Manufacturing Operations Manager

Talent Strategy; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent Strategy in Grand Rapids, MI seeks a Manufacturing Leader to promote a strong safety culture, drive continuous improvement, and lead Kaizen events across facilities. You will use data and KPIs to reduce waste, standardize processes, mentor teams, and collaborate with Engineering, Planning, and Maintenance to ensure on-time delivery.

Ideal candidates have a Bachelor's degree in a related field, proven manufacturing leadership, and a track record of achieving cost and quality improvements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, manufacturing, or a related field.
• Experience leading Kaizen events and process-improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to use data and performance metrics to drive decisions.

Responsibilities

• Promote a strong safety culture focused on employee awareness, training, risk reduction, and hazard prevention.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve product quality, throughput, and efficiency.
• Plan and lead Kaizen events and other process improvement activities to eliminate waste.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing costs through labor, processes, and material efficiency.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to ensure targets are achieved.
• Lead, develop, and mentor team members for increased accountability.
• Standardize manufacturing processes and work practices across shifts.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Production Planning, Customer Service, Warehouse, Maintenance, and others to optimize flow.
• Ensure training is completed and SOPs are followed; perform additional responsibilities as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Kaizen events

Continuous improvement

Data-driven decisions

Mentoring

Process standardization

Cross-functional collaboration

Training & development

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

• Promote a strong safety culture focused on employee awareness, training, risk reduction, and hazard prevention.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using data and performance metrics to improve product quality, production throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Plan and lead Kaizen events and other process improvement activities to eliminate waste and optimize operations.
• Identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing costs through improvements in labor utilization, production processes, and material efficiency.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure operational targets are consistently achieved or exceeded.
• Lead, develop, and mentor team members to strengthen their capabilities, increase accountability, and prepare them for additional responsibilities.
• Standardize manufacturing processes and work practices across shifts to ensure consistent quality and productivity.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Production Planning, Customer Service, Warehouse, Maintenance, and other departments to optimize production flow, resource utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Ensure employees receive appropriate training and consistently follow established standard operating procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support business objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• Demonstrated commitment to leadership, employee development, and continuous improvement.
• Proven experience leading Kaizen events and implementing process improvement initiatives.
• Progressive experience in manufacturing leadership or management roles.
• Experience identifying root causes and resolving operational problems in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data and performance metrics to guide decisions and recommend solutions.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees at all organizational levels, as well as customers, suppliers, and business partners.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience working in a high-volume manufacturing environment or within a manufacturing supply chain.
• Background supporting major manufacturers or serving customers with demanding quality and delivery requirements.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to product quality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.