Operations Manager

Ashland Conveyer Products; Ashland (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashland Conveyer Products is seeking a Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead daily shop-floor execution across production areas, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives. You will translate plant priorities into actionable plans and provide hands-on leadership to supervisors and team leads.

You will collaborate with Plant Manager, Engineering, Quality, Materials, Production Control, and Human Resources to drive continuous improvement, standardized work, and efficient resource

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field preferred.
• 7+ years of manufacturing, operations, quality, or production experience.
• Previous supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead employees and drive daily production execution.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, corrective-action processes, and manufacturing quality systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and manufacturing specifications.
• Strong mechanical/technical aptitude and experience with production metrics, inventory, staffing, and cost controls.
• Strong communication, coaching, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office, ERP systems and CRM software
• Previous experience in material handling or conveyance systems is a significant plus, though not strictly required
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly and effectively
• Commitment to our core values of Safety, Integrity, and Respect, with a collaborative and positive attitude

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate daily manufacturing activities across assigned production areas.
• Translate schedules and customer priorities into clear daily expectations for supervisors, team leads, and production employees.
• Monitor production progress and address issues affecting safety, quality, delivery, labor, productivity, material availability, or equipment.
• Coordinate labor and resources between production areas based on workload, priorities, and constraints.
• Lead and develop production supervisors and team leads, including the Smart Conveyance Supervisor.
• Establish daily accountability through production meetings, floor communication, KPI review, and follow-up.
• Reinforce safe work practices and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Work with Quality and Engineering on root-cause analysis, nonconformances, corrective/preventive actions, and process controls.
• Drive shop-floor continuous improvement, standardized work, workflow improvement, waste reduction, and problem solving.
• Monitor schedule attainment, labor productivity, overtime, throughput, WIP, quality, scrap, and rework.
• Work with Production Control and Materials to identify shortages and capacity risks before they affect customer commitments.
• Support prototypes, first builds, FATs, new-product launches, tooling, fixtures, and implementation of new equipment or processes.
• Escalate significant capacity, staffing, material, engineering, quality, or customer-delivery risks to the Plant Manager.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Root-cause analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Coaching

Organizational skills

Problem solving

ERP systems

CRM software

Reading drawings

Production metrics

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations Management or related field

Tools

MS Office

ERP systems

CRM software

Job description

The manufacturing Operations Manager is responsible for the daily execution and performance of manufacturing operations. This role converts plant priorities and production plans into consistent shop-floor execution, providing hands-on leadership to supervisors and team leads to achieve safety, quality, delivery, labor, productivity, and cost objectives. The position maintains a strong floor presence and coordinates closely with the Plant Manager, Engineering, Quality, Materials, Production Control, and Human Resources.

Primary Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate daily manufacturing activities across assigned production areas.
• Translate schedules and customer priorities into clear daily expectations for supervisors, team leads, and production employees.
• Monitor production progress and address issues affecting safety, quality, delivery, labor, productivity, material availability, or equipment.
• Coordinate labor and resources between production areas based on workload, priorities, and constraints.
• Lead and develop production supervisors and team leads, including the Smart Conveyance Supervisor.
• Establish daily accountability through production meetings, floor communication, KPI review, and follow-up.
• Reinforce safe work practices and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Work with Quality and Engineering on root-cause analysis, nonconformances, corrective/preventive actions, and process controls.
• Drive shop-floor continuous improvement, standardized work, workflow improvement, waste reduction, and problem solving.
• Monitor schedule attainment, labor productivity, overtime, throughput, WIP, quality, scrap, and rework.
• Work with Production Control and Materials to identify shortages and capacity risks before they affect customer commitments.
• Support prototypes, first builds, FATs, new-product launches, tooling, fixtures, and implementation of new equipment or processes.
• Escalate significant capacity, staffing, material, engineering, quality, or customer-delivery risks to the Plant Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field preferred.
• 7+ years of manufacturing, operations, quality, or production experience.
• Previous supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead employees and drive daily production execution.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, corrective-action processes, and manufacturing quality systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and manufacturing specifications.
• Strong mechanical/technical aptitude and experience with production metrics, inventory, staffing, and cost controls.
• Strong communication, coaching, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office, ERP systems and CRM software
• Previous experience in material handling or conveyance systems is a significant plus, though not strictly required
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly and effectively
• Commitment to our core values of Safety, Integrity, and Respect, with a collaborative and positive attitude