Operations Manager

Ashland Conveyor Products; Ashland (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashland Conveyor Products is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee daily manufacturing activities and translate plant priorities into shop-floor execution. You will lead supervisors and ensure safety, quality, and on-time delivery through strong floor presence and KPI-driven management.

The role requires 7+ years in manufacturing with a focus on continuous improvement, lean practices, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of manufacturing, operations, quality, or production experience.
• Previous supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing environment.
• 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 communication, coaching, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Strong computer skills including ERP systems and CRM software.
• Experience with material handling or conveyance systems is a plus.

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

Lean manufacturing

Root-cause analysis

Leadership

Communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations Management

Tools

ERP systems

CRM software

Microsoft Office

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