OVERVIEW:
We are seeking a hands-on Production Manager to lead day-to-day manufacturing operations for a high-mix manufacturing facility This role is ideal for a strong shop-floor leader who can improve production flow, establish operational discipline, develop frontline supervisors, and drive measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost. The Production Manager will play a key role in transitioning the operation from traditional batch manufacturing toward Lean, single-piece flow and takt-driven production. Fluency in both English and Spanish is required for this position.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Lead daily production activities, frontline supervisors, and manufacturing personnel Drive the transition from batch production toward Lean single-piece flow, cellular manufacturing, and balanced production lines Establish takt time, hour-by-hour production tracking, visual management, and clear daily performance expectations Improve production flow by reducing WIP, bottlenecks, material shortages, and unnecessary movement Develop and maintain standard work, 5S practices, visual controls, and shop-floor accountability Ensure daily production schedules and customer delivery commitments are consistently achieved Balance labor, equipment capacity, and production requirements to improve throughput and control overtime Monitor equipment effectiveness, downtime, changeovers, scrap, labor efficiency, and other manufacturing KPIsLead structured root-cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives using Lean problem-solving tools Drive setup and changeover reduction using SMED and related Lean methodologies Coach and develop supervisors and frontline employees through a highly visible, hands-on leadership approach Maintain strong standards around workplace safety, quality, equipment maintenance, and regulatory compliance Utilize ERP/MES systems for production tracking, work orders, labor reporting, scrap, scheduling, and operational analysisQUALIFICATIONS5+ years of progressive production leadership or supervisory experience within a discrete manufacturing environment Demonstrated hands-on experience implementing Lean manufacturing principles on the production floor Experience with single-piece flow, cellular manufacturing, takt time, line balancing, WIP reduction, and visual management Proven ability to improve throughput, productivity, labor efficiency, quality, and schedule attainment Strong experience coaching frontline supervisors and production employees Working knowledge of 5S, Kaizen, root-cause analysis, OEE, standard work, and continuous improvement methodologies Experience working with ERP or manufacturing production systems Strong analytical, organizational, and shop-floor problem-solving skills Bilingual English/Spanish fluency is required Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related discipline preferred; significant relevant manufacturing leadership experience may be considered in lieu of a degreePREFERRED EXPERIENCEIndustrial packaging, fabrication, machining, or assembly manufacturing, wood products, crating Experience with CNC equipment, automated saws, cutting equipment, pneumatic tooling, or similar manufacturing machinery Experience leading a successful transition from batch manufacturing to single-piece or continuous flow Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification Experience with SMED, Kanban/pull systems, tiered visual management, and hour-by-hour production tracking Experience improving material yield and reducing manufacturing scrap
