This role is responsible for driving performance in safety, quality, production efficiency, manpower planning, and continuous improvement while developing and supporting a large workforce. The Production Manager partners closely with Operations leadership to meet plant goals and deliver strong operational results.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership & Workforce Development
- Lead, motivate, and support a large production workforce across multiple shifts.
- Develop supervisors and frontline personnel through training, coaching, and performance management.
- Build a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
Operational Excellence
- Direct daily operations of the injection molding department to achieve safety, quality, and productivity KPIs.
- Optimize labor, material flow, and equipment utilization to ensure efficient production.
- Ensure consistent operational standards, policies, and procedures across all shifts.
Safety & Compliance
- Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with all site and corporate requirements.
- Lead investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions for safety incidents.
- Proactively identify and mitigate potential hazards.
Continuous Improvement
- Implement Lean, TPM, WCM, and other CI methodologies to improve throughput and reduce scrap.
- Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, and Quality groups to solve operational issues and improve processes.
- Lead improvement projects that support long-term business objectives.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with HR, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance to support workforce planning, problem solving, and process optimization.
- Provide clear communication and alignment across teams and leadership.
Other Requirements
- Provide 24/7 support as needed, including during critical production or emergency situations.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field and 5 years management preferred or 15+ years of progressive management experience within manufacturing environments.
- Minimum 5 years of manufacturing leadership experience (plastics or injection molding preferred).
- Demonstrated ability to lead large teams (150+ employees) in high-volume manufacturing.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment, quality systems, and maintenance coordination.
- ERP/MRP system experience.
- Proven ability to drive KPIs related to safety, labor efficiency, quality, and continuous improvement.
- Strong leadership, decision-making, and communication skills.
Preferred
- Experience in plastics, injection molding, extrusion, or similar industries.
- CI certifications or training (Lean, TPM, Six Sigma).
- Candidates in West Tennessee strongly preferred.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Regular walking, standing, and lifting (up to 50 lbs occasionally).
- Required use of PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, and steel-toe shoes.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Split between office and production floor environments.
- Exposure to moderate noise levels and industrial equipment.