Production Operations and Service Manager

About the role

Brooks Instrument, a leader in flow and pressure instrumentation, is seeking a Production Operations and Service Manager for its headquarters in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The manager will provide leadership and oversight for Semi‑Thermal production and related service, repair, and failure‑analysis operations, driving safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, customer service, and financial objectives across first, second, and third shifts.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and management oversight for first‑, second‑, and third‑shift Semi‑Thermal production operations, including direct supervision, coaching, and development of Production Supervisors.
• Manage the service technician and service coordinator functions supporting semiconductor products, customer returns, repairs, calibrations, and failure‑analysis activities.
• Establish priorities, staffing plans, schedules, and operating expectations across production and service operations to meet customer demand and business objectives.
• Ensure effective shift‑to‑shift communication, escalation, and follow‑through so that safety, quality, staffing, equipment, material, and delivery issues are addressed promptly.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators such as safety, quality, on‑time delivery, output, labor efficiency, productivity, scrap, yield, lead time, work‑in‑process, service turnaround time, backlog, first‑time fix rate, and customer responsiveness.
• Lead daily management and gemba activities; review performance against plan, assign corrective actions, remove obstacles, and ensure accountability for completion.
• Evaluate production, service, repair, and failure‑analysis processes to identify opportunities to improve workflow, capacity, quality, cost, cycle time, and customer experience.
• Use ITW Toolbox, Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement methods to improve operational performance, simplify processes, and build sustainable standard work.
• Partner with Materials and Supply Chain to align production schedules, material availability, inventory priorities, and parts availability with customer and service requirements.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Quality to resolve product, process, test, equipment, repair, and failure‑analysis issues and to implement approved corrective actions and engineering changes.
• Ensure customer returns are evaluated, repaired, calibrated, analyzed, and documented in accordance with established procedures, quality requirements, and committed turnaround times.
• Oversee failure‑analysis workflow and reporting, including prioritization, cross‑functional coordination, escalation of significant findings, and timely communication of results to appropriate stakeholders.
• Support formal customer complaint, warranty, credit, repair, and replacement processes in collaboration with Quality, Customer Service, Sales, Engineering, and Business Unit leadership.
• Develop, implement, maintain, and enforce applicable standard operating procedures, work instructions, visual controls, and other operating documentation.
• Ensure conformance with the Brooks Quality Management System and all applicable safety, regulatory, calibration, documentation, and product‑handling requirements.
• Build organizational capability by selecting, onboarding, training, coaching, and developing supervisors, technicians, coordinators, and production employees; establish succession and development plans for critical roles.
• Set clear performance expectations, provide timely feedback, administer performance‑management processes, and address employee performance or conduct concerns in partnership with Human Resources.
• Promote a safe, respectful, accountable, and customer‑focused work environment across all shifts and functional areas within the manager's scope.
• Develop and manage operating budgets, labor and headcount plans, overtime, forecasts, capital requests, and other resources required to achieve production and service objectives.
• Prepare and communicate production, shipping, service, backlog, staffing, financial, and operational performance updates to business and functional leadership.
• Support annual planning and long‑range planning activities and translate business priorities into executable production and service plans.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Business Unit leadership to identify service growth opportunities, improve aftermarket support, and strengthen the customer experience.
• Maintain effective working relationships with internal teams, other Brooks locations, customers, and external service partners as required.
• Support company continuous improvement initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations management, business administration, supply chain, or a related technical discipline (required); advanced degree in business or operations (preferred).
• Minimum of seven years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, production management, service and repair, or a related technical environment (required).
• Minimum of three years of direct people‑leadership experience, including responsibility for supervisors, technical employees, or multi‑shift operations (required).
• Experience managing production operations in a quality‑system‑regulated manufacturing environment (required); experience with ISO 9001 requirements (preferred).
• Experience with service, repair, calibration, customer returns, or failure‑analysis operations (strongly preferred).
• Experience with semiconductor, thermal, flow‑control, instrumentation, electromechanical, or other complex technical products (preferred).
• Demonstrated experience using Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, daily management, and performance metrics to deliver measurable operational results (required).
• Experience scaling and expanding production capabilities (preferred).
• Experience developing budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, capital requests, and operational reports (preferred).

Skills

• Proven ability to lead through other leaders, establish accountability across multiple shifts, and develop high‑performing production and technical service teams.
• Strong working knowledge of manufacturing operations, capacity planning, production scheduling, labor management, inventory flow, quality systems, and service operations.
• Ability to read, understand, and communicate complex technical information involving mechanical, electrical, thermal, and electronic products and processes.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including interpreting operational data, identifying root causes, assessing risk, and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Demonstrated customer focus and ability to balance delivery, service, quality, cost, and business priorities.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience analyzing budgets, forecasts, operating results, and improvement opportunities.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and cross‑functional communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond effectively to changing business needs, and provide leadership during escalations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; experience with ERP, manufacturing execution, quality, service, or data‑reporting systems (preferred).
• Ability to work onsite in Hatfield and provide leadership visibility across all three production shifts as business needs require.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10 % as required.

Benefits

• Competitive, merit‑based salary.
• Health and dental insurance.
• Company‑paid life insurance.
• Short and long‑term disability coverage.
• 401 K plan with generous company match.
• Vacation, personal days, and holidays.
• Continuing education reimbursement program.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Opportunity to join a well‑established (80 years) yet dynamically changing organization.