Oshawa Production Manager

Safe Fleet; Oshawa; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Paid vacation

Job summary

Kerr Industries in Oshawa, Canada, is seeking a Production Manager to lead the automotive upfitting team on a busy shop floor. You will route and install wire harnesses, controllers, partitions, light bars, and other components, ensuring timely production and adherence to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The role emphasizes leadership, safety, and efficiency improvements with a strong focus on coordinating cross-department activities and maintaining high-quality standards.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of supervisory/management experience, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Strong understanding of Collective Bargaining Agreements and applying them in day-to-day operations.
• Disciplined and assertive with strong problem-solving ability.
• Valid driver’s license and a Secondary School Diploma/GED.
• MS Office experience with Outlook and Excel; strong written and verbal communication.
• Excellent organization and scheduling capabilities; ability to stand and walk for long periods.
• Experience working with union representatives and navigating grievances is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Open and close the shop each day before and after the shift.
• Plan, direct, and assign production workers to meet scheduling needs and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Monitor production on the shop floor and address issues delaying output.
• Identify performance issues and training needs to improve efficiency and safety.
• Record-keeping for employee work times and production data.
• Enforce company policies and collaborate with internal/external stakeholders.
• Lead toolbox talks and coordinate material delivery to support daily production.
• Coordinate parts production for weekly shipments to Kerr plants and customers.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Union environment

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Stand/walk 9 hours

Education

Secondary School Diploma/GED

Tools

MS Office (Outlook, Excel)

Job description

Organization

About The Position

If you value innovation, creativity, and working hard to satisfy our customers, you will fit in well at Kerr. Our specialty is modifying brand new vehicles into police and emergency vehicles. In fact, we upfit more police vehicles than any other company in North America and we continue to focus on growing our business. Founded in 1952, Kerr Industries has a strong North American presence with operations located in Texas, Chicago, Michigan and Oshawa. We want motivated, ambitious people who put the needs of our customers first, bring creativity to their work and will do whatever it takes to achieve success. If you share our passion for providing innovative solutions to complex challenges, we want you on our team. For more information, please visit www.kerrindustries.com.

Position and Fit

The Production Manager is responsible for managing our automotive upfitting team. Our upfitters work each day to modify OEM vehicles into police and emergency vehicles through, routing and installing wire harnesses, controllers, partitions, auxiliary batteries, light bars, push bumpers, power supplies, component trays, and consoles. Previous experience with any of those tasks is considered an asset.

This is a high energy role with plenty of time spent on the production floor observing and overcoming issues to ensure scheduled production demands are met each day. The ideal Production Manager has proven leadership skills with the ability to bring about positive changes and efficiencies to the workforce. This role is key in helping the company improve the training, skills and abilities of our production team.

Responsibilities And Duties

• Open and close the shop each day before and after the shift.
• Work with the scheduling department to plan, direct, and assign production employees to align job scheduling needs and production demands, in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Actively monitor production from the shop floor looking for issues preventing timely production.
• Identify and manage performance issues, identify training needs, and support the development of employees in areas of time production efficiencies, quality standards, and safety while ensuring all actions comply with the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Perform record-keeping for various aspects of the production process including the compilation and analysis of employee work times.
• Enforce and uphold company policies including those outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Communicate with key internal and external production stakeholders to coordinate between departments and provide excellent customer service.
• Conduct toolbox meetings on a frequent basis to inform employees of news, procedures, and standards to ensure consistency and on-floor communication.
• Coordinate material delivery to the shop floor to support daily production.
• Coordinate parts production to support weekly part shipments to other Kerr plants and directly to customers.
• Ensure the production space and building are clean and maintained.
• Collaborate with union representatives as needed to resolve workplace issues and support a positive labor-management relationship.
• Perform other duties as reasonably assigned.

Compensation And Other Benefits

• $70,000 to $85,000 /Year
• Compensation is commensurate with experience. Includes Health, Dental, and Vision benefits and paid vacation.

Requirements

This position takes place largely on the shop floor with only minimal time per day at a desk or computer. The role is very interactive and requires a high level of mental and physical energy every day.

• Has 3-5 years of supervisory / management experience, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of Collective Bargaining Agreements and experience applying them in day-to-day operations.
• Is disciplined and determined with an assertive nature.
• Possess a valid driver’s license and a Secondary School Diploma/GED.
• Has MS Office experience with Outlook and Excel.
• Has strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Has strong organizational skills.
• Is able to stand and walk for up to 9 hours a day.
• Has proven analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with union representatives and navigating grievance or disciplinary procedures is an asset.

Higher consideration will be given to those with previous experience in an automotive production or automotive maintenance environment, or those who have worked with automotive or household electrical.

Kerr Industries is committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment where every employee and candidate is treated with respect and dignity. Employment-related decisions, including hiring, compensation, training, promotion, and termination, are made fairly and based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities in accordance with applicable laws, including the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Kerr Industries is committed to providing accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment or selection process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.