Operations Manager - Metals

Express Employment Professionals - Cincinnati East; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Express Employment Professionals - Cincinnati East is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead its Metals manufacturing operation across shifts, focusing on safety, quality, delivery, cost and people performance to meet customer requirements.

The role directs production supervisors and hourly teams, translates schedules into priorities, and drives lean improvements while collaborating with Planning, Materials, Quality, Engineering, and Maintenance to resolve constraints and support

Qualifications

• Five+ years of progressive manufacturing operations experience with leadership.
• Experience in metal fabrication or related manufacturing environment preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Metals manufacturing operation across shifts and drive safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and people performance.
• Direct production supervisors, team leaders, and hourly employees while managing staffing and development.
• Translate schedules into daily priorities and staffing plans; manage capacity, WIP, bottlenecks, and recovery.
• Oversee metal fabrication processes and equipment (drilling, sawing, bending, grinding, finishing).
• Monitor performance and use data to address throughput, labor, downtime, scrap, rework, quality, and safety.
• Lead root cause analysis, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement to improve flow and cost.
• Collaborate with Planning, Materials, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, HR to resolve constraints.
• Ensure adherence to standardized work, quality, safety, reporting, and company policies; support changes.

Skills

Manufacturing operations

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

Operations Manager Job Summary

A leading manufacturing company is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead its Metals manufacturing operation across shifts. This role is responsible for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and people performance while ensuring fabricated metal components are produced efficiently to support downstream manufacturing and customer requirements. The Operations Manager will lead production supervisors and teams while driving improvements in capacity, flow, reliability, quality, and overall operating performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Metals manufacturing operation across shifts, establishing performance expectations and accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and people.
• Direct production supervisors, team leaders, and hourly employees while managing staffing, training, performance, and employee development.
• Translate production schedules into daily priorities and staffing plans; manage capacity, work-in-process, material flow, bottlenecks, and recovery efforts.
• Oversee metal fabrication processes and equipment, including drilling, sawing, bending, grinding, vibratory finishing, and material handling.
• Monitor operating performance and use production data to address issues involving throughput, labor efficiency, overtime, downtime, scrap, rework, quality, and safety.
• Lead root cause analysis, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement initiatives to improve flow, productivity, quality, and cost.
• Partner with Planning, Materials, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, Human Resources, and other functions to resolve operational constraints and support plant priorities.
• Ensure adherence to standardized work, quality requirements, safety expectations, production reporting, and applicable company policies while supporting new products, process changes, equipment improvements, and other manufacturing initiatives.

Schedule, Location, & Compensation

• Schedule: Full-time; schedule may include extended or non-standard hours based on production needs
• Location: West Michigan
• Compensation: $90k-$100k/YR.,based on experience

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent education and experience considered.
• Five or more years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including at least two years in a production leadership or supervisory role.
• Experience in metal fabrication or a closely related manufacturing environment preferred.\
• Working knowledge of metal fabrication processes, equipment, tooling, materials, blueprints, measurements, and quality-control principles.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, production planning, lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and performance metrics.
• Proven ability to lead production teams, develop employees, drive accountability, and effectively balance safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people priorities.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, organizational, communication, and decision-making skills with the ability to respond effectively to changing production requirements.