Job Description

Description

Holly Poultry has been providing poultry to the Baltimore area for more than 60 years. Today, Holly Poultry's geographic reach has expanded across the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast, selling to a wide variety of customers from small intercity grocery stores to national restaurant chains and food service distributors. 

 BE PART OF OUR TOMORROW! 

 We are currently hiring for: Production Supervisor – Tender Department

Lead and oversee all daily production operations—prioritizing safety, quality, manufacturing efficiency, and housekeeping—to consistently meet targets and uphold company culture and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

Production Operations

• Plan, schedule, and supervise production activities to meet volume and timing goals.
• Monitor workflow and adjust staffing/schedules to prevent or correct bottlenecks.
• Ensure optimal equipment utilization and maintenance.

Team Leadership & Staff Management

• Manage, coach, and develop production employees, including performance reviews and disciplinary actions.
• Train new hires and ensure all staff comply with company policies, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), SOPs, and union agreements (where applicable).
• Promote a collaborative, safety-oriented, and high-performance work atmosphere.

Tender Line Operations

• Supervise all aspects of the tender processing area, ensuring precision trimming, portioning, and packaging.
• Monitor machinery specific to tender cutting, such as blade portioners or tenderizing equipment.
• Adjust production based on product weight specs, yield goals, and order demands specific to tenders.

Yield & Waste Control

• Focus on maximizing yield from chicken tenders while minimizing waste and rework.
• Work closely with QA and tender cutting staff to ensure proper cut specs are followed consistently.

Sanitation & Allergens (Tender Line)

• Ensure all tender department sanitation protocols are strictly followed, especially for cross-contamination control (e.g., allergens, foreign materials, bone fragments).
• Coordinate with sanitation crews to verify cleaning procedures post-shift.

Quality & Safety Oversight

• Enforce food safety and regulatory standards (HACCP, FDA, USDA, SQF).
• Coordinate with QA for regular inspections and promptly rectify quality or safety

issues.

Process Improvement

• Pinpoint inefficiencies and lead initiatives to reduce waste and enhance production output.
• Implement Lean or Six Sigma methodologies where appropriate.

Reporting & Documentation

• Maintain accurate records for production volumes, inventory, and staff performance.
• Prepare daily/weekly reports summarizing metrics, challenges, and improvements.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years’ supervisory experience, ideally in food processing, poultry, or consumer goods.
• Experience working specifically with portion-controlled poultry products (like tenders, nuggets, or strips) is a plus.
• Familiarity with weight grading and spec trimming standards are preferred.
• Knowledge of inline portioning equipment or semi-automated cutting systems is valuable.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
• Bilingual in Spanish or French is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing methodologies preferred.
• Computer proficiency (MS Excel, Word).
• Flexibility to work varied schedules—including weekends and holidays.
• Ability to motivate, develop, and direct a diverse team.
• Union experience is a plus.
• Must pass a post-offer drug and background screen.

Working Conditions

• On-site in an active poultry production facility.
• Exposure to refrigerated temps, high noise levels; must stand for long durations.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds regularly.

Holly Poultry, Inc. and its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.