Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Upfit Production Facility Manager to lead the planning, buildout, operations, and launch of a new production facility used to upfit fleet vehicles. This is a hands-on, build-and-launch leadership position for someone who has successfully taken an upfit facility from concept through construction/upfitting, equipment installation, staffing, procurement, process development, and operational launch. The ideal candidate is not simply a manager of an existing operation. They are a builder and operator who can walk into a blank facility and create the infrastructure, systems, processes, staffing model, inventory flow, production schedule, SOPs, and operating playbook required to make the facility fully functional. The candidate should be capable of delivering a ready-to-execute facility launch package covering the physical facility, operational processes, staffing, equipment, procurement, inventory, scheduling, safety, quality, and ongoing management.

Key Responsibilities

Facility Planning & Upfitting

• Lead the planning and development of the upfit facility from an empty shell or existing space through operational readiness.
• Develop facility layouts optimized for production flow, material handling, inventory, staffing, safety, quality, and scalability.
• Coordinate facility upfitting, including production areas, storage, staging, receiving, shipping, offices, employee areas, utilities, equipment placement, and infrastructure.
• Define equipment requirements, specifications, installation requirements, and production-cell layouts.
• Coordinate contractors, vendors, installers, trades, and other external resources.
• Develop facility implementation schedules, milestones, dependencies, and launch timelines.
• Identify potential bottlenecks, capacity constraints, and operational risks before launch.
• Procurement & Vendor Management
• Establish the complete procurement plan for facility, production, equipment, tools, supplies, technology, PPE, inventory, and operational needs.
• Source and evaluate vendors, contractors, equipment suppliers, and service providers.
• Obtain and compare quotes and negotiate pricing, terms, lead times, warranties, and service agreements.
• Establish purchasing procedures and approval processes.
• Develop vendor relationships and ongoing supplier-management processes.
• Budget & Financial Management
• Develop and manage the facility startup and operating budgets.
• Build detailed capital expenditure and operating expenditure plans.
• Track project costs, purchase orders, invoices, commitments, and budget variances.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising safety, quality, throughput, or long-term scalability.
• Provide regular project and financial updates to executive leadership.
• Fleet Upfit SOPs, Processes & Operating Playbook
• Develop the facility's complete Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Create work instructions, checklists, forms, workflows, escalation procedures, and accountability systems.
• Build a comprehensive Facility Operations Playbook covering how the facility operates day-to-day.
• Establish processes for:

>Production

>Receiving

>Inventory control

>Material handling

>Staging

>Quality control

>Shipping

>Maintenance

>Safety

>Equipment operation

>Scheduling

>Staffing

>Training

>Emergency procedures

>Facility opening/closing

>Daily/weekly/monthly management routines

• Measure facility performance.

Inventory Flow & Production Planning

• Design end-to-end material and inventory flow through the facility.
• Map the movement of materials from receiving through storage, staging, production, quality control, finished goods, and shipping.
• Establish inventory locations, labeling, tracking, replenishment, and cycle-count procedures.
• Develop production scheduling systems based on demand, capacity, labor, equipment, and material availability.
• Establish FIFO/FEFO or other appropriate inventory-control methodologies where applicable.
• Identify opportunities to reduce excess movement, handling, work-in-process, and production downtime.

Staffing & Workforce Development

• Develop the facility's organizational structure and staffing requirements.
• Determine headcount requirements by function, shift, production volume, and growth stage.
• Develop job descriptions and hiring profiles for production and facility personnel.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding.
• Develop training programs and competency requirements.
• Establish shift structures, schedules, staffing plans, cross-training, and coverage requirements.
• Build a culture of safety, accountability, productivity, quality, and continuous improvement.

Launch & Operational Readiness

• Own the facility's transition from planning to operational readiness.
• Develop and manage the master launch plan.
• Establish commissioning and readiness checklists.
• Coordinate equipment installation, testing, validation, and operator training.
• Conduct operational dry runs before production launch.
• Ensure all SOPs, staffing, equipment, inventory, technology, vendors, safety procedures, and production schedules are ready before go-live.
• Lead the first production runs and stabilize operations.
• Identify and resolve issues quickly during startup.
• Transition the facility from launch mode into a sustainable operating rhythm.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in vehicle or fleet upfit production, manufacturing, facility operations, distribution, logistics, or a closely related environment.
• Demonstrated experience building or launching a fleet upfit facility from the ground up is strongly preferred.
• Direct experience with facility upfitting, layout, production flow, equipment installation, and operational readiness.
• Strong experience with procurement, vendor management, budgeting, and capital projects.
• Demonstrated ability to create and implement SOPs and comprehensive operating procedures.
• Experience developing staffing models, organizational structures, shift schedules, and training programs.
• Strong understanding of inventory management and material-flow mapping.
• Experience developing production schedules and capacity plans.
• Proven project-management and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Ability to manage multiple vendors, contractors, deadlines, budgets, and operational priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Must be comfortable working hands-on in a startup/build environment where processes and infrastructure are being created rather than inherited.