Reports To: Vice-President of Operations
About Hermes Abrasives
Hermes Abrasives, a subsidiary of WALTER Surface Technologies, is a global manufacturer of high-performance coated abrasive solutions serving industrial customers worldwide. Our success is built on operational excellence, product quality, innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Position Summary
The Production Manager is responsible for leading day-to-day manufacturing operations at Hermes Abrasives, ensuring production activities are executed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with quality, delivery, cost, and workforce engagement expectations.
This role owns production performance across daily execution, workforce planning, shop floor discipline, productivity, quality support, maintenance coordination, and operational budget control.
The Production Manager translates site priorities into clear production plans, develops front-line leadership capability, drives practical continuous improvement initiatives, and ensures the operation meets current performance expectations.
As a key member of the site operations team, the Production Manager balances daily execution with short- and mid-term planning while delivering sustainable improvements in safety, productivity, cost control, quality, and workforce engagement.
Key Responsibilities
Business & Operational Leadership
- Develop and execute production plans aligned with site and business objectives.
- Provide direct leadership to production teams and collaborate closely with maintenance, engineering, quality, supply chain, and support functions.
- Establish production priorities, staffing plans, performance targets, and daily execution routines.
- Drive shop-floor improvements in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
- Ensure production teams are aligned around operational priorities, standards, and performance expectations.
Financial & Budget Accountability
- Manage the production operating budget and support strong operational financial performance.
- Contribute to annual budgeting and forecasting processes for production labor, supplies, overtime, scrap, efficiency, and controllable operating expenses.
- Support margin improvement through productivity, cost reduction, waste reduction, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Monitor production spending against budget and implement corrective actions when performance or cost trends move off plan.
- Support inventory performance, labor efficiency, material usage, and asset utilization through disciplined production management.
Organizational Leadership
- Build and develop a high-performing production leadership team.
- Establish accountability systems, standard work, and leadership routines across production teams.
- Partner with Human Resources on staffing, employee relations, training, succession planning, and production team capability development.
- Coach supervisors and team leads to strengthen decision-making, ownership, and problem-solving.
- Foster a production culture focused on safety, accountability, engagement, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Production Improvement & Growth Support
- Support capacity planning, workflow improvements, process stability initiatives, and operational change projects as required.
- Identify practical opportunities to improve production efficiency, process stability, quality, and competitiveness.
- Support new product introductions, production readiness, and business growth requirements.
- Assess production resource needs, workforce requirements, equipment availability, and process constraints to support reliable execution.
Operational Excellence
- Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Establish robust KPI systems and performance management processes.
- Lead production-focused and cross-functional improvement initiatives.
- Ensure sustainable execution of corrective actions and operational standards.
Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
- Lead business continuity and operational risk management initiatives.
- Maintain strong governance around quality, safety, and operational controls.
Scope
- Production leader within Hermes manufacturing operation.
- Direct leadership of production supervisors, team leads, and production employees.
- Accountability for production execution, team performance, and key manufacturing KPIs.
- Ownership of the production operating budget and controllable cost performance.
- Leadership of production employees through supervisors and team leads.
- Key operational partner to site leadership and cross-functional teams.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations, Business, or related discipline.
- Additional training in Lean Manufacturing, operations management, or people leadership is an asset.
- 7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
- 3+ years in Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Operations Manager, or equivalent production leadership roles.
- Demonstrated experience managing operating budgets, labor plans, production costs, and performance targets.
- Proven success leading production improvements, team performance initiatives, and day-to-day operational execution.
- Strong experience in Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, cost control, and production team development.
- Experience within abrasives, coatings, converting, industrial manufacturing, or related sectors preferred.
Success Looks Like (12-24 Months)
- Production plan, KPI routines, and daily management system established and executing.
- Measurable improvements in safety, productivity, quality, delivery, labor efficiency, and controllable costs.
- Supervisors and team leads operating with strong accountability and ownership.
- Operating budget, staffing, and production resources managed effectively against business needs.
- Improved production team capability, engagement, and succession depth.
- Sustainable culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
- Production operation positioned to reliably support business growth.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
