Production Manager

Production Leadership Job Roles and Responsibilities

Own daily production operations across fabrication, welding, electrical, controls and automation integration, mechanical assembly, and final testing.

Lead daily shift planning, work assignments, production meetings, and floor coordination.

Drive on-time completion and shipment against the master production schedule.

Identify and remove production roadblocks in real time.

Maintain production standards for quality, safety, schedule, and throughput.

People And Team Leadership

Lead, manage, and develop supervisors, leads, fabricators, welders, electricians, assemblers, and automation technicians.

Assign work based on employee skills and production requirements.

Establish clear expectations and hold employees accountable to production standards.

Mentor, train, and develop manufacturing talent.

Build a culture focused on ownership, craftsmanship, safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Scheduling And Throughput

Execute master production schedules and capacity plans.

Ensure materials are available at each production station.

Cookordination with Supply Chain and Procurement to maintain material readiness.

Anticipate production bottlenecks and balance workloads across the factory floor.

Track and improve KPIs related to safety, quality, delivery, throughput, scrap, and rework.

Quality And Build Standards

Ensure units are manufactured according to specifications, drawings, and established standards.

Partner with QA and QC teams on inspection plans, first article inspections, nonconformance, and corrective actions.

Enforce standard work, visual management, and process discipline.

Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions to eliminate defects and reduce rework.

Continuous Improvement

Apply Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to improve production flow and throughput.

Reduce scrap, rework, downtime, and production inefficiencies.

Implement standard work, 5S, and visual management throughout the production floor.

Partner with Engineering on design for manufacture and assembly initiatives.

Support implementation of engineering changes and ECOs.

Improve facility layout, tooling, fixturing, and manufacturing processes.

Safety And Compliance

Champion a safety-first culture throughout the production floor.

Enforce LOTO, machine safety, PPE, and safe work practices.

Ensure compliance with applicable EHS regulations and standards.

Maintain a clean, organized, and safe manufacturing environment.

Systems and Reporting

Maintain ERP and MRP discipline across the production floor.

Ensure accurate work orders, BOMs, routings, and build records.

Use production data including OEE, downtime, and throughput to identify performance gaps.

Prepare production performance reports and communicate floor status to operations leadership.

Monitor labor, floor-level costs, and resource utilization.

Qualifications And Certifications

7+ years of progressive manufacturing or production leadership experience.

Experience in engineered products, process equipment, industrial equipment, or build-to-order manufacturing environments preferred.

Proven experience managing factory-floor operations and hands-on production teams.

Demonstrated ability to meet production schedule, quality, safety, and throughput targets.

Hands-on knowledge of fabrication, welding, machining, electrical assembly, and mechanical assembly.

Working knowledge of industrial automation and controls environments including PLC and SCADA.

Understanding of automated system construction and integration.

Strong knowledge of ERP and MRP systems, including work orders, BOMs, routings, and production records.

Experience using data and KPIs to manage production performance.

Demonstrated experience with Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred.

Knowledge of ISO 9001 practices, inspection processes, and first article inspection.

Strong EHS knowledge and experience developing a safety-focused production culture.

Excellent leadership, communication, and team-building skills.

Ability to lead effectively and credibly on the manufacturing floor.

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field preferred, or equivalent hands-on experience.

Experience with water, wastewater, or process treatment equipment preferred.

Experience scaling manufacturing operations in a high-growth environment preferred.

Familiarity with MES and SCADA data for OEE and downtime analysis preferred.

Experience with fabrication and weld shop operations preferred.

Comfortable using modern digital and AI tools for production planning, reporting, and floor management.