Manufacturing Director: Growth & Efficiency Lead

Athena Ag, Inc.; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Athena Ag, Inc. is seeking a Director of Manufacturing in California to lead safe, reliable, and efficient production as the business grows.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you’ll own manufacturing performance across safety, quality, production planning, cost, equipment reliability, and team development. You'll develop supervisors and production teams, strengthen processes, and adapt quickly as demand, materials, and equipment availability change while driving Lean improvements and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field or equivalent experience.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible manufacturing experience, including 5+ years leading operations and teams.
• Experience with production planning, scheduling, capacity, staffing, and day-to-day execution.
• Lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement methods to improve safety, quality, throughput, and costs.
• Experience managing manufacturing budgets, labor and operating costs, and performance metrics.
• Experience implementing workplace safety practices, SOPs, and quality management systems.
• Experience partnering with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability.
• Experience with ERP systems and data analysis for production decisions.
• Experience hiring, coaching and developing supervisors and production employees.
• Calm, pragmatic leadership balancing safety, quality, cost, and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Leadership of manufacturing operations, production teams, and day-to-day execution with safety, quality, service, and cost expectations.
• Own production planning, scheduling, capacity, and staffing; adjust priorities and communicate changes to downstream teams.
• Establish manufacturing KPIs, analyze performance, and manage budgets, labor efficiency, operating costs, and throughput.
• Lead Lean and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste and improve quality and productivity.
• Assess operational risks, troubleshoot issues, and partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve reliability.
• Hire, coach, and develop supervisors and production employees while building engagement and accountability.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Quality, Distribution, Product Development, and Operations to align production with business needs.
• Support new equipment, automation, and manufacturing processes expanding capacity and growth.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Root-cause analysis

Continuous improvement

Budget management

ERP systems

Leadership

Production planning

Safety compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing/Industrial/Mechanical Engineering or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

NetSuite

ERP software

Job description

Athena Ag, Inc. is seeking a Director of Manufacturing in California to lead safe, reliable, and efficient production as the business grows.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you’ll own manufacturing performance across safety, quality, production planning, cost, equipment reliability, and team development. You'll develop supervisors and production teams, strengthen processes, and adapt quickly as demand, materials, and equipment availability change while driving Lean improvements and