Body Shop Operations Lead - Lean & Safety Focus

Slate Auto LLC; Warsaw (IN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Slate is seeking an Operations Group Lead to oversee day-to-day production in the Body Shop. This hands-on leadership role supervises production associates and team leads, ensuring safety, quality, and on-time delivery.

You will partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to support stable, repeatable and efficient production, while driving continuous improvement and coaching on the shop floor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field.
• 5–8 years of automotive or high-volume manufacturing experience.
• 2+ years of direct supervisory experience on the production floor.
• Strong knowledge of BIW processes, equipment, and inspection methods preferred.
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing and structured problem-solving techniques.
• Proven ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, safety-critical, highly automated environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence hourly teams and partner cross-functionally.
• Ability to prioritize, make timely decisions, and remain engaged under pressure.
• Comfortable spending the majority of time on the shop floor in an industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise Body Shop production associates and/or team leads to meet daily production targets.
• Ensure strict adherence to safety standards, quality requirements, and standardized work instructions.
• Execute daily production plans, manage staffing, and balance labor to support takt time and throughput.
• Monitor and drive performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People metrics.
• Lead daily tier meetings, shift handovers, and production floor communication.
• Identify production issues and lead first-level root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Escalate complex or cross-functional issues effectively and follow through to closure.
• Support Manufacturing Engineering with PFMEAs, control plans, and implementation of process changes.
• Partner with Quality and Maintenance to resolve downtime, defects, and rework.
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean manufacturing tools and standard problem-solving methods.
• Coach, train, and develop production associates to build skills, engagement, and accountability.
• Maintain accurate reporting of production performance, safety incidents, and quality concerns.

Skills

Leadership

Shop floor leadership

Lean manufacturing

BIW processes

Safety standards

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Slate is seeking an Operations Group Lead to oversee day-to-day production in the Body Shop. This hands-on leadership role supervises production associates and team leads, ensuring safety, quality, and on-time delivery.

You will partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to support stable, repeatable and efficient production, while driving continuous improvement and coaching on the shop floor.