Production Manager

Top Quality Recruitment (TQR); Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A printing and packaging firm is seeking a Senior Production Manager to lead operations in a high-volume offset printing facility. The ideal candidate will have over 7 years of production leadership experience, particularly in offset printing and die-cutting. Responsibilities include overseeing production performance, championing safety and quality standards, and driving continuous improvement initiatives. Strong problem-solving and team management skills are essential. This role promotes a culture of accountability and engagement within a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in manufacturing/production leadership in offset printing.
• Demonstrated technical strength in offset press operations.
• Strong planning and execution skills in a production environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily production planning and execution.
• Oversee die cutting operations for optimization.
• Enhance quality standards and drive corrective actions.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Offset printing operations

Die cutting knowledge

Lean/CI initiatives

Strong problem-solving

Job description

Location: Outside Philadelphia, PA Schedule: Monday–Friday (MF) Reports to: President Direct Reports: Pressroom and Die Cutting Supervisors/Leads (plus supporting production teams) Team Size: ~65 employees Environment: High-volume commercial/packaging print production

Position Summary

The Senior Production Manager is responsible for leading day-to-day production across a high-volume offset printing and die-cutting facility. This role owns production performance—safety, quality, output, scrap, cost, and on-time delivery—while driving continuous improvement and developing teams. The ideal candidate is a strong offset printing leader who also has hands-on operational understanding of die cutting processes, equipment, tooling, and workflow to ensure seamless end-to-end execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily production planning and execution across offset printing and die cutting to meet customer commitments and throughput targets.
• Provide strong technical and process leadership in offset printing (make-ready, color management, press efficiency, troubleshooting, maintenance coordination).
• Oversee die cutting operations including setup optimization, tooling readiness, waste reduction, and throughput improvements.
• Balance capacity, labor, and schedules across departments; partner with Planning/CSR/Sales to prioritize work and manage changes.

Safety, Quality, and Compliance

• Champion a safety-first culture; ensure adherence to all EHS procedures and safe work practices.
• Maintain and improve quality standards across printing and converting (in-process checks, defect prevention, root cause analysis).
• Drive corrective actions for customer complaints and internal nonconformances; implement preventive measures.

Performance Management and Continuous Improvement

• Own KPIs including OEE/uptime, run speeds, waste/scrap, on-time delivery, rework, and labor productivity.
• Implement Lean/CI initiatives (5S, standard work, SMED, visual management) to improve flow and reduce downtime and variation.
• Lead daily production huddles; elevate constraints and coordinate rapid problem-solving across departments (maintenance, prepress, QA, shipping).
• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline teams; build a culture of accountability and engagement.
• Drive staffing plans, training, skills matrices, and succession planning for press and die cutting operators.
• Conduct performance reviews; manage attendance, discipline, and recognition consistently and fairly.

Equipment, Maintenance, and Reliability

• Partner with Maintenance to plan preventative maintenance and minimize unplanned downtime.
• Support capital planning and equipment upgrades (press improvements, die cutting enhancements, automation opportunities).
• Ensure readiness of materials, plates, inks, dies/tooling, and changeover execution.

Qualifications Required

• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing/production leadership experience in a high-volume offset printing environment.
• Demonstrated technical strength in offset press operations (make-ready efficiency, quality control, troubleshooting, productivity improvement).
• Working knowledge of die cutting operations (setups, tooling, throughput drivers, defect modes) with the ability to lead and optimize converting performance.
• Proven success leading teams (supervisors/leads/operators) and driving measurable KPI improvement.
• Strong planning and execution skills in a fast-paced, deadline-driven production environment.

Preferred

• Experience in folding carton, packaging, labels, or commercial print with converting operations.
• Lean/CI background (Six Sigma/Lean certification a plus).
• Familiarity with production management systems/ERP and shop-floor reporting (OEE, downtime tracking, etc.).
• Hands‑on, shop‑floor leadership style; visible and engaged with teams.
• Strong problem‑solving and root‑cause capability.
• Excellent communication across production, planning, maintenance, and quality.
• Organized, data‑driven, and able to prioritize under pressure.