Job Title: Team Lead – Production Operations (Hourly – Non-Exempt)

Job Summary: At La Panciata Bakery, the Team Lead – Production Operations plays a critical role in supporting daily production activities while guiding, training, and motivating team members. This full-time, hourly non-exempt position serves as a key link between frontline staff and management, ensuring operational consistency, accountability, and high team performance. Team Leads work alongside production staff to maintain workflow efficiency, reinforce company standards, and support continuous improvement efforts. This role is designed as a developmental pathway into a Supervisor position.

Key Responsibilities

Production Leadership & Workflow Support

Support daily production operations to ensure efficiency, quality, and adherence to company standards
Coordinate workflow across team members to maintain steady production output
Serve as a point of accountability for team performance and process consistency
Step in and perform production tasks as needed to support team success

Training & Team Development

Train and onboard new employees, including overseeing job shadowing and skill development
Coach team members on performance expectations and operational procedures
Reinforce company standards, safety protocols, and production best practices
Support a positive and collaborative team environment

Quality & Continuous Improvement

Monitor key production metrics such as output, waste reduction, and product quality
Identify workflow challenges and contribute to process improvement initiatives
Ensure adherence to food safety, quality, and operational procedures
Communicate production concerns or improvement opportunities to leadership

Communication & Collaboration

Maintain regular communication with leadership regarding staffing needs and operational challenges
Support coordination between production staff and management
Assist with maintaining production efficiency during peak demand periods

Required Skills & Competencies:

Demonstrated leadership potential with strong interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to influence, motivate, and guide team members without formal supervisory authority
Strong work ethic, reliability, and accountability in a fast-paced environment
Willingness to learn operational processes and develop supervisory capabilities
Prior experience in production, manufacturing, food service, or a similar environment preferred

Work Hours:

Schedule varies based on production needs
Flexibility required to support workflow completion and team coordination
Occasional extended shifts may be necessary depending on production demand

Education & Experience:

High school diploma or equivalent required
Previous production, manufacturing, bakery, or food service experience preferred

Physical Requirements:

Lift 50 lbs occasionally
Lift 20–40 lbs frequently
Frequent standing for extended periods
Ability to perform physically demanding work in a fast-paced production environment

About La Panciata

La Panciata, a family-owned bakery in Northfield, Vermont, has been producing delicious Italian-style bread since 1992. Originally started by Glenn and Lori Loati, the bakery gained popularity through its quality product and word of mouth. The bread's exceptional taste and quality ingredients have earned a loyal customer base. La Panciata offers a diverse range of flavors, textures, and styles. The bakery is also known for its community involvement, with the original owners and current owners, Justin and Bonka Loati, actively giving back to local charities. In 2016, Justin and Bonka purchased the bakery, maintaining its originality while infusing their own individuality into the business.

Working at La Panciata bakery you will be part of the team that makes high quality bread products that feed thousands of people in Vermont and parts of New Hampshire every week. You can also take pride in knowing that the extra bread you make that does not go into orders makes its way into many donations that help those in need and to support charitable community events. You become an important part of the community by being on our baking team.

Company Description

Italian Heritage
Our recipes trace back to Italy, not a test kitchen. Every loaf carries a tradition that's been refined and held steady for decades.

Clean, Simple Ingredients
Nothing artificial. Nothing you can't pronounce. Just the same honest ingredients you'd already have at home.

Made for Every Table
From half-loaves for smaller households to bulk orders for wholesale partners, we bake bread that works for real life.

Community First
We donate a portion of every bake to local food shelves and stay active in the communities that support us.

La Panciata Bakery

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