIFO, accuracy, and waste reduction.
• Own preventive maintenance and sanitation execution, ensuring equipment uptime through documented schedules, inspections, and follow up actions.
• Identify production constraints, equipment issues, or process gaps and escalate recommendations to the Vice President of Operations.
• Partner with Operations leadership on trials, commissioning, and rollout of new equipment once capital decisions are made.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for production issues impacting customer orders, safety, or quality.
• Coordinate closely with procurement, sales, branding, service, and distribution teams to ensure smooth production flow and issue resolution.
• Oversee e commerce order fulfillment and shipping execution during peak seasons, with the expectation that orders are packed for shipment within 24 hours of receipt.
• Collaborate with HR on hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management of production team members.
• Provide consistent feedback, coaching, and corrective action to improve individual and team performance.

Success Measures

Success in this role is measured by safety performance, on time order fulfillment, quality outcomes, labor efficiency, and equipment reliability.

Requirements

• 5 to 8 years leading production teams in food or beverage manufacturing environments.
• Experience supervising multiple functional areas such as production, packaging, or shipping.
• Strong understanding of production management principles, quality control practices, FIFO, and lean manufacturing concepts.
• Working knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and hold teams accountable in a fast paced environment.
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem solving skills.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office and production or inventory systems.
• Ability to lift over 50 pounds regularly and perform physical tasks including bending, kneeling, and standing for extended periods.
• Consistently demonstrates a customer first, positive, and solutions oriented mindset.

Reporting

This position reports to the Vice President of Operations and works closely with the Master Roaster, Purchasing Manager, and Service Manager.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary range of $60,000 to $70,000 annually, based on experience.
• Employee discount of 25 percent.
• Competitive paid time off policy and paid holidays as outlined in the Employee Handbook.
• Healthcare benefits including supplemental dental and vision.
• 401(k) with company match.

Lucky Goat Coffee is an equal opportunity employer. Benefits and compensation are subject to change based on applicable laws and company policy.