POSITION SUMMARY
The Operations Manager is responsible for leading day-to-day manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people-development objectives. This role provides direct leadership to production supervisors and works closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Maintenance, and other functional teams to ensure work is safely planned, staffed, executed, and delivered in accordance with customer, quality, and business requirements.
The Operations Manager drives operational performance through standard work, production planning, employee development, root-cause corrective action, and continuous improvement. This position is expected to maintain a visible presence on the manufacturing floor and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety, quality, and respect.
POSITION DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITES
- Lead daily manufacturing operations across assigned departments, value streams, shifts, or production areas to meet safety, quality, delivery, labor-efficiency, and cost objectives.
- Provide direct leadership, coaching, performance management, and development to front-line supervisors and other assigned employees. Establish clear expectations, reinforce accountability, and build leadership capability within the organization.
- Monitor production schedules, staffing, material availability, equipment capacity, work-in-process, and constraints; coordinate with Planning, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance to resolve issues that may impact delivery or performance.
- Review and communicate operational performance using key performance indicators, including safety, quality, on-time delivery, labor utilization, productivity, scrap/rework, schedule attainment, and inventory or work-in-process levels.
- Ensure work is performed in accordance with approved work instructions, engineering requirements, quality procedures, customer requirements, and applicable company policies.
- Partner with Quality and Engineering to address nonconformances, recurring defects, process variation, customer concerns, and corrective-action activities. Lead or support root-cause analysis and implementation of sustainable corrective actions.
- Drive continuous-improvement initiatives using Lean principles, including standard work, visual management, 5S, Kaizen, value-stream improvement, waste reduction, and process-flow optimization.
- Support labor planning, hiring, onboarding, training, cross-training, succession planning, and employee retention efforts to maintain an appropriately skilled and flexible workforce.
- Manage departmental budgets and operating expenses. Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, control overtime, improve material utilization, and optimize use of labor and equipment.
- Ensure supervisors and employees understand and follow all safety requirements, environmental procedures, PPE expectations, and incident-reporting processes. Promote a proactive safety culture and promptly address unsafe conditions or behaviors.
- Maintain effective communication with the Director of Operations and leadership team regarding production performance, risks, staffing needs, operational constraints, improvement opportunities, and major issues requiring escalation.
- Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of manufacturing processes, work instructions, routers, bills of material, inspection criteria, and other operational documentation, as applicable.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Strong leadership ability with demonstrated success leading supervisors, developing employees, managing performance, and creating accountability in a manufacturing environment.
- Ability to balance competing priorities and make timely, sound decisions in a fast-paced and changing production environment.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, including production planning, material flow, labor utilization, capacity constraints, quality requirements, and on-time delivery.
- Ability to analyze production and business data, identify trends and risks, and translate findings into practical action plans.
- Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and continuous-improvement tools, including 5S, visual management, root-cause corrective action, process mapping, and waste reduction.
- Ability to lead cross-functional problem solving involving Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, and Maintenance.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate expectations, provide feedback, lead meetings, and present operational performance to leadership.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience using ERP or MRP systems to review and manage manufacturing data, production schedules, work orders, labor reporting, inventory, and material requirements.
- Ability to interpret and apply manufacturing documentation, including bills of material, routers, work orders, work instructions, inspection requirements, and production schedules.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- Five or more years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including experience leading supervisors, teams, departments, or value streams.
- Experience in composites, aerospace, defense, aviation, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
- Experience managing production performance in a make-to-order, low-volume/high-mix, or technically complex manufacturing environment.
- Experience with AS9100 quality-management-system requirements, customer specifications, and controlled manufacturing documentation.
- Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous-improvement training or certification; Green Belt preferred and Black Belt a plus.
- Experience with an ERP or MRP system used in a manufacturing environment.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, talking, hearing, handling, fingering, and reaching.
- Requires the ability to move throughout office, manufacturing, warehouse, and production areas; occasional bending, kneeling, squatting, climbing, or reaching may be required.
- Requires close visual acuity to review production activity, inspect work areas, read manufacturing documentation, review computer screens, and identify safety or quality concerns.
- May occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull materials, tools, or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position requires an on-site presence. Working conditions include a combination of office and manufacturing environments and may be noisy at times. The employee will regularly work in and around composite manufacturing, production, warehouse, and other operational areas and may be exposed to manufacturing equipment, airborne dust and particulates, resins, adhesives, solvents, temperature variations, and other typical manufacturing conditions. Required personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn in designated areas. Occasional weekend and/or evening work may be required.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
The Company is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. An individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. The Company will engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process to identify and evaluate reasonable accommodations when appropriate.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $95,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- Manufacturing: 5 years (Required)
Ability to Commute:
- Gainesville, FL 32608 (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- Gainesville, FL 32608: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person
