Production Manager

About the role

Robert Half is working with a well-respected manufacturing company to find a Production Manager to join their team. The company would like an experienced Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations in Madison, Wisconsin. This role is responsible for coordinating day-to-day production activities, maintaining output and quality targets, and partnering with cross-functional teams to keep work moving efficiently. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, sound operational judgment, and a continuous improvement mindset to support safety, performance, and on-time delivery.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily manufacturing operations by setting production priorities, assigning resources, and keeping schedules on track.
• Oversee workflow across production lines to ensure finished goods are completed on time and according to established standards.
• Review production performance regularly, make schedule adjustments when conditions change, and resolve issues that affect throughput.
• Work closely with design and engineering teams to confirm products are built to required specifications, materials, process expectations, and quality benchmarks.
• Partner with customer service, purchasing, warehousing, shipping, receiving, procurement, logistics, and quality teams to support smooth execution across the operation.
• Lead efforts to investigate manufacturing problems, implement corrective actions, and improve overall productivity while reducing waste.
• Analyze operational data and prepare clear updates for senior leadership on output, efficiency, labor, and quality results.
• Supervise production personnel, including recruiting, onboarding, coaching, performance evaluations, and disciplinary actions when needed.
• Facilitate routine production meetings and promote best practices that strengthen safety, compliance, employee engagement, and manufacturing performance.
• Maintain adherence to health, safety, environmental, labor, and regulatory requirements while serving as a key contact for customers, vendors, contractors, and business partners.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience managing production operations in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, improve productivity, and maintain consistent output across production lines.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, production control, and day-to-day manufacturing execution.
• Experience using performance data to identify improvement opportunities and support operational decision-making.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to train staff, manage performance, and build accountability.
• Understanding of quality standards, continuous improvement methods, and waste reduction practices.
• Working knowledge of occupational safety requirements and regulatory compliance in a production setting.