Production Manager

About Engineered Products

At Engineered Products, our mission is to maximize space efficiency and redefine material handling and storage solutions. As a privately held company with over 70 years of industry experience, we have earned the trust of businesses worldwide by delivering customized storage solutions tailored to their unique needs. Our innovative approach not only streamlines space utilization and reduces costs for our clients, but also offers dynamic career opportunities across all departments. We foster a culture of innovation and empowerment, where every team member contributes to our success by embodying our core values: building strong internal relationships, approaching challenges with optimism and a proactive mindset, and embracing continuous learning and collaboration.

About the Role

The Production Manager is responsible for leading the daily operations of the assigned manufacturing department while driving safety, quality, productivity, and continuous improvement. This role provides leadership to Production Supervisors, Team Leads, and hourly employees, ensuring production schedules are met while maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence. The ideal candidate is a strong leader with extensive manufacturing experience, a passion for employee development, and the ability to foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within a structural steel manufacturing environment.

Reports to: Plant Manager
Location: Easley, SC

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily operations of the assigned production department, ensuring production schedules, quality standards, and customer delivery commitments are consistently achieved.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for Production Supervisors, Team Leads, and hourly employees.
• Foster a culture of safety by ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations, company policies, and safe work practices.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Scheduling, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and other departments to ensure seamless production flow and resolve operational challenges.
• Monitor and manage key performance indicators (KPIs), including productivity, efficiency, scrap, rework, downtime, labor utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing principles to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, and optimize workflows.
• Develop staffing plans, labor allocation strategies, and production schedules to meet changing business demands.
• Lead daily production meetings and communicate departmental goals, expectations, and performance metrics.
• Ensure production equipment, tooling, and materials are available to support manufacturing schedules.
• Support budgeting activities by managing labor costs, overtime, departmental expenses, and recommending capital improvement projects.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruiting, onboarding, performance management, employee engagement, coaching, corrective action, and succession planning.
• Develop training programs and cross-training initiatives to strengthen workforce capabilities and operational flexibility.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Provide regular reporting to senior leadership regarding departmental performance, improvement initiatives, risks, and resource needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or related field preferred. Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in a structural steel, fabrication, or heavy industrial environment.
• Proven experience leading supervisors and large production teams.
• Demonstrated success improving safety, quality, productivity, and operational performance.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives preferred.
• OSHA safety training or equivalent certifications are a plus.

Skills

• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to develop high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while balancing multiple priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Thorough understanding of structural steel fabrication, welding, machining, and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to interpret fabrication drawings, blueprints, weld symbols, production schedules, and work orders.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Working knowledge of ERP systems, production reporting software, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.

Work Environment / Physical Demands

This position is primarily based in a manufacturing facility and requires significant time on the production floor leading teams, observing operations, and supporting manufacturing activities. The Production Manager works closely with multiple departments and may occasionally work extended hours or weekends to support production demands and customer commitments. This position requires frequent walking, standing, climbing stairs, and moving throughout a large industrial manufacturing facility. The role includes regular exposure to production equipment, overhead cranes, forklifts, welding operations, noise, dust, and varying temperatures. Occasional bending, reaching, and lifting up to 25 pounds may be required. Visual acuity, hearing, manual dexterity, and physical stamina are necessary to effectively oversee manufacturing operations and maintain a safe working environment.