Production Manager

RK Mechanical, Inc.; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Career development opportunities

Health and safety focus

Job summary

A leading mechanical contractor in Colorado seeks a Production Manager to lead the performance and continuous improvement of production lines. The role focuses on delivering high-quality customer projects in a Lean Manufacturing environment, fostering a culture of operational excellence and teamwork. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in manufacturing operations, with strong leadership and Lean principles expertise. This position offers competitive benefits and a commitment to employee development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in manufacturing operations, including 2 years in a supervisory role.
• Hands-on Lean Manufacturing experience.
• Experience in project-level cost tracking and labor management.

Responsibilities

• Lead production teams to achieve performance targets.
• Develop production schedules aligned with project milestones.
• Apply Lean principles to improve efficiency.

Skills

Leadership in manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing

Project management

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Lead the performance and continuous improvement of high‑impact production lines in a fast‑paced Lean Manufacturing environment. This opportunity puts you at the center of delivering safe, high‑quality, on‑time customer projects while building a culture of accountability, engagement, and operational excellence. You’ll guide daily operations, develop a strong and skilled team, eliminate waste, optimize workflow, and collaborate across Engineering, Supply Chain, Project Management, and Quality to keep projects moving smoothly. The work you do directly drives productivity, cost performance, and customer satisfaction.

Self, Made, at RK

At RK, Self. Made. isn’t a tagline, it’s how work gets done. People here build more than projects; they build capability, confidence, and careers they can be proud of. With so much work designed and fabricated in‑house, ideas move quickly from concept to shop floor to job site. Teams collaborate across disciplines, solve real‑world challenges, and grow through hands‑on work that truly matters.

RK Company Overview

As a second‑generation, family‑owned enterprise, RK Industries, LLC (RK) offers a diverse range of construction, manufacturing, advanced fabrication and building services. Led by Rick and Jon Kinning, RK represents seven distinct lines of business that work together to provide seamless project collaboration. Our exclusive building methodologies, accredited safety standards and professional execution allow us to turn our customers’ greatest concepts into reality.

Position Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for the leadership, performance, and continuous improvement of assigned production lines or projects. This role ensures the successful execution of customer projects within a high‑performing Lean Manufacturing environment while consistently delivering excellence in safety, quality, on‑time delivery, and productivity. The Production Manager builds a culture of accountability, engagement, and operational discipline at the project and production line level that consistently meets both customer expectations and business objectives.

Role Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Provide direct leadership and accountability for assigned production lines or projects, achieving performance targets in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
• Develop and execute production schedules, resource plans, and workflow sequences aligned with project milestones and customer commitments.
• Ensure production line readiness to support project transitions from engineering through full production, coordinating resources and sequencing to maintain the schedule.

Lean & Continuous Improvement

• Apply Lean Manufacturing principles and drive measurable, sustainable improvements within assigned production lines or projects.
• Identify and eliminate waste, optimize workflow, and implement productivity initiatives that improve throughput and reduce cost at the production line level.
• Support a structured, continuous improvement culture within assigned teams through daily management, visual performance tracking, and hands‑on problem‑solving routines.

People Leadership & Culture

• Lead, mentor, and develop assigned production crews to build a high‑performing, engaged workforce at the project and line level.
• Drive accountability, collaboration, and skills development within assigned production teams.
• Foster a culture of safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement aligned with RK Mission Critical values.

Performance Management

• Monitor, analyze, and report key project and line‑level KPIs, including safety performance, quality metrics, delivery performance, labor productivity, and cost control.
• Ensure corrective actions and improvement plans are implemented when performance gaps arise.
• Support project‑level cost tracking, labor hour management and budget adherence in coordination with the Plant Manager.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate directly with Engineering, Supply Chain, Project Management, and Quality to ensure seamless day‑to‑day execution of assigned customer projects.
• Contribute to production hour estimating, design‑for‑manufacturability reviews and operational risk assessments for new and ongoing projects.

Process & Compliance

• Execute and uphold manufacturing processes, procedures, equipment utilization and work instructions within assigned production lines to ensure efficiency, quality and consistency.
• Maintain compliance with company policies, safety standards and regulatory requirements.

Reporting & Upward Communication

• Collaborate with the Plant Manager to provide timely input on production performance, scheduling constraints, resource needs and continuous improvement opportunities.

Additional Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned to support production line performance and business objectives.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business Administration or related field preferred (equivalent experience considered).
• 5+ years of manufacturing operations experience, with at least 2 years in a production supervisory or lead role.
• Minimum 2 years of hands‑on Lean Manufacturing experience.
• Experience with project‑level cost tracking and labor hour management.

Leadership & Technical Skills

• Demonstrated ability to lead high‑performing teams in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong Lean, continuous improvement and change management expertise.
• Results‑driven leader with a hands‑on execution mindset and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and coaching skills.
• Working knowledge of production cost drivers and ability to track labor hours and material usage at the project or line level.
• Highly organized with strong time management and a sense of urgency.
• Decisive, accountable leadership style with a strong floor presence.

Minimum Physical Requirements and Accountability

• Minimal travel required.
• Frequent walking, standing and sitting within a manufacturing environment.
• Exposure to varying noise levels and typical manufacturing conditions.
• Must follow all company safety policies and procedures.
• All employees are accountable for maintaining a safe work environment and are empowered to stop work if unsafe conditions exist.
• Ability to occasionally travel between corporate offices and jobsites within the Greater Denver Area during work hours.
• All employees are accountable for safety and health and are empowered to stop work if an unsafe condition is present. Employees should immediately notify their supervisor so that the hazard may be corrected.

What Sets RK Industries Apart

• Safety: Our unmatched culture of safety is our foremost core value, guiding everything we do each day: Health, Safety, & Environmental
• Awards: Whether in Construction, Manufacturing, Fabrication or Service, RK Industries is highly recognized and accredited throughout the industry: Accreditations & Recognition
• Benefits: RK Industries offers competitive benefits to support your growth and well‑being: Benefits & Rewards
• Philanthropy: RK Industries not only builds our community through our projects, but also invests in it by supporting local services for over a decade through the RK Foundation
• Development: Through RK University, we provide hands‑on training and development opportunities that empower employees to advance their careers and grow within the company, to include leadership and technical learning opportunities, we well as our accredited apprentice program: RK University & RK Apprenticeship Program

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.