Operations Manager

Kelly; Gary (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits (health, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, wellness)

Collaborative, people-first team environment

Clear development opportunities

Job summary

Join a leading company in the packaging sector as an Operations Manager in Gary, IN. You will oversee production at a high-volume facility, focusing on process efficiencies and team leadership. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with collaborative teams, ensuring quality and safety standards while driving continuous improvement initiatives. You'll benefit from comprehensive health and wellness benefits starting the month after hire, and the chance to develop your career within a significant operation that contributes significantly to the company's revenue.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Comfortable in non-union, industrial environments.
• Calm under pressure and safety-driven.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations and ensure high-quality production.
• Implement lean principles for performance improvement.
• Engage with teams on safety, quality, and optimization.

Skills

Manufacturing operations leadership

Continuous improvement

Lean principles

Team leadership

Process optimization

Bilingual (Spanish)

Education

Industrial Engineering or similar

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Power BI

Job description

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This range is provided by Kelly. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$120,000.00/yr - $130,000.00/yr

Direct message the job poster from Kelly

Senior Recruiter for Kelly Skilled Professional Solutions

Operations Manager – Packaging Manufacturing

Gary, IN (near Lake Michigan – safe and accessible area)

Full-Time | Mon–Fri + one Saturday shift per month | ~50 hours/week

About the Role:

Kelly has teamed up with Signode to find a hands-on, results-driven Operations Manager to lead production at our largest honeycomb packaging facility in the U.S.—serving a high-volume customer base with innovative, corrugated packaging solutions.

You’ll oversee a team of production supervisors across two shifts (75 on first, 25 on second), with direct leadership of three leads on first shift and one on second. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in manufacturing operations, is passionate about continuous improvement, and thrives in a laid-back but high-performing environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead daily operations, coach supervisors, and ensure efficient, safe, and high-quality production.
• Drive performance improvement using lean principles and tools (Six Sigma, PDCA, KPI tracking).
• Ensure floor presence (50%+ on the floor), engaging with teams on quality, safety, and process optimization.
• Own production goals, safety initiatives, and customer complaint follow-up.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with HR, Quality, and Safety teams to support associate-centric culture.
• Monitor inventory, track results, and remove production bottlenecks using tools like Power BI and MRP.
• Flex hours occasionally to provide second-shift support or coverage if needed.

What We’re Looking For:

• 5+ years of manufacturing operations leadership, ideally in packaging, paper converting, printing, or laminating.
• Proven people leader with a balance of big-picture thinking (60%) and daily execution (40%).
• Industrial Engineering or similar background with a strong focus on systems optimization.
• Comfortable working in a non-union, industrial environment (not climate-controlled).
• Self-motivated, calm under pressure, safety- and results-driven leader who can “own” their role.
• Bilingual (Spanish) is a strong plus due to the workforce demographics.

Tools & Tech:

• Microsoft Office Suite (Advanced Excel), Power BI, Teams, SharePoint

Why Join Us?

• Work with a collaborative, people-first team where everyone is viewed as an asset.
• Be part of a facility that produces over 2 million pounds of paper a month—contributing to 38% of the company’s total revenue.
• Excellent exposure to company leadership, with clear development opportunities.
• Full benefits (health, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, wellness) starting the month after hire.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management and Product Management

• Industries

  Packaging and Containers Manufacturing and Operations Consulting

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Kelly by 2x

Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid paternity leave

Paid maternity leave

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