Production Manager

Want to lead a dedicated production team, drive operational efficiency, and make a real impact in one of Australia's leading sugar refineries?
Join Sugar Australia as a Production Manager at our Mackay Racecourse Refinery and lead the delivery of safe, efficient, and high-quality sugar production. This permanent, full time role is ideal for an experienced, hands-on leader with a strong background in FMCG or heavy manufacturing, a passion for continuous improvement, and a commitment to safety and quality.

The sweet things you'll be involved in:
As the Production Manager, you'll lead a team of Shift Supervisors, Refinery Operators and Process Attendants to ensure the delivery of refined sugar products that meet customer demand and quality standards. You'll be responsible for driving operational efficiency, building a constructive team culture, and ensuring compliance with Sugar Australia's safety, environmental, and production systems.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading the refinery production team to achieve operational, safety, quality, and output targets in line with Sugar Australia's systems and standards.
• Driving safe work practices and leading safety initiatives, including toolbox talks, risk assessments, inspections, and participation in audits and incident investigations.
• Monitoring production performance, melt rates, and efficiency data to identify improvement opportunities and meet budget and customer demand.
• Planning and overseeing the production of sugar products to align with sales forecasts and inventory requirements.
• Collaborating closely with Technical and Maintenance teams to address operational issues, optimise plant performance, and support preventative maintenance.
• Building team capability through training and coaching that consolidates and documents operational knowledge, ensuring skill growth for current and future team members.
• Managing performance and development processes for direct reports, promoting a constructive and high performing team culture.
• Working with key internal and external stakeholders including engineering, logistics, quality, supply chain, procurement, and mill operations to deliver seamless production and supply outcomes.

What you'll bring to the role:
We're looking for a proactive, results driven production leader with a strong background in manufacturing. You'll be a confident communicator and collaborator, able to build relationships across functions and drive operational improvements while developing and supporting your team.

You'll also bring:

• A tertiary qualification in Chemical or Process Engineering, Science, or equivalent experience in production or process control.
• 5-10 years experience in FMCG or heavy manufacturing environments.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in supervisory/leadership roles.
• Frontline Management certificate (desirable).
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Experience with GMP, HACCP, and preventative maintenance planning.
• Ability to build positive relationships with stakeholders and influence outcomes across multiple functions.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Consultative and team oriented approach with a focus on development and culture.
• Results oriented mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and problem solving.

About Sugar Australia:
Sugar Australia is the nation's trusted partner in sugar and ingredient solutions enabling our customers to make great products for every home. We own and operate refineries, packing facilities, sugar silo terminals and warehouse distribution sites across the country.

It takes a great team to turn raw sugar into our many food grade products, and we work hard to make the highest-quality liquid sugars, icings, syrups, and crystals.

You will find our retail products at your local supermarket under the iconic CSR sugar brand. We also supply refined sugar products and many other ingredients to the industrial, foodservice and hospitality industries, supplying some of the largest brands in the country.

When you join Sugar Australia, you'll be part of a passionate and inclusive team that values growth, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We offer a supportive work environment where people and performance are genuinely valued. In return, you'll enjoy competitive pay, onsite parking, corporate discounts, recognition and development programs, health and wellbeing initiatives, regular social events, and access to our product library for those passionate bakers at heart.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

If you're an experienced production leader who enjoys driving operational performance while developing and empowering your team, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now and be part of something sweet

Business unit Sugar Australia