Manufacturing Lead

Plug Power; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Plug Power is seeking a Manufacturing Lead to coordinate daily production in Houston, ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency on the floor. This frontline leadership role communicates between operators and management and provides hands-on support to meet manufacturing goals.

The ideal candidate has supervisory experience in manufacturing, strong teamwork and communication skills, and a proven ability to train staff on SOPs, manage workloads, and drive continuous improvement initiatives such as

Qualifications

• High School diploma plus 3 years of manufacturing quality work history.
• Manufacturing industry experience.
• Previous supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong collaboration and communication abilities.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with SOPs and work instructions.
• Proficiency in project management and team leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support daily operations on the production floor, ensuring safety, quality, and productivity targets are achieved.
• Serve as primary point of contact for day-to-day production issues and communicating updates to team members and management.
• Monitor workflow, assign tasks, and adjust staffing as needed to meet schedules and minimize downtime.
• Train, mentor, and support team members in following SOPs and work instructions.
• Collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Logistics to resolve production challenges.
• Conduct visual inspections and checks to ensure products meet quality standards and escalate issues as needed.
• Maintain accurate documentation of daily production, timekeeping, material usage, and deviations or incidents.
• Support implementation of continuous improvement initiatives, such as 5S, Lean Manufacturing, and Kaizen events.
• Ensure compliance with safety policies and regulatory standards; promote a culture of safety awareness and accountability.
• Assist in onboarding and training new employees.
• Represent Plug Power in a professional manner at all times and in all interactions.
• Perform all other duties as assigned

Skills

Leadership

Team collaboration

Communication

Organizational skills

Project management

Attention to detail

Safety awareness

Education

High School diploma

Job description

Manufacturing Lead

Status: Non-Exempt (hourly)

Department: Manufacturing/Production

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Lead is responsible for coordinating daily production activities and ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently, and according to quality standards. Acting as the front-line leader, this role supports the production team by facilitating communication between operators and management, monitoring workflow, and providing hands-on support to ensure manufacturing goals are met. The ideal candidate will be a dependable team player with strong technical knowledge and leadership ability.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and support daily operations on the production floor, ensuring safety, quality, and productivity targets are achieved.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for resolving day-to-day production issues and communicating updates to team members and management.

• Monitor workflow, assign tasks, and adjust staffing as needed to meet schedules and minimize downtime.

• Train, mentor, and support team members in following standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions.

• Collaborate with supervisors and other departments (Quality, Engineering, Logistics) to resolve production challenges.

• Conduct visual inspections and checks to ensure products meet quality standards and elevate issues as needed.

• Maintain accurate documentation of daily production, timekeeping, material usage, and any deviations or incidents.

• Support implementation of continuous improvement initiatives, such as 5S, Lean Manufacturing, and Kaizen events.

• Ensure compliance with safety policies and regulatory standards; promote a culture of safety awareness and accountability.

• Assist in onboarding and training new employees.

• Represent Plug Power in a professional manner at all times and in all interactions

• Perform all other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

• High School diploma plus 3 years of manufacturing quality work history
• Manufacturing industry experience
• Previous supervisory experience highly preferred
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively within a team atmosphere
• Superior interpersonal skills and communication abilities
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Demonstrate proficiency with project management and team leadership

Plug Power Inc. is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.