Production Manager

WHO WE ARE

Slices Concession is North America's largest seller of refurbished ice cream and frozen drink equipment. We buy machines, bring them back to life, and get them into the hands of customers across the country. Our shop in Gainesville, FL is where the real work happens.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We're a small business with big ambitions — and we need a leader who can help us get there. You'll run our shop floor: refurbishment, quality control, cleaning, and shipping & receiving. This is a hands-on, team-leading role — not a desk job. You'll work hand in hand with every part of the team, learn each person's daily job, and fill in when needed. Every day you'll know which machine ships next, what's slowing it down, and how to clear the path.

This role is about people first. You coach, you teach, and you stay calm when things get hectic. You keep the team focused on the right priorities, jump into the weeds when a fire pops up, and then train the team so it doesn't happen again.

This job is challenging and rewarding. There are a lot of moving pieces, complex products, and a steady pace that keeps every day interesting, all within a set Monday–Friday schedule. Issues come up daily, and you'll solve them on the fly with clear, logical thinking. That's the opportunity. You'll work directly with ownership, your results will be seen, and there's real room to prove yourself and grow into a bigger operations role as we scale.

THE TEAM YOU'LL LEAD

You'll lead about 20 people through 4 direct reports: the Lead Technician, Quality Control Lead, Lead Cleaner, and Shipping & Receiving Technician.

You'll also partner with our Parts & Inventory Coordinator, who keeps techs stocked with parts and manages ordering and digital inventory.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Lead the team

• Work on the floor alongside your 4 leads and their teams, and learn every role well enough to step in when needed
• Coach, train, and hold people accountable with clear expectations and honest, respectful feedback
• Have hard conversations early, recognize good work, and review performance for raises and promotion
• Build a culture of pride, safety, and ownership

Keep machines moving

• Know every day which machines ship next and what's holding each one up — then clear it
• Keep the team focused on priorities, not side projects
• Partner with the Parts & Inventory Coordinator so techs never wait on parts
• Oversee receiving, intake, and outbound prep so machines ship on time
• Keep the warehouse clean, organized, and efficient

Protect quality and plan ahead

• Never trade quality for speed; work with QC to track kickbacks and fix root causes
• Track daily and weekly numbers and advise the Director of Operations on realistic output

HOW WE MEASURE SUCCESS

Your first 90 days are about focus: the whole floor working the right machines in the right order. Quality and on-time delivery come first; speed matters, but never at the cost of quality.

• On-time shipments
• Fewer kickbacks: rework and warranty issues 30, 60 and 90 days after delivery
• Output: machines completed per week, per person
• Team health: attendance, retention, and leads growing into their roles

WHO YOU ARE

• A coach and teacher. You develop people, explain the why, and lead by example.
• Steady and calm. When things get hectic, you keep everyone level and focused.
• Clean and organized, with a sense of urgency. You keep a tidy shop, know what matters most today, and make it happen.
• Quick to adapt. When issues pop up, you jump in, sort them out, and train the team to prevent them.
• Direct and respectful. You have hard conversations early and leave people with a path forward.

This role isn't for you if you:

• Prefer to manage from an office or a computer
• Like things done one way and struggle when plans change
• Avoid conflict or put off tough conversations
• Lean toward building complex systems over fixing what's in front of you

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 3+ years leading teams of 10 or more in a warehouse, production, manufacturing, logistics, trade or military setting
• Comfortable around tools and machinery, with basic mechanical understanding (machine-specific skills will be trained)
• Computer-savvy: email, spreadsheets, and inventory/ERP-type systems

Bonus Points

• Military leadership background (NCO or above)
• Experience with commercial frozen dessert or beverage equipment (Taylor, Electro Freeze, Carpigiani, Stoelting, etc.)
• Experience in a refurbishment or repair environment where throughput and quality both matter
• Associate or bachelor's degree (not required)

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Pay : $62,000–$72,000 per year, salaried (exempt), based on experience
• Bonus : Up to $2,000 per quarter (up to $8,000/yr) for hitting agreed-upon KPIs in on-time shipments, quality (fewer kickbacks), and output
• Health insurance : Up to $400/month health insurance reimbursement
• 401(k) : New company plan launching January 1, 2027, with up to 4% company match (100% of the first 3% you contribute, plus 50% of the next 2%), eligible after 90 days
• Paid time off : 80 hours (2 weeks) per year, accruing weekly starting at 90 days, plus 3 paid sick days per year; unused PTO paid out at separation
• Growth : Work closely with ownership — your results get noticed. A real path into a bigger operations leadership role as we scale
• Schedule : Monday–Friday, 0800–1630. During our busy season, you'll step up with the team when the work calls for it, and the bonus rewards those results.
• Pay frequency : Weekly

Pay: $62,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• What is the most difficult situation you have been in as a manager?
• How many people have you directly led? How many subordinates?
• Scenario: It's Monday. Five machines are due to ship this week, two technicians called out, and a QC just caught a major issue that slipped through. Walk us through your first hour.
• Tell us about a time an unexpected problem put a deadline at risk. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
• Tell us about a hard conversation you had with someone on your team. How did you handle it, and what happened after?
• Describe a situation where you had to create a system or process to increase efficiency; what were the results? Sign off this answer with the word "sprinkles."

Work Location: In person