Area Manager - Forge & Machine Line Ops (Lean)

Dauch; North Vernon (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Dauch is seeking an Area Manager to join our North Vernon, IN facility, overseeing Forge and Machine Line operations to drive safety, quality, delivery, cost and productivity. You will lead production teams, coordinate manufacturing engineering, maintenance, tooling and quality systems, and champion Lean initiatives to elevate operational excellence across both lines.

Qualifications include an Associate degree or equivalent experience and five or more years of manufacturing leadership, with

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• Five (5)+ years of manufacturing leadership experience (automotive manufacturing preferred).
• Experience managing both Forge and Machining operations preferred.
• Experience with powder metal manufacturing highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Direct all daily operations for Forge and Machine Line departments.
• Ensure achievement of Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity (SQDCP) objectives.
• Develop staffing plans, labor utilization, and succession planning.
• Lead improvement initiative through cross functional teams for Quality, Equipment Reliability, and Engineering.
• Ensure compliance with IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and customer-specific requirements.
• Maintain process controls throughout Forge and Machine Line operations.
• Drive reduction of scrap, rework, customer complaints, and warranty issues.
• Assist root cause investigations utilizing: 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, DMAIC, A3 Problem Solving
• Promote a zero-incident safety culture.
• Ensure OSHA compliance.
• Lead safety audits and corrective actions.
• Maintain 5S workplace organization.
• Support environmental compliance initiatives.
• Coach and develop supervisors and production teams.
• Conduct performance evaluations.
• Identify training needs and create development plans.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement culture.
• Lead employee engagement initiatives.
• Support cross-functional communication between Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean Manufacturing

Problem solving

Safety culture

Education

Associate degree or equivalent experience

Five years manufacturing leadership experience

Tools

8D

DMAIC

5 Why

Fishbone

A3

Job description

Dauch is seeking an Area Manager to join our North Vernon, IN facility, overseeing Forge and Machine Line operations to drive safety, quality, delivery, cost and productivity. You will lead production teams, coordinate manufacturing engineering, maintenance, tooling and quality systems, and champion Lean initiatives to elevate operational excellence across both lines.

Qualifications include an Associate degree or equivalent experience and five or more years of manufacturing leadership, with