Manufacturing Operations Leader: Lean Excellence & Growth

Nexform Technologies; Battle Creek (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

NexForm, headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, seeks an Operations Manager to lead daily manufacturing operations, drive safety, quality, and productivity, and collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Supply Chain to meet customer requirements.

The right candidate brings 7+ years of manufacturing leadership, a track record in Lean initiatives, and experience in production metrics. Automotive exposure is preferred, with a strong focus on budget and safety compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of seven years of manufacturing experience.
• At least three years of operations leadership or supervisory experience.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience leading Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience managing production, staffing, and operational performance metrics.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives.
• Supervise Production Managers, Production Supervisors, and other operational leaders.
• Establish departmental goals aligned with plant and company objectives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Support succession planning and employee development initiatives.
• Ensure production schedules are executed efficiently while meeting customer requirements.
• Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions to achieve operational targets.
• Balance labor, equipment, and material resources to maximize productivity.
• Coordinate production priorities with Materials, Planning, and Customer Service.
• Ensure effective shift communication and operational continuity.
• Promote a culture where safety is the highest priority.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, and company safety policies.
• Lead safety initiatives, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
• Maintain compliance with all plant operating procedures and regulatory requirements
• Partner with Quality to ensure products meet customer specifications and quality standards.
• Support corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities.
• Monitor quality metrics and implement improvement initiatives.
• Support customer audits and new product launch activities.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, and Operational Excellence initiatives.
• Improve productivity, labor efficiency, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and throughput.
• Reduce waste, scrap, downtime, and manufacturing costs.
• Support development and management of departmental budgets.
• Monitor labor costs, overtime, productivity, scrap, and manufacturing expenses.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
• Support capital planning and return-on-investment analyses.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Lean manufacturing

Process optimization

Budget management

Education

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

Job description

NexForm, headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, seeks an Operations Manager to lead daily manufacturing operations, drive safety, quality, and productivity, and collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Supply Chain to meet customer requirements.

The right candidate brings 7+ years of manufacturing leadership, a track record in Lean initiatives, and experience in production metrics. Automotive exposure is preferred, with a strong focus on budget and safety compliance.