Production Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and oversee daily production activities to meet customer demand and scheduled ship dates.
• Develop and maintain production schedules based on sales orders, material availability, labor capacity, and equipment requirements.
• Monitor production throughout the facility and adjust priorities as needed to meet deadlines.
• Identify bottlenecks, downtime, and workflow issues and implement corrective actions.
• Establish and maintain efficient manufacturing processes and standardized work procedures.
• Ensure proper staffing and labor allocation across production areas.
• Track production output, labor efficiency, scrap, rework, and downtime.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, supervise, and develop production supervisors, leads, and manufacturing team members with growth in mind and a team member mindset.
• Set clear expectations for productivity, quality, attendance, safety, and workplace conduct.
• Provide coaching, training, performance feedback, and disciplinary action when necessary.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the production organization.
• Aid in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training production personnel.
• Maintain appropriate staffing levels based on production requirements.

Quality Control

• Ensure doors are manufactured according to customer specifications, drawings, work instructions, and company quality standards.
• Work with Quality personnel to identify and resolve defects, rework, and customer complaints.
• Establish processes to reduce scrap and prevent recurring quality issues.
• Ensure proper inspections and quality checks are performed throughout the manufacturing process.
• Drive continuous improvement in product quality and consistency.

Safety & Compliance

• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized manufacturing environment.
• Ensure employees follow company safety policies, OSHA requirements, and established operating procedures.
• Conduct or participate in safety meetings, inspections, and incident investigations.
• Identify potential workplace hazards and implement corrective measures.
• Promote a strong safety culture with accountability at every level.

Materials, Equipment & Maintenance

• Cook with Purchasing and Inventory teams to ensure necessary materials and components are available for production.
• Monitor material usage and minimize waste.
• Work with Maintenance to ensure machinery and equipment are properly maintained and available when needed.
• Help establish preventive maintenance schedules and respond to equipment-related production issues.
• Recommend equipment, tooling, or process improvements that can increase capacity and efficiency.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, reduce costs, eliminate waste, and increase throughput.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, or other continuous improvement practices as appropriate.
• Analyze production data and develop action plans to improve key performance indicators.
• Standardize successful process improvements across production areas.
• Encourage employees to identify and recommend process improvements.

Communication & Coordination

• Communicate production priorities, schedules, and changes to supervisors and employees.
• Cook closely with Engineering on product specifications, drawings, and manufacturing challenges.
• Cook closely with Shipping to ensure completed orders are staged and shipped according to schedule.
• Provide regular updates to senior management regarding production performance, staffing, quality, and operational issues.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing or production management experience, preferably in doors, millwork, cabinetry, building products, or a similar manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience supervising and developing production teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production scheduling, and workflow management.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, make-to-order or high-mix manufacturing environment preferred.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to read and interpret production drawings, specifications, and work orders.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and production scheduling software preferred.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies preferred.
• Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.