Production Manager

About the role

ARA is a leading C5ISR company that designs, manufactures, tests and installs innovative technologies providing unparalleled situational awareness, threat detection, and communications capabilities. The Production Manager oversees day-to-day production activities, ensuring all processes run smoothly and efficiently, meeting quality standards and production targets.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day production activities, ensuring all processes run smoothly and efficiently, meeting quality standards and production targets.
• Oversee and manage the priorities, equipment, and personnel associated with the production line.
• Contribute to the smooth transitions from design to production, addressing potential production issues early in the design phase.
• Maintain detailed production schedules using operational capacity, labor availability, and duration estimates to ensure on-time job completion and delivery performance.
• Provide high-level reports to VP of Operations, Directors, and the Head of Manufacturing as needed, ensuring transparency and accountability in production operations.
• Ensure all operators follow safety procedures, maintain current safety training, and document any EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety) incidents.
• Proactively correct workplace hazards and empower teams to continuously improve safety and operational processes.
• Manage, coach, mentor, and support production supervisors, prioritizing work activities to achieve on-time delivery goals.
• Ensure quality standards are consistently met throughout the production process, supporting zero-defect outcomes from all stations.
• Review available information to allocate resources effectively, maximizing the efficiency of the manufacturing operation.
• Manage or delegate Six Sigma and other continuous improvement projects within the department, refining planned hours for future orders.
• Affirmative action and equal opportunity employer.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of manufacturing experience, 3+ years in operations management in a supervisory role in the electronics industry.
• Experience with MRP systems, Costpoint preferred.
• Familiarity with IPC-A-610 / J-STD-001; ISO-9001 knowledge required.
• Led cross-functional collaboration with design and engineering teams to successfully transition product designs into production.
• Partnered with program managers to align project schedules, coordinate deliverables, and achieve key milestones.
• Applied Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to drive process improvements, increase efficiency, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Background with DoD/DoW environment including MIL-STDs, FAR, DFAR, typical government deliverable formats, and government contracting.
• Highly proficient with MS office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project).
• BS or BA degree in manufacturing or engineering, or relevant experience in a manufacturing operations management role.
• Led cross-functional collaboration with design and engineering teams to successfully transition product designs into production.
• Partners with program managers to align project schedules, coordinate deliverables, and achieve key milestones.
• Applied Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to drive process improvements, increase efficiency, and support continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

• Adaptability - Adapts to change, open to new ideas and responsibilities.
• Communication - Ability to communicate thoughts clearly, both oral and written in an honest, open and timely manner.
• Job Knowledge - Understands facets of job, aware of duties and responsibilities, keeps job knowledge current.
• Technical Skill - Possesses the knowledge and skills needed to perform a job or role effectively.
• Dependability - Meets deadlines, works independently or in a team environment, is accountable, maintains focus, good attendance record.
• Quality - Strives to eliminate errors, accurate work is a priority, seeks opportunities to improve products.
• Ethics - Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality.
• Initiative / Take Ownership - Takes action, seeks new opportunities, strives to see projects to completion, meaning own your job and see it through.
• Customer Focus - Understands and can meet the needs in a customer-centric (Internal and External) environment and build strong relationships. Promotes a positive image of the company and strives to solve issues raised by customers.
• Employee Management & Development - Manage day-to-day performance, guides, motives, coaches and develops employees to reach their potential, provides and requests employee feedback.
• Leadership - Provides strong leadership, sets a good example, skilled decision maker, motivator and encourager.