Position Summary
The Manufacturing Manager is responsible for leading all production operations within the structural foam and injection molding departments. This position oversees safety, quality, productivity, staffing, continuous improvement, and cost control while ensuring customer delivery requirements are met. The Manufacturing Manager develops supervisors and production teams, drives operational excellence, and works cross-functionally with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, and Human Resources to achieve company objectives.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide leadership and direction to production supervisors, team leads, and manufacturing personnel.
- Foster a culture focused on safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
- Coach and develop supervisors through regular feedback and performance evaluations.
- Lead daily production meetings and communicate plant priorities.
- Oversee all structural foam and injection molding operations.
- Ensure production schedules are met while maintaining quality and efficiency standards.
- Monitor machine utilization, labor efficiency, scrap, downtime, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
- Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks.
- Ensure proper startup, shutdown, and production changeover procedures are followed.
- Ensure compliance with MIOSHA regulations and company safety policies.
- Partner with the Quality Department to reduce defects and improve customer satisfaction.
- Support corrective and preventive action activities.
- Drive reduction of scrap and rework.
- Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
- Control overtime while maintaining customer delivery.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Management, or related field preferred.
- Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience considered.
- Experience
- 7–10 years of manufacturing leadership experience.
- Minimum of 5 years managing supervisors in a plastics manufacturing environment.
- Experience with structural foam and/or injection molding required.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Experience managing multiple shifts preferred.
- Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Strong understanding of structural foam molding and injection molding processes.
- Knowledge of molds, tooling, robotics, automation, and auxiliary equipment.
- Ability to interpret production metrics and financial reports.
- Strong leadership and employee development skills.
- Excellent communication and conflict resolution abilities.
- Strong organizational and decision-making skills.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office and ERP/MRP systems.
- Knowledge of ISO/IATF quality systems is a plus.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
