Manufacturing Manager

Socket.dev; Sauk Rapids (MN); On-site; USD 91,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Ichor Systems in Minnesota is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to lead a high-performing team and drive operational excellence across safety, quality, delivery, and cost. You will develop leaders, empower operators, and execute strategic initiatives to improve business performance.

The role demands data-driven decision making, an ability to influence change, and a commitment to building a culture of trust, accountability, ownership, and respect.

Qualifications

• The candidate will lead and develop a high-performing manufacturing organization with focus on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement.
• Experience implementing Lean principles and continuous improvement across complex operations.
• Strong ability to translate strategy into actionable operational plans and measurable outcomes.
• Experience in cross-functional leadership with Engineering, Quality, Planning, HR, Maintenance, and Finance.

Responsibilities

• Build a culture of Operational Excellence by empowering teams and developing leaders.
• Lead Kaizen events, Root Cause Analysis, A3 problem solving, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, and Standard Work.
• Drive improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, and OEE across manufacturing.
• Partner with multi-functional teams to achieve corporate objectives and sustainable results.
• Develop succession plans and foster employee engagement through transparency and coaching.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Data-driven Decision Making

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree / 10 yrs of experience

Job description

The Manufacturing Manager is responsible for leading and developing a high-performing manufacturing organization that consistently delivers world-class results in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Employee Engagement.

This role is much more than managing production—it is responsible for building a culture of Operational Excellence by developing leaders, empowering teams, driving continuous improvement, and executing strategic initiatives that improve business performance.

The Manufacturing Manager provides both strategic and tactical leadership across manufacturing operations while partnering closely with Engineering, Quality, Planning, Human Resources, Maintenance, and Finance to achieve corporate objectives.

The successful candidate will be an inspirational leader who creates accountability, develops future leaders, challenges the status quo, and continuously improves systems, processes, and people. This individual must possess the ability to influence change, lead through adversity, make data-driven decisions, and foster an environment built on Trust, Accountability, Ownership, and Respect.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities*

Leadership & Organizational Development

• Develop, coach, and mentor supervisors into confident, accountable, and highly effective leaders capable of leading high-performing teams.
• Establish clear expectations and hold leaders accountable for safety, quality, productivity, employee engagement, and operational performance.
• Create an environment where employees are empowered to solve problems, make decisions, and continuously improve their work areas.
• Foster a culture built on trust, accountability, ownership, respect, and teamwork.
• Lead through influence while promoting collaboration, transparency, and employee engagement across all levels of the organization.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Champion Lean Manufacturing principles and cultivate a continuous improvement mindset throughout the organization.
• Drive measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, OEE, Inventory, and Labor Efficiency.
• Build a proactive problem-solving culture where issues are identified, investigated, and permanently resolved.
• Lead Kaizen events, Root Cause Analysis, A3 problem solving, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, and waste elimination initiatives.
• Continuously evaluate manufacturing technologies, equipment utilization, and production methods to improve capacity, quality, and profitability.

People Development

• Develop leaders who consistently deliver results while creating an environment where employees feel valued, challenged, and supported.
• Ensure performance expectations are clearly communicated, consistently measured, and fairly evaluated.
• Build a culture of accountability where high performance is recognized, and performance concerns are addressed promptly and constructively.
• Lead succession planning efforts to ensure leadership continuity and organizational stability.
• Foster employee engagement by encouraging open communication, collaboration, recognition, and continuous feedback.

Strategic Leadership

• Translate corporate objectives into actionable operational strategies that improve business performance
• Develop and execute annual operational plans aligned with long-term organizational goals.
• Ability to analyze manufacturing data and develop action plans that deliver measurable business improvements.
• Drive strategic initiatives that improve operational efficiency, profitability, customer satisfaction, and organizational capability.
• Lead operational strategies that manage the complexity of multi-level manufacturing, ensuring materials, subassemblies, and critical components converge at the point of use to support uninterrupted production and on-time customer delivery.
• Balance short-term execution with long-term operational planning.

Success in the First 12 Months

The successful candidate will:

• Build a culture where safety is embraced as a core value.
• Increase leadership capability across all manufacturing supervisors.
• Improve employee engagement through effective coaching and communication.
• Deliver measurable improvements in productivity, OEE, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that reduce waste and improve profitability.
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration throughout the organization.
• Develop a sustainable succession pipeline for manufacturing leadership positions.
• Create a culture where accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement are part of everyday operations.

Desired Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong knowledge in the Machining industry, specifically in working with Stainless steel metals
• Strong communication skills
• Strong knowledge of Clean Room operations
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing (production flow, waste elimination, 5s, process optimization)
• ISO 9000 administration

Leadership Competencies and Desired Education.

The successful candidate will consistently demonstrate the ability to:

• Lead by example and inspire others through action. Build trust and credibility across the organization.
• Make timely, data-driven decisions in complex situations. Balance strategic thinking with disciplined execution.
• Bachelor’s degree in operations management, Engineering, or a related field, or 10 yrs. of progressive experience
• 5-l 0 years of related manufacturing experience
• Build a culture where safety, quality, operational excellence, and employee engagement are core values.

For candidates based in Minnesota:
The pay range for this position is $91,000 – $154,700 annually, exempt.

Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional job-related factors, including knowledge, skills, experience, tenure, and relevant education or training. The pay scale is subject to change depending on business needs. Your recruiter can share more about the specific range for your location during the hiring process.

Ichor is committed to supporting your personal well-being and professional development. Our benefits are designed to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, provide peace of mind, and prepare for your future. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans across all locations, allowing team members to select the coverage that best meets their healthcare needs and budget. Our benefits also include a paid time-off program and paid holidays to support your time away from work. A summary of our Benefits will be provided during the interview process.

ITAR ONLY

The business site where this position is located is an ITAR-compliant operation. Due to ITAR regulations, Ichor Systems is only able to employ US Persons. A US person is a lawful permanent resident (immigrant with “green card” permanent authorization to work document) or who is a protected person (a citizen, a national, a refugee, or a person granted asylum). Non-citizens with other visas are not eligible for hire at this location.

Ichor is an experienced leader in the critical subsystems and turnkey process equipment marketplace. Our capabilities enable the design and creation of a complete outsourced solution ranging from product concept to turnkey manufacturing to legacy service.

Ichor offers world-class process engineering, value added manufacturing, materials management and testing capabilities. Our 1500+ employees are strategically located to provide our customers with the highest level of customer service and support from our program management, sales, engineering, and executive management teams.

Our continued expansion of capabilities in South East Asia better aligns our production facilities with our customers' supply chain strategies. This further enables our expansion into new products and markets.

Ichor is headquartered in Fremont, California with manufacturing locations in Oregon, Texas, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. Our sales and engineering office is strategically located in Silicon Valley, California.

Precision machining is Ichor Precision Machining’s heritage and core strength. IPM's skilled and dedicated employees deliver the most complex, extreme tolerance, and superior surface finish components at unsurpassed quality levels. Joining the team at IPM means working with dedicated, highly skilled employees that drive continuous improvement and ensure we deliver superior results to our customers. IPM is excited to share that we are now a part of the Ichor Systems family of companies. Ichor is headquartered in Fremont, California with manufacturing locations in Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK. Our sales and engineering office is strategically located in Silicon Valley, California.

Ichor Precision Machining (IPM) is an ITAR-compliant operation. Due to ITAR regulations, Ichor Systems is only able to employ US Persons. A US person is a lawful permanent resident (immigrant with “green card” permanent authorization to work document) or who is a protected individual (a citizen, a national, a refugee, or a person granted asylum). Individuals with temporary visas are not eligible for hire.

Ichor Systems provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Ichor Systems will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.