Operations Manager II

apog; Reed City (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Apogee Architectural Metals seeks a Manager, Operations II to provide senior operational leadership for a large, complex manufacturing operation. The role expands accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, workforce performance, capacity, and continuous improvement.

It acts as a customer-centric business leader driving Total Quality Management and disciplined execution. The position requires developing capable leaders, creating ownership culture, and ensuring alignment with Metals

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or engineering required.
• MBA and Lean Six Sigma credentials preferred for multi-site scope.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily manufacturing operations to ensure timely and cost-effective production.
• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline employees.
• Ensure products meet quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Enforce safety policies and environmental compliance.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and reduce waste.
• Manage labor, equipment, and materials to optimize plant performance.
• Track KPIs and report to senior leadership; collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Develop leaders who drive Daily Management and disciplined execution.
• Champion Total Quality Management and customer-centric accountability.
• Provide clear communication and ownership culture across the organization.

Skills

Operations leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Team leadership

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or engineering

MBA (preferred)

Job description

Apogee Architectural Metals

Position Summary

The Manager, Operations II provides senior operational leadership for a large, complex manufacturing operation or serves as the primary operations leader for a smaller standalone facility. The role has expanded accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, workforce performance, capacity, and continuous improvement. At larger locations, this position leads a significant operation or value stream and reports to the Director, Operations. At smaller locations, the position provides overall site leadership and ensures alignment with broader business and Metals priorities. The Manager, Operations II serves as a customer-centric business leader who champions Total Quality Management, continuous improvement, clear communication, and disciplined execution. The role establishes role clarity, develops capable leaders, and creates a culture of ownership and accountability in which safety, quality, delivery, cost, and customer commitments are understood and actively managed at every level.

Key Responsibilities

Production Management

• Oversee daily manufacturing operations to ensure timely and cost-effective production.
• Monitor production schedules, inventory levels, and workflow to meet customer demand.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline employees.
• Promote a positive work environment focused on teamwork, accountability, and performance.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure products meet quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Implement and maintain quality control systems and procedures.

Safety & Environmental

• Enforce safety policies and procedures to maintain a safe working environment.
• Ensure compliance with environmental regulations and company sustainability goals.

Process Improvement

• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce waste.
• Utilize Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other methodologies to drive operational excellence.

Resource Management

• Manage labor, equipment, and materials to optimize plant performance.
• Coordinate with maintenance to ensure equipment reliability and uptime.
• Use data and structured problem-solving to drive timely decisions, prioritize resources, and sustain improvements.
• Ensure teams understand what success looks like by the hour, shift, day and week and can clearly identify priorities, abnormalities, owners, and recovery actions.
• Lead and sustain Daily Management, tier meetings, visual management, leader standard work, and escalation processes.

Daily Management & Operating Discipline

• Create a high-ownership culture in which operational leaders are accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost, workforce performance, and continuous improvement results.
• Develop leaders who identify issues early, escal…

Ownership & Accountability

• Integrate quality performance, corrective actions, and customer feedback into Daily Management and tier accountability routines.
• Lead structured problem-solving and root-cause elimination to reduce variation, scrap, rework, COPQ, customer complaints, and repeat defects.
• Champion Total Quality Management principles by building quality into processes and emphasizing prevention over detection.

Total Quality Management

• Promote decision-making that considers the effect on customers and proactively addresses risks to quality, lead time, and On Time & Complete performance.
• Ensure operational priorities, capacity decisions, and improvement activities align with customer expectations and business commitments.
• Lead operations with a clear understanding that customer satisfaction, product quality, delivery reliability, and responsiveness are primary measures of success.

Customer-Centric Leadership

Reporting & Communication

• Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs) to senior leadership.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including supply chain, engineering, and quality assurance.

Experience & Skills

Education Bachelor's degree in business or engineering required; strong operations leadership experience required. MBA and advanced operations/Lean credentials preferred for multi-site scope.

Experience

1 0+ years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership experience, including responsibility for a large or complex operation, sig