Production Manager
Position Summary:
This position is primarily designed as a succession development role intended to build future operational leadership capability within the organization. Initially, the incumbent will not have direct reports and will instead work closely with Production Managers, Value Stream leaders, and cross-functional teams to develop a deep understanding of the business, manufacturing processes, leadership expectations, and operational systems.
The role is structured to provide broad exposure across the facility and may support multiple value streams over time. The incumbent will provide operational leadership coverage during Production Manager absences and participate in a rotational development model that may include assignments across different manufacturing areas. This approach is intended to build the knowledge, experience, and leadership capability necessary for future value stream ownership and advancement opportunities.
In addition to supporting day-to-day operations, the Production Manager will play a significant role in leading continuous improvement activities, kaizen events, problem-solving initiatives, capacity projects, and strategic growth efforts. The position will flex between operational support and leading transformational initiatives designed to improve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory performance, and organizational capability. Success in this role requires adaptability, a strong continuous improvement mindset, leadership potential, and the ability to influence results across teams without direct organizational authority.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Safety
Champion a zero-incident culture through visible leadership and accountability
Lead proactive risk identification, hazard mitigation, and incident investigations
Ensure Compliance: Maintain a clean and safe work environment in compliance with OSHA (US), EPA (US), and other relevant environmental regulations.
Drive employee engagement in safety initiatives and continuous improvement
Quality
Ensure products meet or exceed customer and regulatory requirements
Improve first-pass yield and reduce scrap/rework
Foster a culture of “quality at the source” and operator ownership
Delivery
Meet or exceed customer delivery commitments (OTD – On-Time Delivery)
Manage production schedules and flow to optimize throughput
Identify and eliminate bottlenecks within the value stream
Collaborate with supply chain and planning to ensure material availability
Cost
Own financial performance of the value stream, including labor productivity and cost control
Drive cost reduction initiatives through waste elimination and process improvements
Manage budget adherence and support forecasting activities
Engagement
Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline teams
Build a high-performance, accountable, and engaged workforce
Support talent development, succession planning, and skills progression
Drive employee engagement through communication, recognition, and involvement
RBS (Ralliant Business System)
Drive implementation and sustainment of RBS/Lean principles and tools (e.g., daily management, standard work, Kaizen, visual management)
Lead daily Gemba walks and performance reviews
Identify and execute continuous improvement initiatives aligned with business goals
Promote problem-solving using structured methodologies (e.g., A3, 5 Whys, PSP)
Core competencies:
Leadership and team development
Data-driven decision making
Problem-solving and root cause analysis
Change management
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration
Accountability and ownership of results
Business Case Justification & Development
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Bachelors Degree in Engineering, Business or related field highly desired
Experience: 5-8 years experience managaing manufacturing teams
Experience in a metric driven organization focusing on safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and inventory.
Proven ability and aspiration to grow into broader leadership roles with increased scope and responsibility
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