Production Manager

Flexfab, LLC; Hastings (MI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Flexfab, LLC is seeking a Production Manager to lead a department across three shifts in a union environment, driving safety, quality, on-time delivery, cost, and people development.

You will translate business priorities into daily execution, coach supervisors, and partner with multiple functions to remove barriers and continuously improve flow and performance.

Qualifications

• Lean manufacturing and daily management principles.
• Strong leadership with a track record of improving safety, quality and productivity.
• Experience in a union or labor-relations environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead department operations to meet safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, staffing, and morale expectations.
• Lead, coach, and hold Production Supervisors accountable for consistent execution across all shifts.
• Maintain a visible floor presence and ensure timely follow-through on priorities.
• Establish daily management routines: safety, quality, staffing, schedule attainment, output, downtime, cost, actions.
• Plan labor and capacity to support demand; assess overtime, staffing, bottlenecks, and recovery needs.
• Partner with Planning, Materials, Warehouse, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, HR and others to remove barriers.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Coaching

Leadership

Change leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, operations, engineering, supply chain, or related field

Equivalent directly relevant experience

Tools

ERP

MRP

MS Excel

Job description

The Production Manager leads manufacturing operations for an assigned department and is accountable for achieving expectations for safety, quality, on-time delivery, cost, and people. The role leads Production Supervisors across three shifts and supports an organization that may range from approximately 40 to 80 associates in a union environment.

This leader translates business priorities into clear daily execution, develops supervisors and associates, builds a positive and accountable culture, and partners across functions to solve problems and improve flow. Success is measured not only by what the department achieves, but by how the leader achieves it: through Flexfab’s values of humility, honesty, excellence, accountability, respect, teamwork, and support.

• Lead department operations to meet safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, staffing, and morale expectations.
• Lead, coach, and hold Production Supervisors accountable for consistent execution across all shifts.
• Maintain a visible floor presence; listen actively, understand barriers, communicate priorities, and ensure timely follow-through.
• Establish and sustain daily management routines, including review of safety, quality, staffing, schedule attainment, output, downtime, cost, and open actions.
• Plan labor and capacity to support demand; assess overtime, staffing, cross-training, constraints, bottlenecks, and recovery needs.
• Partner with Planning, Materials, Warehouse, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, Human Resources, and other teams to remove barriers and meet customer commitments.
• Lead structured problem solving, root cause analysis, corrective action, standard work, visual management, Kaizen, Kata, 5S, waste reduction, and sustainment of improvements.
• Use operating and financial data to understand true cost, labor utilization, efficiency, scrap, overtime, downtime, WIP, throughput, and improvement opportunity.
• Build workforce capability through effective selection, onboarding, qualification, training, cross-training, coaching, feedback, development planning, and succession.
• Create a respectful and supportive environment where people understand expectations, raise concerns, contribute ideas, and are held accountable fairly and consistently.
• Address employee concerns, attendance, performance, conduct, complaints, and grievances in partnership with Human Resources and in alignment with the collective bargaining agreement and company practices.
• Promote prevention and safe work; partner with EHS to identify hazards, close actions, investigate incidents, and strengthen associate engagement in safety.
• Protect product and process quality by reinforcing standards, escalating abnormalities, supporting containment and corrective action, and maintaining audit readiness.
• Support changes to processes, equipment, layouts, products, and technology; ensure team readiness, clear communication, training, and safe implementation.
• Recommend investments in equipment, tooling, technology, maintenance, training, or staffing based on business need and expected return.
• Communicate department status, risks, decisions, and support needs clearly to associates, peers, and senior leaders.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned in support of Flexfab’s business and operating needs.
• Instill trust through honesty, consistency, transparency, and dependable follow-through.
• Communicate effectively by listening first, creating clarity, adapting to the audience, and addressing difficult issues directly and respectfully.
• Ensure accountability by defining outcomes, confirming ownership, reviewing progress, recognizing performance, and responding constructively when expectations are not met.
• Practice servant leadership by removing barriers, developing others, sharing credit, seeking input, and balancing care for people with high standards.
• Lead change with calm, curiosity, discipline, and respect for the knowledge of the people doing the work.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, operations, engineering, supply chain, or a related field preferred. Equivalent directly relevant experience may be considered.
• At least five years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience preferred, including at least two years at a manager's level with responsibility through supervisors or other leaders.
• Demonstrated responsibility for manufacturing operations or department and measurable performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people.
• Experience leading hourly employees in a union or labor-relations environment preferred.
• Experience in a multi-shift environment strongly preferred.

Knowledge and Capabilities

• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles, including daily management, standard work, visual management, 5S, structured problem solving, root cause analysis, and sustainment.
• Capacity planning, labor planning, schedule attainment, production control, flow, bottleneck management, and recovery planning.
• Manufacturing cost analysis, labor and overhead drivers, productivity, efficiency, overtime, scrap, downtime, WIP, and basic investment justification.
• ERP, MRP, production reporting, and Microsoft business tools.
• Coaching, performance management, conflict resolution, active listening, decision making, facilitation, and change leadership.
• Working knowledge of safety, quality systems, audit readiness, employee relations, and collective bargaining responsibilities relevant to manufacturing leadership.

Physical and Work Environment

This role works regularly in a manufacturing environment and requires frequent presence on the production floor across shifts. Specific physical demands, PPE requirements, environmental exposures, schedule expectations, and reasonable‑accommodation language should be completed using Flexfab’s approved job‑description standards before posting.

Equal Opportunity and Regulatory Language

Insert Flexfab’s current approved equal employment opportunity, disability and veteran, work authorization, ITAR, CMMC, and other job‑specific regulatory language after HR or legal review. Do not rely on the 2023 language without confirming current applicability.