Manufacturing Operations Manager

About the Role: We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Operations Managerto lead and optimize all aspects of manufacturing operations within a precision industrial manufacturing environment. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence across production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, logistics, maintenance, and continuous improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader with extensive experience managing multi-department operations in a metal manufacturing environment. This individual will combine strong operational expertise with strategic leadership to improve productivity, enhance quality, increase profitability, and build a high-performing manufacturing organization.

Responsibilities: Lead all manufacturing operations, including production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory management, logistics, maintenance, and material flow. Develop and execute operational strategies that improve productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, and on-time delivery. Direct production planning activities to ensure manufacturing schedules align with customer demand and business objectives. Monitor production performance and key operational metrics, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, labor utilization, scrap, and inventory performance. Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives focused on waste reduction, process optimization, continuous improvement, and cost savings. Lead cross-functional production review meetings to evaluate performance, address production constraints, and establish corrective actions. Collaborate with Engineering to evaluate manufacturability of new products and support successful product launches. Partner with Sales, Finance, and executive leadership to develop annual operating plans, production forecasts, and capacity planning strategies. Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, company safety policies, environmental standards, and applicable manufacturing regulations. Develop and implement standardized operating procedures, performance metrics, and operational best practices. Lead recruiting, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and professional development for manufacturing personnel. Establish and maintain employee skills matrices and apprenticeship or workforce development programs. Oversee purchasing, inventory control, warehouse operations, and supply chain coordination to optimize material availability and inventory accuracy. Partner with Quality to resolve nonconforming material issues, improve manufacturing quality, and maintain compliance with ISO quality standards. Drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and operational improvements that support long-term business growth. Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. Minimum of 10 years of manufacturing operations experience, including6 or more years in a manufacturing leadership role .Proven experience leading operations within a metal manufacturing environment, including machining, metal stamping, bearings, precision components, or related manufacturing processes. Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives. Strong knowledge of production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory management, Kanban systems, and material flow. Experience utilizing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and manufacturing performance metrics to drive operational improvements. Knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SyteLine or similar manufacturing ERP platforms. Experience managing purchasing, production planning, logistics, maintenance, and warehouse operations. Working knowledge of ISO quality systems and manufacturing compliance standards. Strong leadership, communication, coaching, and organizational skills. Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

Desired Qualifications: Experience within precision manufacturing, industrial components, bearings, metal stampings, machined components, or mechanical assemblies. Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification. Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).Experience leading ERP implementations or manufacturing system improvements. Strong understanding of supply chain optimization and inventory control methodologies. Experience building high-performing manufacturing teams and developing future operational leaders. MBA or advanced operations or engineering degree is a plus.