Manager, Production Operations

Bertelsmann; Solon (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Job summary

Playaway Products in Ohio seeks a Manager of Production Operations to lead a high‑performing Production team, ensuring safe, on‑time delivery of quality products while optimizing cost and capacity. The role balances daily floor leadership with strategic development of people, processes, and systems.

You will drive capacity planning, implement standard work, and partner with HR and Finance to align workforce and budget with business goals.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years in production/operations
• Experience leading through frontline leaders
• Experience with capacity and labor planning and KPI-based management
• Proven track record of improving production performance through standard work
• Strong analytical skills using operational data
• Experience with ERP/MRP/NetSuite is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience

Responsibilities

• Own overall Production leadership and performance using data and KPIs
• Develop a strong Production leadership team and standardized people-management practices
• Translate demand into staffing, equipment, and space requirements
• Embed safety and quality accountability in daily operations
• Optimize staffing, utilization, throughput, and cost in partnership with Finance
• Establish standard work and drive continuous improvement
• Ensure production data accuracy and reliable systems in collaboration with IT

Skills

Leadership

Capacity planning

KPI management

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Operations or related field

Tools

NetSuite

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Playaway Products is a company built on a simple belief: that everyone should have access to the joy of stories and learning, without barriers.

For more than 20 years, we’ve created thoughtfully designed technology that connects people to high-quality content from the world’s best publishers, developers, and studios. What started with a single pre-loaded audiobook player has grown into a family of products built for institutional circulation, where reliability, ease of use, and trust matter as much as innovation. We design for real-world conditions and make deliberate tradeoffs to prioritize access, durability, and ease of use over flash or novelty.

Today, we serve public libraries, schools, the military, and other institutional circulation markets. The work we do shows up every day in the lives of readers and learners — often in places where equitable access to technology and learning matters most.

As our products and partnerships grow, so does the opportunity to shape what access to learning looks like next. At Playaway, discovery begins with curiosity, and our culture values ownership, collaboration, and responsibility. This is a place for people who care about impact, are comfortable navigating ambiguity, and want to help build what comes next.

Job Description

The Manager, Production Operations ensures Production has the people, processes, resources, and leadership needed to safely deliver quality products on time and at the expected cost while continuously improving performance.

This role sets the tone for the Production organization and is accountable for building a high-performing, engaged, and accountable team. The Manager, Production Operations develops the capabilities of the Production leadership team and establishes clear ownership throughout the organization.

The Manager, Production Operations balances daily operational performance with the longer-term development of people, processes, capacity, systems, and continuous improvement. The role leads the Production system rather than becoming the primary person solving day-to-day floor issues.

Key Responsibilities

• Production Leadership and Performance: Own overall Production performance by setting clear expectations and accountability, using data and KPIs to drive execution, proactively addressing risks, and ensuring safety, quality, productivity, cost, and customer commitments are consistently achieved.
• People Leadership and Development: Develop a strong and accountable Production leadership team. Establish consistent people-management practices, build future leaders, foster employee engagement and growth, and partner with HR on workforce planning and employee relations. Own and continuously improve the Production training system to ensure employees have the skills, knowledge, and documented standards needed to perform successfully.
• Capacity, Labor and Resource Planning: Translate demand into effective staffing, equipment, space, and technology requirements. Proactively address constraints and partner with Supply Chain and Operations to support customer delivery and business growth.
• Safety and Quality: Embed clear safety and quality accountability and controls into daily operations. Ensure issues are promptly escalated, resolved at the root cause, and addressed cross-functionally when product or process concerns recur.
• Productivity and Cost Management: Use data to optimize staffing, utilization, throughput, and key cost drivers while balancing service, capacity, safety, quality, and employee experience in partnership with Operations and Finance.
• Process and Continuous Improvement: Establish standard work, systematically eliminate inefficiencies and recurring issues, leverage technology and cross-functional partnerships, and engage employees and leaders in continuous improvement.
• Production Systems and Data: Ensure Production operates with accurate, actionable data, effective reporting, reliable systems, and consistently documented procedures. Strengthen data discipline and partner with IT and Operations on automation and workflow improvements.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Represent Production across the organization by aligning demand, materials, capacity, resources, systems, and business priorities while proactively escalating significant operational risks and investment needs.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years of progressive experience in production, manufacturing, operations, or a related environment, including at least three years of people-leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading through frontline leaders is strongly preferred, with a proven ability to coach, develop, and hold leaders and employees accountable.
• Experience with capacity planning, labor planning, resource allocation, operating rhythms, and KPI-based performance management.
• Demonstrated success improving production performance, productivity, quality, processes, and cost through standard work and continuous-improvement practices.
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to use operational data to make decisions, communicate risks, and drive improvement.
• Experience with ERP, MRP, or other production-management systems; NetSuite experience is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline preferred, or equivalent relevant experience.

Leadership Profile

The successful Manager, Production Operations leads through others by developing an accountable Production leadership team and building strong, sustainable systems. This leader combines hands‑on floor visibility with strategic oversight, anticipates operational needs, uses data to guide decisions, and fosters trust and employee engagement while balancing safety, quality, service, people, productivity, and cost.

Working Conditions

Work is performed primarily in a clean, well-lit, climate-controlled production and warehouse environment. The position requires regular movement throughout the Production floor, extended periods of sitting or standing, regular computer use, and the ability to push, pull, bend, and lift objects weighing up to 35 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

• Medical/Prescription drug insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Health Savings Account
• Pre-Tax and Roth 401(k)
• Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life/AD&D Insurance
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Educational Assistance & generous paid time off.

Playaway Products is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House. Playaway Products and Penguin Random House values the array of talents and perspectives that a diverse workforce brings. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status.

Disclosure requirements pertaining to the collection of your personal data:

Responsible for processing the information provided in your application is the company specified in the job advertisement, with its registered office as indicated. The company processes your data for the purpose of establishing an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 (1) b GDPR / Section 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG.

The retention period for your data is determined by the statutory time limits applicable in the respective country, beginning upon completion of the recruitment process. You can find these here .

You can contact the company’s Data Protection Officer at the above-mentioned postal address.

Further information on data protection and your rights can be found here .

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