Operations Manager

About the Opportunity

Our client is a well-established manufacturing company seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead its label division in Charlotte, NC.

This is a key leadership opportunity for an experienced manufacturing professional with a strong background in label, packaging, or printing operations. The Operations Manager will have overall responsibility for manufacturing performance across Production, Finishing, Maintenance, Quality, and Workforce Management.

This individual will play a critical role in improving operational efficiency, developing teams, increasing equipment utilization, maintaining quality standards, and ensuring on-time delivery while supporting the company's continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

Plant Operations Leadership

• Provide daily leadership and oversight of manufacturing operations across multiple shifts.
• Lead production supervisors, leads, and production employees.
• Drive accountability for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and operational performance.
• Establish production schedules and coordinate resources to meet customer commitments.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, throughput, and equipment utilization.

Production Management

• Oversee narrow-web flexographic and digital printing operations, including pressure-sensitive and shrink-sleeve labels.
• Manage finishing operations including slitting, inspection, rewinding, and packaging.
• Oversee shrink-sleeve converting, seaming, inspection, and finishing.
• Monitor production throughput, changeover efficiency, downtime, and equipment uptime.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure products meet internal quality standards and customer specifications.
• Partner with Quality leadership to support GMP and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Investigate quality issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain adherence to quality systems and applicable industry standards.

Team Leadership

• Build, develop, and retain a strong manufacturing team.
• Lead hiring, training, development, and performance management.
• Manage staffing requirements across multiple shifts.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales and Customer Service to support customer expectations and growth.
• Work with Prepress and Engineering to support new product launches and efficient job setups.
• Collaborate with Maintenance to maximize equipment reliability and uptime.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field preferred.
• 7–10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, preferably within labels, packaging, or printing.
• Demonstrated experience managing flexographic printing operations.
• Experience with HP and ABG digital label printing platforms preferred.
• Experience with shrink-sleeve converting and finishing processes.
• Experience with folded literature or insert manufacturing is a plus.
• Previous experience leading multi-shift manufacturing operations.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Narrow-web flexographic printing
  • Digital label printing
  • Die cutting, slitting, rewinding, and inspection
  • Shrink-sleeve converting
  • Printing substrates, inks, adhesives, and coatings
• Experience using ERP systems to analyze production data and monitor performance.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing cost drivers, including labor, materials, waste, and equipment utilization.
• Experience managing operational budgets and capital planning.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, communication, and decision-making skills.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, including 8–12 hour shifts.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, climb, and crouch as needed.
• Ability to visually inspect print quality and color accuracy.
• Comfortable working around printing inks, cleaning solvents, noise, and varying temperatures.