Production Supervisor

Made Better isn’t just a claim; it’s our Dare promise.

Dare has been a proudly Canadian, family-owned company since 1889. Throughout our long history, we’ve created some of the most loved brands in the country including Bear Paws cookies, REALFRUIT gummies, Breton crackers, Melba Toast and many more. For over 130 years we had been located in the Kitchener area since the family’s original store opened in 1892. We are head quartered in Cambridge Ontario and we’ve expanded our roots far beyond. With manufacturing plants in North America and over 1400 employees, Dare is part of the fabric of Canada.

At Dare our dedicated team works passionately to uphold our tradition of excellence, innovation and quality in every aspect of our operations. Our state-of-the-art facilities utilize advanced technology to ensure consistency and quality while meeting the evolving needs of our consumers and customers.

Location: Cambridge, Ontario

Salary Range: $70,000 - $85,000

Department: Manufacturing / Operations

Shift: Night Shift: Monday to Wednesday (6pm-7am)

Position Type: Permanent, Full-Time, Onsite, Replacement

Position Overview:

The Production Supervisor is responsible for overseeing daily candy production operations, ensuring production schedules, quality, food safety, and efficiency targets are consistently achieved. This role provides hands-on leadership to production teams, coordinating labor, materials, and equipment while fostering a safe, positive, and accountable work environment. The Production Supervisor will monitor production performance, address issues and downtime, and drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, waste reduction, and quality. Working closely with Quality, Maintenance, Materials, and Scheduling teams, this role will also support process improvements, new product trials, and equipment start-ups.

Key Responsibilities:

Production & Operations

• Oversee daily cookie production to meet scheduling, quality, and efficiency targets.
• Coordinate labor, materials, and equipment to support uninterrupted production flow.
• Monitor production performance, downtime, scrap, and yields, taking corrective action as required.
• Ensure accurate completion of production documentation and shift reports.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and motivate production team members to achieve performance, safety, and quality goals.
• Provide on‑the‑floor leadership, including onboarding, training, and cross‑training of employees.
• Conduct performance feedback, attendance management, and progressive discipline in accordance with company policies.
• Foster a positive, respectful, and accountable team culture.

Safety, Quality & Food Safety

• Promote and enforce a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with all Health & Safety requirements.
• Ensure adherence to GMP, HACCP, SQF/FSSC, and food safety standards specific to candy and confectionery production.
• Respond to and investigate safety incidents, quality deviations, and customer complaints, completing root‑cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Ensure sanitation, allergen controls, and housekeeping standards are consistently met.

Continuous Improvement & Collaboration

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to efficiency, labor utilization, waste reduction, and quality.
• Work cross‑functionally with Quality, Maintenance, Materials, and Scheduling teams to resolve issues and support production goals.
• Support new product trials, process changes, and equipment start‑ups as required.

Qualifications:

• Post‑secondary education in Manufacturing, Food Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• 3–5 years of supervisory experience in food manufacturing; confectionery or candy production experience is a strong asset.
• Strong knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, food safety, and quality systems.
• Proven experience leading teams in a high‑volume, fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Comfortable working on the production floor and across rotating shifts as required.

Total Rewards Package: Our Total Rewards package reflects the investment we make in our employees to help them and their families achieve their well-being goals. Total Rewards at Dare Foods includes a competitive base salary, comprehensive health and wellness benefits and retirement programs. In addition, we offer paid time off, career development opportunities as well as reward and recognition programs.

At Dare Foods Limited, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive, accessible, equal-opportunity environment that welcomes all individuals from all backgrounds because we know it will make our company a better place to work. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment.

We want to thank all candidates in advance for their interest; only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot confirm the receipt of individual applications or resumes.

Salary offers will be determined based on the candidate's skills, experience, and internal equity.