Production Line Leader - Commissary

SUMMARY

The Commissary Line Leader supports daily commissary production operations by coordinating line activities, assisting teammates, and helping maintain production flow, food safety, quality, and operational standards. This role serves as a working lead on the production floor and acts as a point of operational support for Supervisors by assisting with communication, staffing coordination, troubleshooting, execution of production goals, and maintaining workflow continuity.
The Line Leader is expected to lead by example while remaining actively involved in production activities including packaging, ingredient staging, equipment operation, material movement, product handling, and production support functions. This position does not replace the Supervisor role but provides operational support during daily production and helps maintain continuity when Supervisors are supporting multiple operational areas or are temporarily unavailable.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

•    Assist teammates with packaging, ingredient staging, equipment setup, line startup, changeovers, and production support activities as needed.
•    Help coordinate line flow and communicate operational priorities to teammates during production runs.
•    Monitor product quality, packaging integrity, labeling accuracy, portion control, and GMP compliance throughout the shift.
•    Assist with startup, operation, minor troubleshooting, and shutdown of production equipment following approved procedures and safety standards.
•    Identify operational concerns such as shortages, downtime, staffing gaps, quality concerns, or equipment issues and communicate them promptly to Supervisors or appropriate support teams.
•    Support adherence to food safety, allergen control, sanitation, HACCP, GMP, PPE, and company safety requirements always.
•    Assist with completion of production documentation, line checks, downtime tracking, batch records, inventory tracking, and cleaning logs as required.
•    Help maintain organization and cleanliness across production lines, workstations, staging areas, storage areas, and operational zones.
•    Assist with final staging, palletizing, tote organization, and preparation of finished products for warehouse handoff and shipment.
•    Support onboarding and training of teammates on production procedures, GMP expectations, food safety requirements, and operational standards.
•    Assist Supervisors with communication of production goals, staffing adjustments, operational priorities, and shift expectations.
•    Coordinate with Warehouse, QA, FSQA, Sanitation, Maintenance, and Planning teams as directed to support operational continuity.
•    Operate packaging equipment, production equipment, pallet jacks, scales, and material handling equipment safely and efficiently.
•    Assist with inventory organization, material movement, ingredient replenishment, and operational support tasks based on production needs.
•    Escalate food safety, quality, safety, operational, or compliance concerns to Supervisors or FSQA immediately.
•    Support downtime recovery, line balancing, staffing coverage, and operational adjustments as directed by leadership.
•    Perform all other related duties as assigned by Supervisors or Management.

ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS
•    The Commissary Line Leader role is considered a flexible operational support position within Commissary Operations and may be required to assist across multiple production, packaging, prep, staging, receiving, sanitation, inventory, warehouse support, or operational support functions based on daily business needs.
•    Responsibilities may vary daily depending on staffing levels, production schedules, operational priorities, equipment downtime, customer demand, or food safety requirements.
•    Teammates in this role are expected to support operational continuity by assisting in areas outside their primary assignment when directed by Supervisors or Management.
•    This role may temporarily assist with production coordination, workflow direction, troubleshooting, material movement, documentation support, communication functions, line coverage, or training support during periods where Supervisors are supporting multiple operational areas.
•    Job responsibilities listed in this description are not intended to be all-inclusive and may be modified, expanded, reassigned, or adjusted based on operational needs and business demands.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

•    Must be at least 18 years of age.
•    Strong communication, teamwork, and organizational skills.
•    Ability to work in a fast-paced food production environment.
•    Demonstrated reliability, attendance, and leadership by example.
•    Basic understanding of GMPs, food safety, sanitation, and workplace safety practices.
•    Ability to prioritize tasks and support operational coordination during production.
•    Ability to follow SOPs, batch sheets, production schedules, and operational instructions.
•    Ability to adapt to changing operational priorities and support multiple departments as needed.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

•    High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
•    Previous experience in commissary, food manufacturing, packaging, prep, warehouse, sanitation, or production operations preferred.
•    Experience operating food production or packaging equipment preferred.
•    Informal leadership, trainer, or team lead experience preferred.
•    Basic computer, Redzone, and production system knowledge preferred.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
•    Strong attention to detail and operational awareness.
•    Ability to lead by example while working alongside teammates.
•    Effective communication and problem-solving skills.
•    Ability to remain organized and productive under pressure.
•    Strong sense of urgency and accountability.
•    Commitment to safety, food quality, sanitation, and teamwork.
•    Ability to support operational continuity in the Supervisor’s absence within assigned responsibilities.
•    Flexibility to support changing production and operational needs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

EQUIPMENT USED

• Commercial food production and packaging equipment
• Heat sealers, labelers, mixers, slicers, ovens, kettles, fillers, and portioning tools
• Ingredient scales and measuring devices
• Pallet jacks, carts, racks, totes, and material handling equipment
• Cleaning and sanitation tools
• PPE Equipment (Gloves, Smocks, Goggles, Cut Gloves, etc.)
• Inventory and Ordering systems as assigned