Production Manager

Niagara Power Transformer Corp.; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Niagara Power Transformer Corp. in Buffalo, NY seeks a Production Manager to lead the safe, on-time and cost-effective production of transformers from floor to shipment and post-installation support.

You will own the weekly/monthly schedules, staffing, and reporting on production performance while partnering with Planning, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, Customer Support, and Sales to meet commitments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• Experience leading supervisors and production teams in a heavy manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the production flow from entry to shipment, ensuring safety, quality and on-time delivery.
• Manage weekly and monthly production schedules and labor capacity against demand and budget.
• Lead Production Supervisors and ensure coaching, performance management and succession planning.
• Coordinate with Master Planning, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, Customer Support and Sales to align components and commitments.
• Drive continuous improvement using lean manufacturing, 6S, root cause analysis, and standard work.
• Maintain a strong safety culture and enforce quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Set up customer visits and witness tests, coordinating plant readiness and communication.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Lean manufacturing

6S

Production scheduling

Staffing and staffing planning

Budgeting and cost control

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations Management

Tools

ERP systems

Production scheduling software

Data reporting tools

Job description

The Production Manager is accountable for the safe, on-time, and cost-effective production of transformers from the moment a unit enters the production floor through shipment and post-installation support. This role owns the weekly and monthly production schedule, production labor capacity and staffing, flow of units through the plant, and the business-level reporting of production performance. The Production Manager leads the Production Supervisors as direct reports, who in turn lead the Team Leads and all production team members, and partners with Master Planning, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, Customer Support, and Sales to ensure components, information, and customer commitments are aligned to the schedule. The position drives a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement, and reports to the VP Operations.

Key Responsibilities/ Essential Functions

Essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Own the transformer once it hits the production floor, with full accountability for its progress, quality, safety, cost, and on-time completion through shipment.
• Manage and protect the weekly and monthly production schedule, ensuring it remains intact and that deviations are identified early, escalated, and recovered.
• Manage the flow of units through the plant, balancing work across departments and removing bottlenecks to maximize throughput and on-time delivery.
• Lead, develop, and hold accountable the Production Supervisors as direct reports, and through them the Team Leads and all production team members, including performance management, coaching, and succession planning.
• Own hiring, resourcing, and staffing for production; determine required resource levels and manage production labor capacity against demand and budgeted unit levels.
• Prepare and deliver business-level production reporting, including output, schedule attainment, labor efficiency, overtime, downtime, scrap, rework, and budget-to-actual performance.
• Proactively identify and manage variances causing downtime on the floor, working directly with Team Leads and Supervisors to drive timely resolution and prevent recurrence.
• Lead structured problem solving and remain accountable for continuous improvement, applying lean manufacturing, 6S, root cause analysis, and standard work to improve processes and systems.
• Establish and enforce a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with all safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and enforce quality standards, ensuring production and quality concerns are addressed promptly and standard work and work instructions are followed.
• Set dates for customer visits and witness tests, coordinating plant readiness, test scheduling, and customer communication so that commitments are met.
• Liaise with Customer Support and Sales on warranty claims and post-installation challenges, supporting investigation, root cause, and corrective action.
• Liaise with Master Planning, Engineering Release, and Procurement to ensure drawings, bills of material, and components arrive on time to support the production schedule.
• Support audits, inspections, and customer or regulatory requirements as applicable.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10–15 years of manufacturing experience, including at least 5 years in a plant, operations, or production management role leading supervisors.
• Experience in heavy manufacturing, electrical equipment, or transformer manufacturing preferred.
• Proven ability to manage production schedules, labor capacity, and staffing against demand and budget.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead through multiple levels of supervision.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement tools.
• Experience coordinating with planning, engineering, procurement, quality, sales, and customer support functions.
• Ability to interpret production schedules, technical drawings, and work instructions; proficiency in ERP/production scheduling systems and business reporting.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.