Operations Manager Cincinnati

Image Solutions, Inc.; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base pay

Tuition reimbursement program

Matching 401(k) program

Job summary

Image Solutions, Inc. is seeking an Operations Manager to own daily output, quality, and labor in embroidery, heat press, and QC. You will plan each day’s work across machine types, balance projects, and ensure on-time completion with high first-pass quality.

Shift is 7:00am - 4:00pm, Monday-Friday, with flexibility for backlogs. You will lead a cross-functional team, drive standard metrics, and coordinate with warehouse, purchasing, and customer service to keep orders moving.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required (Bachelor's preferred).
• Strong leadership of people, with accountability to standards.
• Experience leading a team in a dynamic production area with shifting priorities.
• Understanding of productivity metrics: output, quality, backlog, and labor.
• Clear communication with operators, warehouse, and leadership; bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build and post the daily machine assignment plan. Match work to machine type and job stream.
• Clear due-dated personalization work on small machines and optimize large runs.
• Triage incoming work to ensure visibility and prevent bottlenecks.
• Balance embroidery output with QC capacity and reallocate labor as needed.
• Set and track standards: pieces per hour, stitches per piece, orders per day, and first-pass quality.
• Own embroidery and heat press quality, including hoop placement and finish.
• Cross-train staff to operate multiple machines as volume requires.
• Coordinate with warehouse, purchasing, and customer service on incomplete orders and missing pieces.
• Coordinate machine maintenance and document downtime and parts issues.
• Lead start-of-shift huddles and coach on performance.

Skills

Team leadership

Bilingual English/Spanish

Communication

Metrics-driven

Operational planning

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

Image Solutions is a custom uniform supplier in a $23 billion industry that is growing. We design, source, manufacture and distribute uniforms for a wide variety of regional and national organizations across a broad scope of industries. We have 2 distribution centers, located in Los Angeles, CA and Cincinnati, OH. Our mission is to make our customers, team members, and partners look and feel great at work. What sets us apart is our personalized customer service, our culture and passion for giving back to those in need. We give 10% of our annual profits to charity. Read on to find out more!

Position Summary

The Operations Manager owns daily output, quality, and labor in the embroidery, heat press, and QC area. This role plans the day’s work across machine types, balances small personalization jobs against large project runs, keeps product moving through QC, and holds the team to production and quality standards. Success is measured by on-time completion, first-pass quality, machine utilization, and a clean, predictable flow from drop-off to ship.

Shift time is 7:00am - 4:00pm Monday-Friday (flexibility required)

Responsibilities

• Build and post the daily machine assignment plan. Match work to machine type (1-head, 4-head, 6-head, 12-head) and job stream: personalization, brown-folder / small lot, non-inventory, and project runs.
• Clear due-dated personalization work on dedicated small machines. Keep high-head machines on long runs so large orders are not broken for 2-4 piece name adds.
• Triage incoming work that arrives without system visibility. Open, count, classify, and board jobs so the floor is not running from mystery boxes.
• Balance embroidery output with QC capacity. Do not overproduce onto the floor when QC is behind. Flex operators between machines and QC as backlog requires.
• Set and track standards: pieces per hour by work type, stitches / pieces / orders per day, and first-pass quality. Post results and coach to them.
• Own quality in embroidery and heat press: hoop placement, stitch alignment, trim, heat-press settings by fabric, and no-damage standards on polyester and hats.
• Train operators to run more than one machine when volume requires it. Cross-train so the area is not dependent on one person per machine.
• Partner with warehouse, purchasing, and customer service on incomplete orders, discontinued lines, and ship-ready product sitting for missing pieces.
• Coordinate machine maintenance. Log downtime, missing parts, and trim / head issues. Do not leave broken heads in the daily plan.
• Lead start-of-shift huddle: assignments, priorities, safety, and yesterday's misses.
• Document coaching, attendance, and quality issues. Escalate repeat problems with facts, dates, and examples.
• Maintain a safe, organized work area: hoops, backing, transfers, platens, and WIP staged by job type.

Success Measures

• Personalization and dated work complete on or before due date.
• Project orders complete to the published pace (embroidery and QC, not embroidery only).
• First-pass quality: target 98%+ with no large-lot defect rates (crooked hats, mis-hoops, press marks).
• Machine uptime and utilization: planned heads running; idle time explained.
• QC backlog held to an agreed days-on-hand, not weeks of finished embroidery sitting.
• Labor flex executed without losing the day’s plan.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent (Bachelor's degree preferred)
• Strong leader of people. Builds a team, sets clear expectations, and holds people accountable to predefined standards
• Experience leading a team in a highly dynamic work area where priorities, mix, and staffing change during the day
• Understands productivity metrics and uses them to run the day: output, quality, backlog, and labor — not gut feel alone
• Plans work from due dates, available staff, machine capacity, and what is already in QC. Adjusts the plan when the mix changes
• Clear communicator with operators, warehouse, and leadership. Willing to work the floor when needed. Bilingual English/Spanish a plus
• Experience in embroidery, heat press, or apparel decoration is preferred, not required. High school diploma or equivalent
• Must be able to work overtime or adjust hours when backlog or project dates require it
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds and spend extended time on the production floor

What's In It For You?

• Competitive base pay
• Tuition reimbursement program to help you invest in your future
• A supporting, thriving team focused work culture and environment. One where your co-workers really want you to succeed.
• Matching 401(k) program
• An opportunity to make an impact to the success of the company
• Milestone Rewards for 5 and 10 year anniversaries with the company
• Being a part of an organization that gives back to the community

Are you able to work 7:00am - 4:00pm Monday-Friday, and support second shift operation if needed?