Our client is a highly respected U.S. manufacturer in the industrial and fabricated-metal products space, producing engineered, high-value components that serve customers nationwide. The company is privately held, financially strong, and investing heavily in new technology, equipment upgrades, and long-term operational modernization.
Due to continued growth, they are seeking a Manufacturing Operations Manager who wants to step into an influential leadership role where they can shape the future of the plant, elevate team performance, and drive meaningful improvements across production and engineering.
This is an opportunity for a hands-on operational leader who thrives in a collaborative culture, enjoys developing people, and wants to make a lasting impact.
Why This Role Is a Great Opportunity
- High visibility: Work directly with senior leadership and influence long-term operational strategy
- Investment & modernization: The plant is actively upgrading equipment, systems, and processes
- Leadership autonomy: Empowered to make decisions, develop your team, and implement new ideas
- Stable, growing environment: A financially strong company with a long history and consistent demand
- Real impact: Your work directly affects output, efficiency, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction
Primary Function
The Manufacturing Operations Manager will oversee all daily plant operations, including production, fabrication, and manufacturing engineering support. This leader will drive performance, strengthen processes, build team capability, and support ongoing modernization efforts across the operation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead day-to-day operations in production, fabrication, and engineering support
- Partner cross-functionally to eliminate bottlenecks, improve flow, and strengthen quality performance
- Lead, mentor, and develop production and engineering teams in a represented (union) or mixed labor environment
- Analyze production data, identify improvement opportunities, and drive corrective action
- Support capital projects, new equipment integration, and modernization initiatives
- Manage departmental budgets and optimize labor, materials, and operational resources
- Champion safety programs and embed a culture of proactive risk reduction
- Foster strong collaboration across departments, breaking down silos to improve communication and efficiency
- Drive continuous improvement efforts around waste reduction, throughput, cycle time, and scrap reduction
- Ensure production plans are met with a focus on quality, safety, and on-time delivery
- Support the implementation of systems, processes, and tools that align with long-term business objectives
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related discipline preferred
- 5–7+ years of manufacturing management experience in an industrial or metal fabrication environment
- Leadership experience across multiple process areas (production, engineering, maintenance, etc.)
- Strong problem-solving skills and a track record of driving operational improvements
- Servant leadership mindset with the ability to develop and engage teams
- Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement practices
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization
- Experience with welding, fabrication, or custom/low-volume metalworking environments preferred
If you're a manufacturing leader who enjoys building teams, modernizing operations, and driving meaningful change, this is a rare opportunity to take ownership and make a real impact.
