Production Manager

States Manufacturing LLC; Dayton (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

States Manufacturing LLC is seeking a Production Manager to oversee a value stream, drive lean processes, and improve production efficiency. The role partners with engineering, quality, supply chain, and finance to meet delivery, cost, and quality targets.

The ideal candidate will lead a diverse operations team, implement standard work, and use data to optimize performance while reducing waste and cycle times. This is a full-time on-site role in the Minnesota facility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience for internal applicants)
• 7+ years of experience in manufacturing, including leading cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated success implementing lean practices in high-mix, low-volume environments
• Knowledge of Lean tools (Kanban, SMED, 5S, Kaizen, A3)
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing dashboards

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all activities within the assigned value stream, including daily operations, short- and long-term planning, and performance tracking
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Maintenance to ensure flow and continuous improvement
• Apply lean principles to design, manage, and improve the value stream; lead bottleneck removal and corrective actions
• Lead a diverse team of supervisors, operators, and support staff; drive accountability and engagement
• Monitor KPIs such as safety, throughput, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and labor efficiency
• Translate business objectives into value stream plans and priorities for scalable operations
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven decision making

ERP/MRP knowledge

Dashboards

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or Operations Management

Six Sigma Green Belt (desirable)

Tools

ERP software

PDM software (Vantage, SharePoint)

Job description

Description

Job Title: Production Manager

Location:

Department:

Reports To:

Job Type:

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Production Manager who is responsible for overseeing and improving a specific product family or value stream within the organization. This role focuses on driving operational excellence by implementing lean manufacturing principles, optimizing production processes, reducing waste, improving quality, and meeting customer delivery expectations. The Production Manager works cross-functionally with production, quality, engineering, supply chain, and finance to ensure alignment and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate all activities within the assigned value stream, including daily operations, short- and long-term planning, and performance tracking. Serve as the point of accountability for meeting production, delivery, cost, and quality targets.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Maintenance to ensure that all upstream and downstream processes support flow and continuous improvement. Lead problem-solving efforts to remove bottlenecks and drive alignment across departments.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles to design, manage, and continuously improve the value stream. Identify bottlenecks and lead root cause analysis, and corrective actions. Facilitate Kaizen events, Champion standard work deployment, and performance reviews to reduce lead times, inventory, and non-value-added activity.
• Lead a diverse team of supervisors, operators, and support staff. Build and sustain a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Ensure workforce planning, skills development, and employee engagement support long-term goals.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as safety, throughput, first-pass yield, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and labor efficiency. Use data to drive daily management and strategic planning.
• Participate in site-level planning and initiatives. Translate business objectives into value stream plans and priorities, ensuring that the organization can scale effectively while maintaining operational excellence.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience for internal applicants)
• 7+ years of experience in manufacturing, including leading cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated success implementing lean practices in high-mix, low-volume environments
• Strong analytical, communication, and team-building abilities
• Knowledge of Lean tools (Kanban, SMED, 5S, Kaizen, A3)
• Ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing dashboards

Preferred:

• ISO experience
• Knowledge of ERP software, PDM software (Vantage, SharePoint)
• Six Sigma Green Belt is highly desirable

Skills and Competencies:

• Leadership & Team Development
• Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement
• Analytical & Data-Driven Decision Making
• Communication & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Problem-Solving & Root-Cause Analysis
• Planning, Organization & Prioritization
• Change Management & Process Discipline
• Safety & Quality Focus
• Operational Excellence Mindset
• Ability to Drive Results in Fast-Paced Environments