Production Manager

Swagelok Southeast Texas; La Porte (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Swagelok Southeast Texas is seeking a Production Manager, Assembly Solutions to lead end-to-end fabrication and assembly operations. You will own on-time delivery, quality, scheduling, and supervision of technicians on the shop floor, applying a process-engineering mindset to scale the production system and ensure safe, efficient performance.

Responsibilities include optimizing daily production schedules, translating booked orders into production plans, eliminating bottlenecks with CI methods,

Qualifications

• Strong manufacturing process improvement methodology to diagnose flow problems and implement structured solutions.
• Understanding of fluid system function and related instrumentation products is preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word for reporting and analysis.
• ERP experience required, SAP preferred.
• Hands-on leadership on the shop floor with ability to interact with all levels of leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own daily production scheduling and prioritization to optimize delivery, quality, and floor operations.
• Translate booked orders into a production schedule and plan in coordination with sales.
• Supervise technicians and staff to maintain quality, schedule, and safety.
• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks using value stream mapping, 5S, kaizen, and root-cause analysis.
• Lead corrective action for product, process, and equipment issues; drive cross-functional workstreams.
• Develop structured processes and hold regular meetings with sales, engineering, and project management.
• Maintain a safe work environment; ensure ISO/SQS compliance and proper resources for production.
• Collaborate with management to forecast capital equipment, facility improvements, and hiring to support growth.
• Lead or participate in audits and monitor quality metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Hold technicians accountable for on-time production, quality, and safety.
• Develop training plans and career paths; manage PDPs and disciplinary actions.
• Prepare onboarding plans and maintain accurate records (timesheets, certifications, QA docs).
• Provide data on OTD, quality, throughput, and capacity utilization.

Skills

Process improvement

Fluid system knowledge

MS Office (Excel/Word)

ERP experience (SAP)

Shop floor leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering or related field

Tools

SAP

Job description

The Production Manager, Assembly Solutions is a leadership role responsible for the end-to-end execution of Swagelok Southeast Texas’s (SSET) fabrication and assembly operations. This position owns on-time delivery, quality, continuous improvement, scheduling, and technician supervision across the shop floor. The Production Manager brings a process-engineering mindset to deliver quality outcomes, meet schedule, optimize resources and improve safety while scaling up the production system.

Responsibilities

Production & Operations Management

• Own daily production scheduling and prioritization to optimize delivery schedule, quality, and floor operations
• Meet and effectively communicate with sales to translate booked orders into a production schedule and production plan
• Supervise technicians and production staff to maintain quality, schedule and safety
• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks using structured manufacturing process improvement methods (value stream mapping, 5S, kaizen, root cause analysis)
• Supervise technicians and project managers to troubleshoot and resolve product, process, and equipment issues; lead corrective action as needed
• Develop structured processes and conduct regular meetings with sales, engineering, and project management to streamline order-to-production translation workstreams
• Maintain safe work environment; lead ISO/SQS compliance Review drawings and production orders prior to shop floor use to ensure shop and quality has resources, equipment, tools and test connections to complete work

Standardize, Professionalize, and Optimize Assembly Plant

• Develop and maintain a staffing model to handle existing workload and grow with sales

Manage weekly production schedule to ensure peak utilization of technicians while maintaining quality, safety, and meeting deadlines

• Collaborate with senior management to forecast and implement capital equipment, facility improvements, and hiring to support SSET growth targets
• Review and provide feedback to engineering, project management and warehousing to ensure that assembled solutions operations are world class
• Lead daily PVD board meetings

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all quality and OSHA certifications are current — orbital welding, tube fitting installation, tube bending, leak testing, and others as required
• Lead or participate in internal and external quality and safety audits, serve as point-person for complex quality issues
• Monitor quality metrics and hold team accountable for them
• Adopt and implement manufacturer led improvements and processes related to quality, cycle time reduction, safety, and other technological improvements (e.g., incorporate AI in production planning)

Team Leadership & Associate Development

• Hold technicians accountable for quality, on-time production, safety and mutual respect on a sustained basis
• Work with HR and Director of Operations to hire technicians, conduct performance reviews, develop and execute career pathways, and other actions such as PDPs and disciplinary issues
• Create and execute training and coaching to ensure technicians have the right mix of skills and certifications
• Work Develop team members for broader responsibility; identify high-potential associates for growth paths
• Participate in cross-functional meetings and initiatives as needed

Develop and deliver comprehensive onboarding training plans for each tech level

• Maintain accurate records (e.g., timesheets, certifications, and quality documentation)
• Provide data to produce key metrics: OTD, quality rate, throughput, capacity utilization; Monitor key metrics, and use them for continuous improvement

Position Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or related technical field preferred; equivalent experience considered

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in an industrial assembly unit, manufacturing plant, fabrication shop or other related environment preferred
• 3+ years in a supervisory or management role with direct reports in an assembly, production, fabrication, or manufacturing environment preferred
• PMP or equivalent project management credential with experience in continuous improvement (lean, kaizen, VSM etc.) a plus

Skills

• Strong manufacturing process improvement methodology — able to diagnose flow problems and drive structured solutions
• Comprehension of fluid system function and related instrumentation products preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office specifically EXCEL and WORD
• ERP experience required (SAP preferred)
• Hands-on working on the shop floor as well interacting with all levels of leadership

Critical Success Factors

• Order fulfillment at or above 95% On-Time Delivery (OTD)
• 98%+ accuracy and quality across all production orders
• Measurable, sustained improvement in throughput and flow efficiency through structured CI activity
• Effective recruitment, supervision, training, and development of technicians to scale up operations

Core Competencies

• Strong orientation to serve customers and associates
• Managing, supervising and developing technical associates
• Cross functional interface with engineering, sales, warehousing, and accounting
• Schedule Management and Capacity Planning
• Translating product drawings and assembly plans into concrete production plans
• Creating, monitoring and utilizing tracking metrics (OTD, quality defects, etc.)

Scope of position

Physical Requirements

Regularly lift and/or move objects 10–50 lbs, occasionally lift objects exceeding 75 lbs., Frequently sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, climb, or balance in a shop environment

# Direct Reports

8–15 Assembly Technicians and Shop Associates

Time Spent Traveling outside of service area

Minimal; occasional vendor or customer site visits

Estimated Budgetary Responsibilities

Shop-level operational budget; input into equipment and assembly plant planning, and staffing responsibilities