Production Manager

Kelley Engineered Equipment, LLC; Gretna (NE); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Health savings account

Simple IRA with employer match

Flexible work schedule

Profit-based bonus

Job summary

Kelley Engineered Equipment (KEE) is seeking a Production Manager to build and lead a unified production plan across internal shop and outsourced partners. You will translate project requirements, engineering releases, materials, and delivery dates into an executable schedule, owning capacity planning, readiness, and make/buy decisions.

You will work as a peer to the Shop Operations Manager, determining what gets built, when, and whether it is in-house or outsourced, while ensuring supplier

Qualifications

• Experience in custom manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, and production planning.
• Proven ability to plan work across multiple projects with competing priorities.
• Experience evaluating capacity and making make-or-buy decisions.
• Experience managing suppliers, lead times, and delivery commitments.

Responsibilities

• Develop a consolidated production schedule and rolling capacity plan across all active projects.
• Set production priorities with Project Management and VP of Operations.
• Own the job-readiness process with drawings, materials, and quality checkpoints.
• Oversee make-or-buy decisions and supplier selection.
• Supervise the Procurement Specialist and oversee purchasing, expediting, and supplier follow-up.
• Coordinate with Project Managers, Engineering, Quality, Accounting, and Shop Operations.
• Manage production impact of engineering revisions and customer changes.
• Use Wrike and Total ETO as primary systems for production and supplier information.
• Build standard processes for production release and schedule escalation.

Skills

Production planning

Supply chain

Fabrication

Manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management

Tools

Wrike

Total ETO

ERP systems

Job description

Reports To: Vice President of Operations

Direct Reports: Procurement Specialist, with additional production planning/coordination roles as the department grows

About Us: Kelley Engineered Equipment (KEE), founded by Brian and Cynthia Kelley in 2007, is a versatile engineering design firm and equipment manufacturer specializing in supplying custom equipment and solutions to customers across a variety of industries, including heavy civil construction, underground construction, rail, and many others.

Our Core Values

• Desire to Learn: We are growth-oriented, teachable, and eager to learn.
• Responsible: We do what it takes, we are accountable, we admit mistakes, learn, and move forward.
• Hard Working: We are committed to the success of Kelley Engineered Equipment and our customers
• Team Player: We are eager to help, foster camaraderie, and maintain a positive attitude.
• Integrity: We are trustworthy and do the right thing.

About the Role

KEE is looking for a Production Manager to build and lead an integrated production plan across our internal shop and outsourced manufacturing partners. This role turns project requirements, engineering releases, material availability, supplier commitments, and delivery dates into a realistic, executable production plan — owning scheduling, capacity planning, job readiness, make-or-buy decisions, and supplier performance. You'll work as a peer to the Shop Operations Manager: you determine what gets built, when, and whether it's made in-house or outsourced, while Shop Operations owns how internal work gets done.

What You'll Do

• Develop and maintain a consolidated production schedule and rolling capacity plan across all active projects
• Set production priorities in coordination with Project Management and the VP of Operations
• Own the job-readiness process, confirming drawings, materials, and quality checkpoints before work is released
• Keep a pulse on the capacity of our fabricators for make-or-buy decisions
• Make routine make-or-buy decisions and lead selection of outside fabricators and suppliers
• Supervise the Procurement Specialist and oversee purchasing, expediting, and supplier follow-up
• Develop supplier scorecards and a preferred supplier network for fabrication, machining, forming, coating, and assembly
• Coordinate closely with Project Managers, Engineering, Quality, Accounting, and Shop Operations
• Manage the production impact of engineering revisions and customer changes after work is released
• Use Total ETO and Wrike as the primary systems for production and supplier information
• Build standard processes for production release, supplier follow-up, and schedule escalation as the department scales

Requirements

• Significant experience in custom manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, production planning, and supply chain
• Proven ability to plan work across multiple projects with competing priorities
• Working knowledge of fabrication, machining, forming, welding, coating, assembly, and outsourced manufacturing
• Experience evaluating manufacturing capacity and making make-or-buy decisions
• Experience managing suppliers, lead times, and delivery commitments
• Ability to read engineering drawings, bills of material, and production documentation
• Experience with ERP, project management, scheduling, or resource-planning systems
• Strong communication skills and sound judgment under incomplete information

Preferred

• Experience in engineer-to-order or custom equipment manufacturing
• Experience supervising procurement, planning, scheduling, or supply‑chain staff
• Experience with Wrike, Total ETO, or comparable systems
• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management

Benefits:

• Minimum of 3 weeks paid time off, depending on experience
• 7 paid holidays annually (9 actual paid days off)
• Paid health insurance
• Health savings account with company contribution
• Simple IRA with employer match
• Flexible work scheduleProfit‑based bonus program