Production Coordinator

Ohly is the third largest yeast extract producer in the world with sites in Germany and the USA. We develop, produce and deliver high-quality yeast-based flavours and specialty powders. Ohly is part of the $17.6bn turnover Associated British Food (ABF) Group. ABF is a broad portfolio of businesses which includes Primark, Ovaltine, Twinings, AB Enzymes, and is the world’s second largest producer of both sugar and baker’s yeast.

ABF takes a long-term perspective on investment and performance, and stimulates entrepreneurship by giving high degrees of autonomy to operational businesses. This means that decisions are taken as close as possible to their point of impact allowing teams the freedom to act, in order to be successfully flexible and fast. ABF invests a great deal in selecting and developing the right people for Ohly and the broader ABF group of companies.

Join Our Team at Ohly

At Ohly, we transform natural raw materials into specialty yeast extracts and ingredients that help create better foods, health products, and animal nutrition solutions worldwide. We are looking for a proactive and hands-on Production Coordinator to support our manufacturing operations and drive continuous improvement across our production environment.

This is an exciting opportunity for a manufacturing professional who enjoys balancing operational coordination, process improvement, training, and cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced food production environment.

Position Summary

The Production Coordinator plays a key role in supporting day-to-day production operations while driving operational excellence initiatives. This position serves as a link between Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations, ensuring efficient execution of manufacturing activities, ERP accuracy, employee training, SOP management, and continuous improvement projects.

Success in this role requires strong organizational skills, a hands-on approach to problem-solving, and the ability to work closely with supervisors and operators to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Production Coordination & Operations Support
• Coordinate and support daily production activities to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing.
• Maintain and improve ERP data accuracy and production records.
• Serve as the production representative in scheduled cross-functional meetings.
• Act as a backup for production planning, scheduling, and production record finalization.
• Support production supervisors and provide coverage during absences when needed.
• Participate in the plant's on-call rotation alongside the Production Manager.
• Serve as Incident Commander during designated situations.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify, coordinate, and implement operational improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with supervisors and operators to surface, evaluate, and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Utilize continuous improvement tools and tracking systems such as EPIC.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and process optimization initiatives.
• Drive improvements in safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance while helping achieve key KPI targets.

Training & Employee Development

• Own and manage the production training system.
• Develop and deliver training programs for supervisors and operators.
• Create and update training materials, standard operating procedures, and work instructions.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, safety, and accountability.
• Support workforce management initiatives and provide operational input regarding employee relations and union matters.

Quality & Customer Support

• Lead or support investigations related to production issues, downtime events, customer complaints, and out-of-specification results.
• Coordinate activities between Production and Quality teams, including cleaning verification, swabbing, and production documentation.
• Support coordination between Production and Supply Chain regarding schedule adjustments and operational priorities.

Systems, Documentation & Compliance

• Maintain and improve production procedures, forms, tools, and SOPs.
• Coordinate production labeling requirements for specific customers.
• Manage inventory and availability of production-related materials and supplies.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.

Safety Leadership

• Promote and model safe work behaviors throughout the production environment.
• Support and participate in safety initiatives, audits, toolbox talks, incident reporting, and corrective actions.
• Identify opportunities to improve safety systems and procedures.
• Participate in annual safety training and ongoing safety programs.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of manufacturing experience, preferably within the food industry.
• Previous supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working in a manufacturing environment with production processes and operational systems.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to analyze information, prioritize competing tasks, and manage multiple projects.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing regulations and quality systems, including: GMP, HACCP, FDA, USDA, OSHA, Kosher standards

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline.
• Equivalent food manufacturing management experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Experience with process optimization and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience working in a unionized manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of production processes such as: Evaporation, Spray Drying, Centrifugation, Packaging Operations

Physical Requirements

• Occasionally lift and carry materials up to 50 lbs (23 kg).
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment requiring periods of standing, walking, and computer-based work.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for computer and operational tasks.

We look forward to your application including information about your earliest possible start date and salary expectations!