Metals Production Leader & Plant Operations

Align Production Systems; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Align Production Systems in Decatur, IL seeks an Assistant Plant Manager to lead metals production and oversee remaining plant operations in partnership with the Plant Manager. You will own output, quality, and daily execution across welding, laser cutting, machining and paint release, while managing budget and PO authority for sheet metal used in production.

You will supervise metals production team and Assembly Team Lead, drive daily cadence, safety, and continuous improvement initiatives, and

Qualifications

• 7+ years in metal fabrication or heavy equipment manufacturing with 3+ years leading a production team
• Strong print-reading skills and working knowledge of weld quality standards
• Leadership: coach, hold people accountable and manage performance
• Experience with ERP or production-tracking systems; support ERP processes
• High school diploma required; technical degree or equivalent preferred
• Forklift and overhead crane certification provided internally by Align

Responsibilities

• Lead daily plant operations and execute Plant Manager directives
• Direct leadership over metals production: output, quality, and daily execution across welding, laser cutting, machining and paint release
• Manage daily production cadence: morning meetings, floor walks, end-of-shift protocols
• Oversight of assembly production goals with Assembly Team Lead
• Coordinate scheduling and resource allocation to keep jobs on track
• Verify finished parts meet engineering prints and quality standards
• Document and communicate nonconformances; drive root cause and corrective action
• Enforce safety protocols and OSHA readiness
• Own budget and PO authority for sheet metal orders within approval limits
• Monitor time tracking and rework in ERP systems
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality; escalate as needed
• Oversee performance reviews, hiring decisions with HR; authority when Plant Manager absent
• Measure success via on-time completion, first-pass quality, budget adherence, and safety

Skills

Leadership

Metal fabrication

ERP systems

Print reading

Welding

Laser cutting

Machining

Forklift certification

Education

High school diploma

Technical degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Align Production Systems in Decatur, IL seeks an Assistant Plant Manager to lead metals production and oversee remaining plant operations in partnership with the Plant Manager. You will own output, quality, and daily execution across welding, laser cutting, machining and paint release, while managing budget and PO authority for sheet metal used in production.

You will supervise metals production team and Assembly Team Lead, drive daily cadence, safety, and continuous improvement initiatives, and