Manager, Suspension Manufacturing

RANDYS Worldwide; Riverside (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ICON is seeking a Manager, Suspension Manufacturing to lead day-to-day production operations, oversee shift and team leads, and drive output, quality, and safety. This role combines hands-on shop floor credibility with leadership skills to manage teams and support continuous improvement across suspension systems and off-road product lines.

You will own production planning, manage staffing, monitor key metrics, perform root-cause analyses with Engineering, coordinate with supply chain, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field
• 5+ years of progressive manufacturing operations experience with 2–3 years in a supervisory/management role
• Experience leading teams of 40+ employees
• Experience managing production budgets, labor planning, and cost control focusing on throughput, cycle times, scrap and rework
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean certification preferred

Responsibilities

• Own daily, weekly, and monthly production planning to meet demand forecasts and customer delivery commitments
• Lead multiple production lines/cells and training staff to reallocate labor to hit targets
• Monitor OEE, throughput, scrap, and on-time delivery; report performance to leadership
• Drive root-cause analysis with Engineering and implement corrective actions
• Coordinate with supply chain and materials planning to prevent stockouts and manage WIP
• Schedule maintenance with facilities to minimize downtime
• Supervise shift leads and production staff; conduct performance reviews and HR actions
• Support safety culture; enforce OSHA compliance and lead incident investigations
• Lead lean initiatives (5S, kaizen, value stream mapping) to reduce waste and improve efficiency
• Identify capital or process-improvement projects with ROI justification
• Standardize work instructions with HR and collaborate with Engineering on NPI and manufacturability
• Work with Quality Assurance on non-conformance resolution and process audits
• Collaborate with Planning to align capacity with demand
• Represent shop floor in leadership meetings

Skills

People management

Lean manufacturing

Analytical skills

Communication

Safety leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or related field

Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean certification

Job description

The Manager, Suspension Manufacturing leads day-to-day production operations for their area of the plant, overseeing shift and team leads as well as production associates to drive output, quality, and safety results. This is a mid-level operations leadership role requiring strong people-management experience, sound judgment, and the ability to keep a department running efficiently in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate combines hands-on shop floor credibility with the leadership skills needed to manage teams, uphold quality standards, and support continuous improvement across ICON's suspension systems and off-road performance product lines.

• Own daily, weekly, and monthly production planning to meet demand forecasts and customer delivery commitments
• Manage workflow and staffing across multiple production lines/cells, and training employees to reallocate labor and resources in real time to hit targets
• Set and monitor Overall Equipment Effectiveness, throughput, scrap rate, and on-time-delivery metrics; report performance to leadership
• In conjunction with Engineering, drive root-cause analysis on production shortfalls, quality escapes, and downtime events, and implement corrective actions
• Partner with supply chain and materials planning to prevent stockouts and manage WIP levels
• Coordinate maintenance schedules with the facilities/maintenance team to minimize unplanned downtime
• Directly supervise shift leads, team leads, and production associates. Set expectations and assist in achieving them.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and train shop floor staff in partnership with HR
• Conduct performance reviews, manage disciplinary actions, and handle employee relations issues in partnership with HR
• Build training and cross-skilling programs to increase workforce flexibility and reduce single points of failure
• Ensure all products meet ICON's quality specifications and enforce inspection/QC checkpoints throughout production
• Own safety performance for the department: enforce OSHA compliance, lead incident investigations, and drive corrective/preventive actions
• Conduct regular safety audits and toolbox talks; champion a proactive safety culture
• Lead lean manufacturing initiatives (5S, kaizen, value stream mapping) to reduce waste and improve efficiency
• Identify and lead capital or process improvement projects, building business cases with ROI justification
• In partnership with HR, standardize work instructions and best practices across shifts
• Partner with Engineering on new product introductions (NPI) and manufacturability feedback
• Work with Quality Assurance on non-conformance resolution and process audits
• Collaborate with Planning/Scheduling to align capacity with sales demand
• Represent the shop floor perspective in leadership and operations meetings

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, including at least 2-3 years in a supervisory or management role
• Demonstrated experience managing teams of 40+ employees
• Experience managing production budgets, labor planning, and cost control, with a focus on throughput, cycle times, parts per person, scrap and rework.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean certification

Knowledge and Personal Attributes:

• Strong working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles (5S, kaizen, Six Sigma, or similar)
• Solid understanding of OSHA regulations and manufacturing safety standards
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret production data and KPIs to drive decisions
• Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership
• Sound judgment and composure under pressure, especially when balancing competing production priorities
• Hands-on, floor-present leadership style paired with the discipline to manage budgets and metrics
• High accountability and follow-through; comfortable owning outcomes rather than deflecting them
• Ability to coach and develop others, building bench strength across the team
• Physically able to stand, walk, and move throughout the shop floor for extended periods (up to full shift), and lift up to 50 lbs occasionally
• Comfortable working in a manufacturing environment with exposure to noise, machinery, and varying temperatures
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings/weekends, to support production needs or shift coverage