Production Manager – Loose Leaf Tea Market

Location: Tempe, AZ (on site)
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Salary Range: $30 per hour

About Loose Leaf Tea Market

Loose Leaf Tea Market creates premium, functional teas that help people feel better, naturally. We’re a fast-growing company with a big mission and an even bigger vision — scaling from $5M to $30M in annual revenue by 2027. Our growth depends on maintaining quality, consistency, and efficiency in every cup, and our Production Manager is a key player in making that happen.

We value communication, respect, growth, gratitude, abundance, and fun. We’re a team that believes in working hard, doing what’s right, and finding joy in the process.

Role Overview

The Production Manager is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day production activities to ensure that Loose Leaf Tea Market’s products are produced accurately, efficiently, and to the highest standards of quality.

This role requires a hands-on leader who can manage people, processes, and inventory while maintaining calm under pressure. The Production Manager ensures the team hits production goals, meets KPIs, and keeps product flowing smoothly — even when challenges arise.

This position reports directly to the COO and works closely with inventory, tea making, and packaging teams to ensure seamless operations.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Team Management

Lead and oversee the daily activities of the production team, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and timely output.
Keep the team focused on production goals and KPIs, ensuring that targets are met consistently, using fun and humor.
Assign daily tasks, monitor progress, and maintain accountability through performance check-ins.
Maintain an organized, safe, and positive work environment that aligns with the company values of communication, respect, growth mindset, prosperity, and fun.
Resolve interpersonal or staffing issues promptly to maintain harmony and productivity.
Manage scheduling to ensure adequate staffing during production peaks.
Work with COO with hiring, training, performance evaluations, and (when necessary) disciplinary actions.

Quality Control

Oversee quality checks on all incoming ingredients for freshness, accuracy, and compliance with specifications.
Maintain detailed production logs and traceability records.
Perform quality control checks on all finished, packaged products to ensure consistency in flavor, aroma, labeling, and presentation.
Implement systems for tracking and improving product quality over time.
Communicating with customer service about any quality difference in herbs, so they can understand that the herb is good quality, it just looks different. That way customer service can get in front of it.

Inventory Oversight

Maintain a proactive inventory schedule — always know what’s on hand, what’s running low, and what’s on order.
Monitor ingredient and packaging levels daily to prevent production interruptions.
Communicate with the COO about anticipated shortages or overstock situations.
Record all ingredient usage accurately to ensure proper tracking and forecasting.

Formula Management & Production Continuity

Communicate with COO/CEO if adjustments need to be made to tea formulas as needed in response to ingredient shortages, ensuring substitutions maintain quality and flavor integrity.
When substitutions or additions are made, update all corresponding documentation, including product labels and website ingredient listings.
Collaborate with the CEO, COO, and production team to test new blends or modified recipes when supply changes occur.
Ensure all formula adjustments comply with FDA labeling standards and company policies.

Troubleshooting & Continuous Improvement

Respond quickly to operational issues — equipment malfunctions, out-of-stocks, or workflow bottlenecks.
Communicate with COO regarding repairs and maintenance as needed.
Proactively identify areas for process improvement and bring to COO regarding implementing new systems that enhance efficiency and reduce waste.
Support the COO in developing and updating SOPs for all production processes.

Team Culture & Engagement

Lead by example with professionalism, respect, and positive energy.
Keep the production team engaged, motivated, and connected to the company’s mission.
Encourage open communication and problem-solving within the team.
Foster a fun and collaborative environment while maintaining high standards of productivity and accuracy.

Qualifications

5+ years of experience in production or operations management, ideally within restaurant, food, beverage, or natural product manufacturing.
Proven ability to lead teams and manage production schedules in a fast-paced environment.
Strong understanding of inventory systems, ingredient management, and batch documentation.
Attention to detail in quality control and labeling compliance.
Comfortable using spreadsheets, or inventory management software.
Ability to troubleshoot issues calmly and creatively.
Strong leadership and interpersonal skills — firm but fair, and excellent at building morale.
Experience with FDA labeling and GMP practices preferred.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Production Efficiency: Meets or exceeds weekly production output targets.
Fulfillment Timeliness: 98%+ of scheduled batches completed on time.
Quality Control: Less than 1% return or complaint rate for production-related issues.
Inventory Accuracy: Less than 2% variance between physical and digital counts.
Team Engagement: 90%+ satisfaction on internal surveys and evaluations.
Waste Reduction: Year-over-year improvement in material utilization.
SOP Compliance: 100% adherence to updated operational procedures.
Team Culture Ambassador: Be the example of the values and culture of Loose Leaf.

Compensation

Base Salary: Starts at $30/hour

Benefits: 401K with matching, paid time off, employee discounts, and career growth opportunities within a rapidly scaling wellness brand.