Operations Manager

Hunter Recruiting; Kansas City (KS); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter Recruiting represents an Operations Manager role focused on leading a 24/7 manufacturing operation. The candidate will drive day-shift leadership, work with shift leaders, manufacturing engineers, and plant leadership to deliver safe, quality products and meet customer requirements.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, familiarity with union environments, and a track record in Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and 5S continuous-improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or related field.
• 3+ years manufacturing experience.
• 2+ years leadership in a complex manufacturing environment; union experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support day-shift hot-end manufacturing operations, including batch, binder, and furnace processes.
• Promote a strong safety, environmental, and accountability culture across the team.
• Monitor production, quality, cost, and efficiency metrics; identify and lead improvement opportunities.
• Partner with manufacturing and process engineers to improve standardized work, reduce losses, and resolve quality issues.
• Ensure manufacturing processes and quality systems consistently meet product specifications and customer requirements.
• Lead, coach, develop, and hold employees accountable in a union environment.
• Manage employee performance, documentation, corrective action, training, and development.
• Drive Lean, 5S, TPM, Six Sigma, and other continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with company, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Coaching

Planning

Problem-solving

Data analysis

Lean Six Sigma

5S

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or related field

Tools

Lean/Six Sigma/TPM/5S methods

Job description

The Operations Manager provides day-to-day leadership for a complex, continuous 24/7 manufacturing operation. Reporting to the Operations Leader, this individual will lead and support day-shift employees while coordinating closely with shift leaders, manufacturing engineers, process engineers, maintenance, and plant leadership. The successful candidate will create a culture of trust, respect, accountability, and teamwork while ensuring the team safely delivers quality products, meets customer requirements, improves productivity, and operates in compliance with environmental and regulatory standards.

Operations Manager Responsibilities:

• Lead and support day-shift hot-end manufacturing operations, including batch, binder, and furnace processes.
• Promote a strong safety, environmental, and accountability culture across the team.
• Monitor production, quality, cost, and efficiency metrics; identify and lead improvement opportunities.
• Partner with manufacturing and process engineers to improve standardized work, reduce losses, and resolve quality issues.
• Ensure manufacturing processes and quality systems consistently meet product specifications and customer requirements.
• Lead, coach, develop, and hold employees accountable in a union environment.
• Manage employee performance, documentation, corrective action, training, and development.
• Drive Lean, 5S, TPM, Six Sigma, and other continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with company, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

Operations Manager Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or a related field.
• 3+ years of manufacturing experience.
• 2+ years of leadership experience in a complex manufacturing environment, or completion of a manufacturing leadership program.
• Experience leading in a union environment is strongly preferred.
• Experience in continuous-process, hot-end, furnace, glass, insulation, chemical, metals, ceramics, or similar industrial manufacturing is preferred.
• Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, 5S, and/or manufacturing engineering experience is a plus.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, planning, problem-solving, and data analysis skills.