JOB DESCRIPTION

The Production Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing manufacturing operations at our Automotive Seating facility in Warren, Michigan. This role provides leadership to production teams, ensuring the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of high-quality products that meet customer requirements. The Production Manager drives operational excellence through continuous improvement, workforce development, quality management, and strong cross-functional collaboration.

This position requires a hands-on leader who can effectively manage people, processes, and performance while maintaining a strong focus on safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead and supervise salaried production personnel across assigned manufacturing areas.
• Manage day-to-day production operations to ensure customer requirements, production schedules, and business objectives are achieved.
• Oversee the flow of raw materials through manufacturing and assembly processes while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions to address operational challenges.
• Ensure accurate production reporting and documentation.

Team Leadership & Workforce Development

• Develop, coach, and mentor leaders and team members to enhance performance and support succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Conduct performance evaluations, provide regular feedback, and support employee development initiatives.
• Promote effective communication across all levels of the organization.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, efficiency, quality, and cost reduction.
• Utilize Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, and Six Sigma methodologies to drive operational excellence.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and implement sustainable solutions.

Quality Management

• Ensure products meet all customer and company quality requirements.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to investigate root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Support quality audits, customer expectations, and plant quality objectives.
• Drive a culture of quality throughout the production organization.

KPI & Financial Management

• Monitor and manage key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, quality, delivery, productivity, scrap, downtime, and labor efficiency.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making to improve operational performance.
• Support budget development and manage departmental spending to meet financial targets.
• Maintain a strong understanding of manufacturing costs and overall business performance.

Safety & Compliance

• Maintain a safe and productive work environment by ensuring compliance with all company safety policies and procedures.
• Conduct regular workplace audits and inspections.
• Promote a culture of safety and continuous risk reduction.
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, and company operational standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Materials, Human Resources, and other departments to support plant objectives.
• Lead efforts to resolve production issues and improve plant performance.
• Support new product launches, operational changes, and customer-driven initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• 5-10 years of management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 10 years of overall manufacturing experience.
• Proven experience leading and developing salaried and hourly teams.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and workforce development skills.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and strategic-thinking abilities.
• Demonstrated experience managing KPIs and driving operational performance.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing financials, budgeting, and cost management.
• Experience with quality systems, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Continuous Improvement and/or Kaizen certification required.
• In-depth knowledge of Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Automotive manufacturing experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Lean Manufacturing certification and experience.
• Experience managing large-scale production operations within a high-volume manufacturing environment.

Work Schedule

Must be available to work 2nd Shift:

• Monday – Friday
• 2:15 PM – 10:15 PM

Additional overtime may be required based on customer demand, production schedules, and business needs.

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