Operations Leader - Lean, Quality & On-Time Delivery

Ducommun Incorporated; Appleton, Northern (WI, KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Ducommun Incorporated in Appleton, WI is seeking an Operations Manager to lead production operations, engineering, planning, and maintenance to meet budgets and delivery targets. You will drive continuous improvement, coordinate scheduling, and oversee inventory and costs to ensure quality and on-time performance.

This role requires building a high-performance team, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA), and delivering on KPIs such as on-time delivery, quality, and cost control.

Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of manufacturing operations and scheduling.
• Familiarity with SPC, TQM, Lean manufacturing, and ISO standards.
• Demonstrated project management including planning and budgeting.
• Strong communication with customers.
• Negotiation and conflict management skills.
• Proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• Strategic thinking to align business needs with operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, coordination, and direction for production operations, engineering, planning, and facility maintenance to meet budget
• Facilitate continuous improvement and lean cycle-time reduction concepts and plans
• Create shipment forecast and oversee scheduling
• Oversee the management of inventory levels, manufacturing costs, and on-time delivery to customers
• Promote the concept of individual responsibility for product quality
• Provide leadership and management for facility maintenance for safety and regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, etc.)
• Prepare annual departmental budget, including sales bookings, shipments, and responsible for performance to plan
• Manage performance to key performance indicator goals (for example, on-time delivery, quality, safety, cycle time, overhead efficiency, and productivity per employee)
• Complete weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports to management
• Manage the expansion of facilities and the acquisition and installation of capital equipment
• Provide leadership for and development of direct reports – establishing priorities, accountabilities, and allocating resources; guiding achievement of performance measures
• Ownership for plant layout for all production areas
• Participate in recruiting, selection and development of all operations personnel through maintaining discipline and personnel relations, interviewing screened applicants
• Provide input for hiring,terminations, transfers, salary adjustments, and promotions

Skills

Manufacturing operations

SPC & Lean Manufacturing

ISO standards familiarity

Project management

Customer communication

Negotiation & conflict management

MS Office proficiency

Effective written & verbal skills

Detail oriented

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Manufacturing Engineering, Business Administration or relevant discipline

Job description

Ducommun Incorporated in Appleton, WI is seeking an Operations Manager to lead production operations, engineering, planning, and maintenance to meet budgets and delivery targets. You will drive continuous improvement, coordinate scheduling, and oversee inventory and costs to ensure quality and on-time performance.

This role requires building a high-performance team, ensuring safety and regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA), and delivering on KPIs such as on-time delivery, quality, and cost control.