Smartcore fabricates structural composite sandwich panels for the transportation, recreational, and vocational vehicle markets using a wet-wet compression molding process. These descriptions define two frontline leadership roles that carry the production floor: the Production Manager, who owns the shift and its results, and the Team Leader, who runs a cell and develops its people. Both are hands-on roles in a fast-scaling manufacturing startup.
Production Manager
Reports to: Director of Operations
Direct reports: Team Leaders, and production associates through them
Location: Smartcore manufacturing facility (Flint, Michigan)
Status: Full-time
Position Summary
The Production Manager owns the safe, on-time, on-quality output of the Smartcore production floor. This person translates the operations plan into daily execution — running the schedule, leading Team Leaders, holding safety and quality standards, and driving the throughput and cost improvements that let Smartcore scale from pilot production to full rate. As an early leader in a growing company, the Production Manager also helps build the systems, standards, and culture that the plant will run on for years.
Key Responsibilities
Safety
- Champion a zero-injury culture; enforce PPE, safe handling of resins and fibers, machine guarding, and ventilation standards across all shifts.
- Lead incident investigation and corrective action; drive proactive hazard identification and 5S housekeeping.
Quality
- Own conformance of finished panels to customer specifications and Smartcore standards; hold the line on first-pass yield and defect reduction.
- Enforce standard work, process parameters, and inspection checkpoints across kitting, layup, molding, trim, and inspection.
- Support OEM qualification and PPAP-style documentation; partner with engineering on root-cause corrective action (8D).
Delivery
- Plan and execute the daily and weekly production schedule to meet customer commitments — starting with the Sevna cab program and scaling to new OEM programs.
- Manage capacity, staffing, and material availability to hit rate targets; escalate constraints early and drive debottlenecking.
- Track and report shift performance against safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC) metrics.
Cost
- Drive labor efficiency, material yield, and scrap reduction to move COGS toward target margins as automation is introduced.
- Contribute to capital and process improvement decisions — press utilization, automated resin application, and core-forming capacity.
People & Leadership
- Develop, coach, and hold accountable a team of Team Leaders and production associates; lead hiring and onboarding as the plant scales.
- Build management systems — standard work, performance management, and continuous improvement routines — where none yet exist.
- Foster a culture of engagement, ownership, and craftsmanship on a floor building complex, high-value composite structures.
Qualifications
Required
- 5+ years in manufacturing operations with at least 2 years leading teams, ideally in composites, automotive, RV, marine, or a related structural-fabrication industry.
- Demonstrated ownership of SQDC results for a production area or shift.
- Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing (standard work, 5S, root-cause problem solving) and quality systems (ISO 9001 or equivalent).
- Ability to read engineering drawings and specifications and translate them into floor execution.
- Strong communication, coaching, and organizational skills; comfortable in a hands-on, fast-changing startup environment.
Preferred
- Direct experience with composites processes — compression molding, RTM, infusion, or lamination — and with epoxy/fiber materials.
- Experience standing up new lines, launching new programs, or scaling a plant from low to high volume.
- Familiarity with ERP/production control systems and PPAP/APQP for OEM customers.
Success in the First Year
- Sevna cab program running reliably at rate, with first-pass yield and on-time delivery meeting or beating targets.
- Standard work and SQDC visual management established and sustained across the floor.
A developed bench of Team Leaders capable of running their cells independently.
Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
