Operations Manager – Batch/Process Manufacturing | Production, Inventory & Continuous Improvement

KORE1; Santa Fe Springs (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

KORE1 in Santa Fe Springs, CA is seeking an Operations Manager – Batch/Process Manufacturing to lead Production, Packaging, Scheduling, Warehouse, and Maintenance through frontline supervisors. You will develop leaders, strengthen operational discipline, and drive manufacturing improvements in a hands-on, highly collaborative environment.

The role emphasizes ERP/MRP discipline, KPI tracking, and safe, reliable execution.

Qualifications

• Proven manufacturing leadership in batch/process environments.
• Develop Supervisors and Leads and drive execution and accountability.
• Experience guiding through frontline leaders rather than day-to-day tasks.
• Strong ERP/MRP data discipline and KPI analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Production Supervisors/Leads and department leaders.
• Ensure schedule execution, safety, labor performance, yield loss, ERP discipline, and accountability.
• Drive improvements in inventory controls, material flow, and warehouse performance.
• Lead process improvements, automation initiatives, and capital projects.
• Maintain safety, quality, and regulatory adherence across operations.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Batch/Process

ERP/MRP

Project management

Lean / continuous improvement

Excel

Leadership development

Education

College degree not required

Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Location: Santa Fe Springs, CA — 100% onsite

KORE1, a nationwide provider of staffing and recruiting solutions, has an immediate opening for an Operations Manager – Batch/Process Manufacturing | Production, Inventory & Continuous Improvement

The Operations Manager provides leadership, management, and accountability across manufacturing operations, with a primary focus on developing frontline leaders, strengthening operational discipline, improving warehouse/inventory and material flow, and driving process improvement.

This role oversees Production, Packaging, Scheduling, Warehouse/Shipping, and Maintenance, but is not expected to personally run each function. The Operations Manager leads through Production Supervisors and Leads, the Production Scheduler, Warehouse Manager, and Maintenance Supervisor — developing these leaders into accountable department owners while ensuring safe, efficient, reliable execution.

This is a hands‑on leadership role requiring meaningful floor presence along with strong systems, planning, KPI management, accountability, and follow‑through. The Operations Manager reports to the General Manager and will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on both day‑to‑day execution and longer‑term operational improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Operational Accountability

• Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors/Leads and operational department leaders.
• Develop Supervisors into accountable department owners responsible for schedule execution, safety, labor performance, yield loss, ERP discipline, and employee accountability.
• Establish clear expectations, operating rhythms, KPIs, ownership, and follow‑through across Operations.
• Lead Operations meetings and ensure priorities, issues, owners, and corrective actions are clearly identified and completed.
• Build leadership depth and operational capability as the company grows.
• Maintain strong floor visibility while ensuring department leaders remain accountable for managing their respective functions.

Production & Schedule Execution

• Oversee daily Production and Packaging execution through Production Supervisors and Leads.
• Partner with the Production Scheduler to ensure schedules are realistic, current, visible, and effectively executed.
• Monitor schedule attainment and identify root causes of missed commitments.
• Identify and address labor, material, equipment, warehouse, or quality constraints impacting production.
• Use ERP/MRP data, capacity information, labor data, and operational KPIs to drive decisions and corrective actions.
• Improve labor efficiency, yield performance, production reporting, and overall execution.

Warehouse, Inventory & Material Flow

• Lead Warehouse and Shipping performance through the Warehouse Manager.
• Drive improvements in inventory accuracy, cycle counting, material staging, lot/location control, ERP transaction discipline, shipping readiness, and overall material flow.
• Reduce production delays caused by missing, misplaced, unstaged, or incorrectly identified materials.
• Strengthen processes around inventory control, material identification, storage, and movement.
• Prepare Warehouse and Production operations for future system and technology improvements, including potential barcoding or other automated controls.

Process Improvement, Automation & Operational Systems

• Identify bottlenecks, recurring operational issues, and opportunities to improve efficiency, reliability, and scalability.
• Lead or support process improvements, automation initiatives, equipment upgrades, facility/layout improvements, and capital projects.
• Improve workflows across Production, Warehouse, Scheduling, and Maintenance.
• Support equipment selection, implementation planning, training, documentation, and sustainment of improvements.
• Balance immediate operational needs with longer‑term improvements to systems, processes, equipment, and plant capabilities.

Maintenance & Equipment Reliability

• Lead Maintenance priorities through the Maintenance Supervisor.
• Ensure maintenance activity supports production uptime, schedule attainment, safety, and equipment reliability.
• Partner with Maintenance on preventive maintenance, recurring equipment issues, repairs, outside vendors, and equipment improvement opportunities.
• Support equipment upgrades, automation, and capital projects.

Safety, Quality & Regulatory Execution

• Partner with Quality, Technical Services, and Safety resources to ensure operational compliance with applicable safety, quality, EH&S, regulatory, labeling, storage, and documentation requirements.
• Ensure operational follow‑through on rework, rejects, batch/packaging errors, yield loss, non‑conformances, CAPAs, incidents, and corrective actions.
• Maintain strong housekeeping, plant organization, material‑storage, and audit‑readiness standards across Operations.

Key Performance Areas

Success will be measured across areas including:

• Supervisor development and accountability
• Labor efficiency and overtime control
• Yield loss reduction
• ERP/MRP transaction accuracy
• Warehouse inventory accuracy and cycle‑count discipline
• Material staging and flow
• Safety performance
• Quality and corrective‑action follow‑through
• Equipment uptime and reliability
• Capital project and automation execution

Required Qualifications

• Proven manufacturing leadership experience in a batch/process environment, such as chemical, food, beverage, personal care, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, or similar manufacturing.
• Demonstrated success developing Supervisors and Leads while driving execution and accountability.
• Experience leading through frontline or functional leaders rather than personally owning all day‑to‑day tactical activity.
• Strong ERP/MRP experience and operational data discipline.
• Experience using ERP/MRP data and operational KPIs to identify problems, establish accountability, and drive improvement.
• Demonstrated experience improving warehouse/inventory controls and/or material flow.
• Experience driving schedule execution or schedule‑attainment improvement.
• Strong understanding of labor efficiency, yield/loss, production performance, and operational KPIs.
• Experience with maintenance prioritization and/or equipment‑reliability support.
• Experience leading or supporting process improvements, capital projects, equipment upgrades, or automation initiatives.
• Strong Excel and KPI analysis/review capabilities.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, including the ability to address performance issues, challenge assumptions, and drive accountability professionally.
• College degree not required; equivalent manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Chemical manufacturing, chemical blending, food/beverage, or other regulated batch/process manufacturing experience.
• Bilingual Spanish strongly preferred, but not required.
• Experience in regulated manufacturing environments involving FDA, USDA, GMP, SQF, HACCP, OSHA, DOT, EPA, or similar requirements.
• Experience with Lean, continuous improvement, EOS, Kanban, or similar operating/process‑improvement methodologies.
• Experience improving cycle counting, inventory variance, lot/location control, FIFO/best‑by‑date management, or other inventory‑control processes.
• Experience with plant automation, barcoding, equipment upgrades, facility/layout improvements, or other operational technology initiatives.

Compensation is $140-160K plus 20% bonus