Job Description

Production Operations Manager

Job Type:

Full-Time, Direct Hire

Pay:

$80K-$110K (Based on experience)

Job Summary

• **The Role:

  **Effectively acts as the Plant Manager for our existing, recurring aerospace production.

• **Team Size:

  ** 6 direct reports (Lathe Leader, NC Operators Leader, NC Programmers Leader, Scheduler, Materials Lead, and a dotted line to Quality). Manages 20–25 indirect reports, including CMM programmers. Oversees 2 shifts and 35 total employees.

• **Candidate Profile:

  ** Ideal background is a CNC Manager from a high-mix, low-volume production machining environment. We are highly flexible on the official title (open to "pick your own title") for the right candidate.

• **Technical Environment:

  ** ~30 CNC machines (including 9 palletized HMCs and 8 true 5-axis mills). Primarily Doosan, Haas, and OKK with FANUC and Haas controls. Materials include aluminum (6000/7000 series), composites, titanium, hardened steel, and stainless. Uses Vizi by Hexagon (CAD/CAM) and Machine Metrics for shop-floor monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead

  **day-to-day production operations

  ** within a high-mix, low-volume CNC machining environment, with responsibility for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and overall execution.

• Coordinate

  **production priorities, machine assignments, staffing, and workflow

  ** based on customer requirements, available capacity, and current shop conditions.

• Maintain visibility of active and upcoming work and proactively identify constraints involving

  **capacity, staffing, programming, tooling, materials, inspection, and outside processing

  **.

• Monitor production schedules, identify jobs at risk, and coordinate recovery plans and resources to keep late, prototype, high-priority, and customer-critical work moving.

• Lead daily production meetings to establish priorities, review job status, address constraints, and assign actions.

• Serve as the primary operational escalation point and make timely decisions to resolve issues and maintain production flow.

• Monitor production KPIs including

  **throughput, machine utilization, efficiency, quality, and delivery performance

  **.

• Lead continuous-improvement initiatives focused on increasing throughput and productive capacity while reducing setup time, cycle time, downtime, scrap, rework, and other manufacturing waste.

• Evaluate and implement opportunities involving

  **automation, palletization, unattended machining, tooling, and manufacturing technology

  **.

• Develop and improve production procedures, workflows, and standard work.

• Identify current and future operational constraints and participate in

  **planning, budgeting, capital equipment evaluation, staffing, and resource allocation

  **.

• Provide operational leadership and visibility into production status, delivery risks, capacity, staffing, quality, inventory, and other significant operational concerns.

CNC Manufacturing & Technical Leadership

• Provide technical leadership for

  **CNC manufacturing and process development

  **.

• Lead and support the Programming/Design function and make decisions regarding

  **manufacturing strategy, machining approach, tooling, workholding, fixtures, process planning, automation, and prove-out

  **.

• Resolve complex manufacturing and machining challenges and provide technical direction when issues arise.

• Partner with Quality, CMM resources, Sales, and customers to interpret dimensional results and resolve manufacturing and inspection issues.

• Develop recovery plans and drive challenging jobs through successful completion and customer acceptance.

Materials, Inventory & Systems

• Oversee

  **materials, inventory, warehouse, and manufacturing systems

  **.

• Maintain inventory accuracy, cycle counting, lot traceability, and effective material flow.

• Ensure effective use of

  **ERP, shop-floor tracking, and machine-monitoring systems

  ** to maintain accurate real-time production and inventory visibility.

• Identify opportunities to improve material flow, inventory control, and manufacturing system utilization.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the

  **Production, Programming/Design, and Materials teams

  **.

• Manage staffing, coaching, training, performance management, timecards/PTO, and employee relations in partnership with HR.

• Establish clear expectations and accountability while developing a culture of

  **continuous improvement, teamwork, and operational ownership

  **.

• Support hiring, training, and development of team members as needed.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in

  **Production Management, Operations Management, or Manufacturing Management

  **.

• Extensive experience in a

  **CNC machining / precision manufacturing environment

  **.

• Strong understanding of CNC machining processes, tooling, workholding, programming, production planning, and manufacturing processes.

• Experience managing

  **high-mix, low-volume manufacturing

  ** preferred.

• Experience with production scheduling, capacity planning, staffing, and machine utilization.

• Experience with

  **ERP and manufacturing systems

  **.

• Ability to read and understand manufacturing drawings and dimensional requirements.

• Experience working with Quality/CMM, inspection, tooling, programming, and engineering teams.

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

• Previous experience leading and developing manufacturing personnel.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.