Operations Manager

Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis; Berkeley (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis is seeking an Operations Manager to lead all day-to-day manufacturing activities across aerosol filling, liquid filling, converting, assembly, kitting, and packaging.

You will oversee Production, Planning & Scheduling, and Operations Support to deliver safe, efficient, and cost-effective results for multiple government and commercial contracts. The role emphasizes Lean improvements, strong KPI management, and cross-functional leadership with teams of 50+

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, business, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Minimum 3 years leading supervisors, managers, planners, and operational teams.
• Experience in aerosol converting, liquid filling, assembly, kitting, packaging, or related manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, production planning, ERP systems, and manufacturing KPIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, productivity, cost, and delivery goals.
• Manage production performance through key metrics including OEE, labor efficiency, throughput, schedule attainment, waste reduction, inventory accuracy, and on-time delivery.
• Optimize utilization of labor, equipment, and facility resources.
• Ensure staffing levels, workforce performance, and operational resources align with business requirements.
• Direct the Planning and Scheduling function to ensure efficient alignment of customer demand with manufacturing capacity.
• Develop and maintain production schedules that maximize machine utilization, labor efficiency, and material availability.
• Support Sales & Operations Planning, capacity planning, forecasting, and inventory management.
• Monitor schedule performance and implement corrective actions to address constraints and bottlenecks.
• Maintain accurate ERP planning data, routings, and work center information.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead waste reduction, process optimization, downtime reduction, and productivity improvement efforts.
• Utilize root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies to eliminate recurring operational issues.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Quality leadership to ensure products meet customer and regulatory requirements.
• Support ISO, GMP, and quality management system compliance.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company regulations.
• Lead investigations and corrective actions for safety and quality incidents.
• Manage operational spending, labor costs, conversion costs, and material utilization within budget targets.
• Support capital planning, cost reduction efforts, and profitability improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for investments that improve safety, quality, capacity, and productivity.
• Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Purchasing, Customer Service, Sales, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and Human Resources.
• Support equipment reliability, new product introductions, process improvements, and operational strategy execution.
• Leverage ERP systems and operational analytics to improve decision-making and reporting.
• Hiring, onboarding, training, and employee development; Performance management and coaching; Workforce planning and staffing; Employee engagement and retention; Succession planning and leadership development; Corrective action and disciplinary processes

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Production Planning

Cross-functional Leadership

Manufacturing KPIs

People Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, business, or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Company Description Lighthouse for the Blind - St. Louis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing employment and support services for adults and children who are legally blind. The organization manufactures, fills, and packages a wide range of products for U.S. Government and commercial customers, including cleaners, maintenance products, repellents, paints, coatings, and large-scale medical first aid kits, under more than 200 government contracts. Its customers include the Defense Logistics Agency, United States Army Medical Materiel Agency, General Services Administration, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Postal Service, and it operates extensive lab facilities, including a unique aerosol manufacturing operation run primarily by blind individuals. To expand employment opportunities for people who are visually impaired, Lighthouse has acquired several commercial brands, such as Quake Kare®, Tear Mender®, RapidFix®, and Badge Magic®/CosBond®. Proceeds from these operations fund 23 community outreach programs that support children and adults with visual impairments through technology adaptations, daily living skills training, scholarships to camps, and a mobile low vision clinic.

Position Overview

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading all day-to-day manufacturing operations across aerosol filling, liquid filling, converting, assembly, kitting, packaging, and related production processes. This role oversees Production, Planning & Scheduling, and Operations Support teams to ensure the safe, efficient, and profitable execution of manufacturing activities while meeting customer requirements for quality, cost, and delivery. The role serves as a key leader in aligning customer demand, production capacity, workforce resources, material availability, and inventory strategies to achieve business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Manufacturing Leadership

• Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, productivity, cost, and delivery goals.
• Manage production performance through key metrics including OEE, labor efficiency, throughput, schedule attainment, waste reduction, inventory accuracy, and on-time delivery.
• Optimize utilization of labor, equipment, and facility resources.
• Ensure staffing levels, workforce performance, and operational resources align with business requirements.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Direct the Planning and Scheduling function to ensure efficient alignment of customer demand with manufacturing capacity.
• Develop and maintain production schedules that maximize machine utilization, labor efficiency, and material availability.
• Support Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), capacity planning, forecasting, and inventory management.
• Monitor schedule performance and implement corrective actions to address constraints and bottlenecks.
• Maintain accurate ERP planning data, routings, and work center information.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Champion Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead waste reduction, process optimization, downtime reduction, and productivity improvement efforts.
• Utilize root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies to eliminate recurring operational issues.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Partner with Quality leadership to ensure products meet customer and regulatory requirements.
• Support ISO, GMP, and quality management system compliance.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company regulations.
• Lead investigations and corrective actions for safety and quality incidents.

Financial & Business Management

• Manage operational spending, labor costs, conversion costs, and material utilization within budget targets.
• Support capital planning, cost reduction efforts, and profitability improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for investments that improve safety, quality, capacity, and productivity.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Purchasing, Customer Service, Sales, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and Human Resources.
• Support equipment reliability, new product introductions, process improvements, and operational strategy execution.
• Leverage ERP systems and operational analytics to improve decision-making and reporting.

Leadership Responsibilities

The Operations Manager directly supervises Production Supervisors, Production Planning/Scheduling personnel, Shift Leaders, and Operations Support staff, with overall responsibility for a workforce of approximately 50+ employees.

Key leadership responsibilities include:

• Hiring, onboarding, training, and employee development
• Performance management and coaching
• Workforce planning and staffing
• Employee engagement and retention
• Succession planning and leadership development
• Corrective action and disciplinary processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, business, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Minimum 3 years leading supervisors, managers, planners, and operational teams.
• Experience in aerosol converting, liquid filling, assembly, kitting, packaging, or related manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, production planning, ERP systems, and manufacturing KPIs.