Production Manager

Production Manager

Overview:

StaffBuffalo is working with a high-quality manufacturing organization specializing in the water solutions industry to hire a Production Manager, paying $90,000–$130,000/year. This is a unique opportunity to join a high-quality manufacturing operation with a loyal customer base and help bring greater structure, visibility, and scalability to an already respected product line.

This Production Manager will step into a business with deep institutional knowledge, strong craftsmanship, and a highly tenured workforce. The operation has historically run well because of the experience of its team; and the organization is looking for its next leader in this role to help capture that expertise, formalize workflows, and build the systems needed for long-term succession planning and continued growth.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who can improve on-time delivery, support production and supply chain coordination, and introduce best practices without losing the strengths that already exist in the plant. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to lead, build, and make meaningful changes in a non-union environment where quality, accountability, and continuous improvement matter.

This is an in-person, on-site role in the Northtown's of Western New York.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee manufacturing operations across machining, fabrication, assembly, surface finishing, factory testing, shipping and receiving, and health and safety programs on the shift.
• Deliver equipment and parts orders on time, on budget, and defect free, while maintaining a clean, organized, and safety-first production environment.
• Create visibility into production activity by managing schedules, resolving discrepancies, and coordinating closely with engineering, sales, and supply chain teams.
• Lead, mentor, and develop production supervisors and team members through performance evaluations, regular check-ins, training, and cross-functional development.
• Document processes, standard operating procedures, and tribal knowledge to support stronger training, succession planning, and long-term operational consistency.
• Champion Lean manufacturing initiatives including 5S, Kaizen activity, process mapping, and continuous improvement efforts that improve efficiency and reduce waste.
• Support inventory, procurement, and capacity planning efforts, including ERP or MRP process development, to strengthen workflow management and overall plant performance.
  

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in production, operations, or plant environments, ideally within machining, fabrication, welding, finishing, or assembly.
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and the ability to implement best practices that improve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance.
• Experience building processes, documenting workflows, and developing standard operating procedures in an environment that is scaling or modernizing operations.
• Comfort working with ERP or MRP systems, production planning tools, and KPI-driven performance management.
• Ability to read and interpret equipment or assembly drawings, analyze root causes, and solve operational problems in a practical, hands-on way.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to build trust, coach teams, influence across functions, and hold people accountable while maintaining a positive culture fit.
• Engineering or Business degree or diploma preferred.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary range of $90,000-$130,000/year.
• Day shift schedule, approximately 7:30am-4:00pm, with flexibility based on operational needs.
• High-impact leadership opportunity within a growing, private equity-backed platform in the water industry.
• Chance to help shape the future structure, systems, and processes of an established manufacturing operation.
• Opportunity to work with a highly tenured team known for quality craftsmanship and strong customer loyalty.
• Visible role with influence across production, supply chain, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Long-term growth potential for a leader who wants to help build and scale operations.

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