Manager II, Operations

About the Role

Under the direction of the Vice President of Operations, the Operations Manager directs and coordinates daily operations for the following production units within the Lorain Plant’s Departments:

• VCC casting
• DCC casting
• Heat treating
• Raw material flow
• Plant maintenance
• Production planning and throughput
• Quality

This role drives continuous improvement and optimization of all processes, develops efficiency strategies to meet production goals and standards at manufacturing costs, and ensures a safe work environment. The successful candidate will serve as a member of the Lorain Management Team, collectively responsible for improving the plant’s overall effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall direction and guidance to maximize growth and profitability.
• Ensure Safety, Environmental, Quality, Production, Cost & Yield, Customer Satisfaction, On-time Delivery, and Equipment Reliability objectives are met.
• Plan for longer-term departmental needs, including staffing and development of hourly and salaried team members.
• Frequent presence on the manufacturing floor to interact with employees directly or through direct reports.
• Manage production costs, product quality, and modify programs to maintain and enhance profitable operations.
• Requisition raw materials and utilize scrap materials to maximize value and maintain high-quality products.
• Assist accounting in planning and forecasting department requirements, including equipment, manpower, materials, and budgets.
• Manage policy deployment in Lean Manufacturing, quality, cost reduction, delivery, safety, and employee relations.
• Improve process control activities, procedures, and results to impact product quality and customer satisfaction.
• Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and track progress toward business goals.
• Maintain production capacities through capital investment and maintenance.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and corporate safety and environmental policies.
• Schedule and conduct department meetings.
• Interface with customer representatives as part of normal business operations.
• Interact regularly with local and corporate support departments (Operations, Sales, R&D, Procurement, Finance, HR, etc.).
• Support and promote the Company’s vision, mission, and values.
• Train, coach, and motivate employees to achieve performance standards.
• Recruit, manage, and develop department staff, ensuring effective employee relations.
• Conduct employee performance reviews.
• Stay current with latest production management best practices and concepts.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Production/Operations Management, or a technical/business-related field.
• 8+ years of proven leadership experience in a manufacturing environment with demonstrated progression of increased responsibilities.
• Induction furnace experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of melting furnace construction, refractories, furnace ventilation, and casting mold design is preferred.
• Formal education/training in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Statistical Process Control, and industrial automation principles is a plus.