Operations Manager / Production Supervisor

Job Summary

Dona Manis Cake Shop is looking for a hands-on, organised and proactive Production & Operations Supervisor to oversee our day-to-day bakery production operations.

This is primarily an operations and production supervision role. The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating daily production requirements, supervising and allocating manpower, maintaining product and operational standards, and ensuring orders are completed accurately and on time.

You do not need to be a trained Pastry Chef. While experience in a bakery, central kitchen or food-production environment is advantageous, we are primarily looking for someone with strong operations, production planning, people management and problem-solving abilities.

This is a hands-on SME environment, and the successful candidate should be comfortable being on the production floor and stepping in to support operational requirements when necessary.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Daily Operations

• Plan, coordinate and oversee daily production according to sales requirements, orders and production schedules.

• Translate daily and upcoming orders into clear production requirements for the team.

• Ensure sufficient production is completed to support retail outlets, online orders, corporate orders, events and other sales channels.

• Assign daily duties and organise production workflow according to priorities.

• Monitor production progress throughout the day and make adjustments when required.

• Ensure orders are completed according to required quantities, quality standards and timelines.

• Anticipate upcoming production requirements and prepare manpower and resources accordingly.

• Identify production bottlenecks or operational issues early and take appropriate action to resolve them.

• Coordinate production during peak periods, festive seasons, large corporate orders and special events.

• Maintain clear communication and handovers between production staff and other departments.

Team & Manpower Supervision

• Supervise the day-to-day work of bakers, kitchen assistants, production assistants and other operations staff.

• Allocate manpower according to daily workload and production requirements.

• Assist with staff scheduling and manpower planning.

• Monitor staff attendance, punctuality, productivity and work performance.

• Ensure staff understand their daily responsibilities and production priorities.

• Train and guide team members on operational procedures and established work processes.

• Support the onboarding and training of new production staff.

• Address day-to-day manpower and workflow issues and escalate significant matters to management where necessary.

• Maintain a productive, organised and cooperative working environment.

Quality, Food Safety & Hygiene

• Ensure products are prepared according to established company standards and specifications.

• Monitor product consistency, quality and presentation.

• Ensure proper food handling, storage, hygiene and sanitation procedures are followed.

• Ensure FIFO/FEFO practices are followed for ingredients and perishable items.

• Maintain clean, safe and organised production, preparation and storage areas.

• Ensure staff comply with applicable food hygiene and workplace safety requirements.

• Identify quality issues and work with the team to implement corrective action.

Inventory & Materials Coordination

• Monitor ingredients, packaging and production supplies required for daily and upcoming production.

• Coordinate with the procurement/inventory team to ensure sufficient materials are available.

• Proactively identify and highlight potential shortages before they disrupt production.

• Assist with stock-taking and inventory checks when required.

• Monitor ingredient usage and identify excessive wastage, unusual consumption or stock discrepancies.

• Ensure ingredients, packaging and finished products are stored and handled appropriately.

• Coordinate stock and product transfers between production, storage and retail locations.

Operational Efficiency & Cost Control

• Monitor production workflow and identify practical ways to improve efficiency and productivity.

• Monitor wastage and implement measures to minimise unnecessary losses.

• Ensure manpower, equipment and resources are used efficiently.

• Implement and maintain production SOPs, checklists and operational procedures.

• Ensure staff follow established processes and standards.

• Highlight recurring operational problems and recommend practical improvements.

• Support management in improving production capacity and operational processes as the business grows.

Delivery & Logistics Support

Delivery and logistics are secondary duties of this position but may be required as part of day-to-day operations.

• Perform occasional delivery and collection runs when operationally required.

• Transport finished products, ingredients, packaging and supplies between production, retail and storage locations.

• Collect ingredients or operational supplies from suppliers when required.

• Assist with urgent sourcing or collection of ingredients and supplies.

• Support stock transfers between company locations.

• Assist with logistics for corporate orders, events, pop-ups and external sales activities.

• Support event setup and teardown where required.

• Ensure goods are transported and handled safely and appropriately.

A valid Singapore Class 3 driving licence is required for this position.

Equipment & General Operations

• Ensure production equipment and work areas are properly maintained and used appropriately.

• Monitor equipment condition and report faults or maintenance requirements promptly.

• Coordinate basic servicing or repairs with management and external vendors where required.

• Ensure production, storage and operational areas remain organised and functional.

• Assist with other reasonable operational duties required to ensure smooth day-to-day production.

Requirements

• Minimum 2–3 years of relevant experience in operations, production supervision, food production, F&B operations, manufacturing, central kitchen operations or a similar hands-on operational environment.

• Previous experience supervising or leading a production or operations team.

• Valid Singapore Class 3 driving licence is required.

• Strong organisational and time-management skills.

• Able to plan production requirements and allocate manpower effectively.

• Able to work independently and take ownership of daily operational requirements.

• Proactive and able to identify problems before they become urgent.

• Strong practical problem-solving ability.

• Good communication and people-management skills.

• Able to coordinate effectively with production, retail, procurement and management teams.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and hands-on production environment.

• Basic computer literacy and comfortable using spreadsheets for schedules, records and simple reporting.

• Good understanding of workplace cleanliness, food hygiene and safety.

• Physically able to assist with operational and logistics duties when required.

• Responsible, punctual, dependable and detail-oriented.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in F&B production, central kitchens, food manufacturing, catering or bakery operations.

• Bakery or pastry production experience is advantageous but not required.

• Basic understanding of baking or pastry production processes would be helpful.

• Experience with production planning and manpower scheduling.

• Experience with inventory and stock management.

• Experience implementing SOPs and improving operational processes.

• Experience managing high-volume, seasonal or festive production.

• Familiarity with SFA food safety and hygiene requirements.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who is hands-on, systematic, dependable and proactive.

This is not a purely desk-based supervisory position. You will be expected to understand what is happening on the production floor, communicate with the team and take responsibility for keeping daily production running smoothly.

You should be able to look ahead at upcoming requirements, organise manpower and resources, identify potential problems early and take action without having to wait for management to provide instructions for every situation.

You do not need to be a trained Pastry Chef. Candidates with bakery or pastry experience will have an advantage, but our priority is finding someone who can effectively manage people, production, workflow and daily operations.

As part of a hands-on SME environment, you should also be willing to assist with deliveries, collections, stock transfers and other operational requirements when necessary.

Salary

S$3,500 – S$4,000 per month, depending on relevant experience and capabilities.

About Dona Manis Cake Shop

Dona Manis Cake Shop is a Singapore heritage bakery that has been serving customers for more than 30 years. Best known for our signature banana pie and traditional handmade bakes, we started from our original shop at Katong Shopping Centre and have grown while staying true to the craftsmanship and flavours that generations of customers know us for.

Today, Dona Manis is growing beyond our original cake shop through retail and online sales channels, corporate orders, events, workshops and partnerships. As the business grows, strong production planning and operational management are increasingly important to ensuring that we maintain the quality and consistency our customers expect.

We are looking for dependable, hands-on people who enjoy working in an SME environment, are comfortable taking ownership of their responsibilities and want to play an active role in the next stage of an established Singapore heritage brand.