Manufacturing Leader - Sewing Ops & Quality Excellence

Ljdesignmfg; Town of Brookfield (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Laacke & Joys in Wisconsin is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to lead our industrial sewing operations, drive safety, quality, delivery, and productivity, and mentor teams on the factory floor. This senior role requires a visible, hands-on leader who builds relationships, solves problems, and champions continuous improvement, with growth opportunities into broader operations leadership.

The successful candidate will strengthen quality systems, guide cross-functional initiatives, and align

Qualifications

• 7+ years of manufacturing leadership experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Proven success leading frontline production teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership, employee development, coaching, and communication skills.
• Experience improving operational performance through metrics, accountability, and process discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive results.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity goals.
• Establish a strong daily presence on the production floor and actively engage with employees and team leaders.
• Be on-site and engaged with daily startup activities by 7:30 a.m.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Coach, mentor, and develop team members while creating opportunities for growth and advancement.
• Ensure staffing, scheduling, and workflow effectively support customer requirements and business objectives.
• Manufacturing liaison for New Business Development Team.
• Lead development and continuous improvement of the company’s Quality Management System.
• Establish standardized work, process controls, training systems, and quality documentation.
• Drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
• Partner with customers to understand and meet quality expectations.
• Improve product consistency, reduce defects and rework, and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost performance.
• Utilize Lean Manufacturing principles and data-driven decision making to improve operational effectiveness.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators and drive accountability for results.
• Develop scalable processes and systems that support future growth.
• Lead strategic projects involving Operations, Engineering, Sales, Customer Service, Sourcing, and Quality.
• Collaborate across departments to solve problems, remove barriers, and improve business performance.
• Participate in operational planning and strategic growth initiatives.
• Serve as a key contributor to the development of future organizational capabilities and leadership capacity.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Cross-functional teamwork

Problem solving

Data-driven decision making

Employee development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or related field

Job description

Laacke & Joys in Wisconsin is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to lead our industrial sewing operations, drive safety, quality, delivery, and productivity, and mentor teams on the factory floor. This senior role requires a visible, hands-on leader who builds relationships, solves problems, and champions continuous improvement, with growth opportunities into broader operations leadership.

The successful candidate will strengthen quality systems, guide cross-functional initiatives, and align