Production Manager

Judge Direct Placement; Springfield (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Judge Direct Placement partners with a premier manufacturing leader in Springfield, IL to identify a visionary Production Manager who will drive a total operational rebirth—truly a Strategic Architect on the plant floor.

The role demands 7+ years of manufacturing leadership, a Lean/Six Sigma mindset, and a data-driven approach to translate strategy into actionable goals while overseeing P&L and asset optimization.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of manufacturing leadership experience with change management or large-scale efficiency improvements.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Eng., Supply Chain, or Operations; Master’s/MBA preferred.
• Lean/Six Sigma certifications (Lean Master, Six Sigma Black Belt) or equivalent.
• Leadership style that commands respect through competence and transparency on the plant floor.
• Advanced proficiency in leveraging ERP data and IIoT insights to drive shop-floor behavior and planning.

Responsibilities

• Define and enforce a culture rooted in mutual respect and extreme ownership; replace finger-pointing with collaborative problem-solving and rigorous accountability.
• Bridge the gap by spending significant time on the floor to translate strategy into actionable goals for the workforce.
• Audit the human capital landscape; mentor leaders and restructure teams to support a high-performance environment.
• Re-engineer end-to-end production cycles to remove friction points and maximize value-add time via Kaizen and Lean.
• Implement real-time dashboarding for OEE, FPY, and safety incidents to move to data-driven reality.
• Shift maintenance and production to predictive reliability using Pareto analysis to target key issues.

Skills

7+ years manufacturing leadership

ERP data analytics

IIoT insights

Boots-on-the-ground leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or Operations

Master’s degree or MBA preferred

Lean Master

Six Sigma Black Belt

Tools

Kaizen

Job description

Judge Direct Placement is partnering with a premier manufacturing leader in the Springfield, IL area to find a visionary Production Manager to lead a high-stakes evolution of their production plant. This isn't just about maintaining the status quo; it’s about a total operational rebirth. We need a "Strategic Architect"—a leader who can dismantle inefficient legacy systems, bridge the gap between leadership and the line, and instill a world-class manufacturing mindset. If you have the grit to overhaul a site and the emotional intelligence to bring the team with you, please apply.

Key Responsibilities

Cultural Alignment & Visionary Leadership

• The New Baseline: Define and enforce a culture rooted in mutual respect and extreme ownership; replace finger-pointing with collaborative problem-solving and rigorous accountability.
• Bridge the Gap: Act as the face of change, spending significant time on the floor to translate corporate strategy into actionable, relatable goals for the workforce.
• Succession Planning: Audit the human capital landscape; mentor emerging leaders and restructure teams to ensure the right people are in the right seats to support a high-performance environment.

Operational Engineering & Performance

• Workflow Synthesis: Re-engineer end-to-end production cycles to remove friction points and maximize "Value-Add" time via Kaizen events and Lean integration.
• Metrics That Matter: Implement real-time dashboarding for OEE, First-Pass Yield (FPY), and safety incidents to move from anecdotal reporting to data-driven reality.
• Preventative Evolution: Shift the maintenance and production philosophy from "break-fix" to predictive reliability, utilizing Pareto analysis to target the 20% of issues causing 80% of downtime.

Strategic Site Revitalization

• Asset Rationalization: Evaluate and optimize the use of floor space, machinery, and inventory to improve cash flow and spatial efficiency.
• Financial Stewardship: Oversee the P&L with a "Business Owner" mindset, prioritizing capital investments that shorten lead times and enhance competitive advantage.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 7+ years in manufacturing leadership, specifically within environments requiring heavy change management, cultural turnarounds, or significant efficiency scaling.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or Operations (Master’s degree or MBA strongly preferred).
• Certifications: Lean Master, Six Sigma Black Belt, or equivalent mastery of continuous improvement frameworks.
• Leadership Style: A "boots-on-the-ground" leader who commands respect through competence and transparency, capable of navigating complex labor dynamics and driving individual accountability.
• Analytical Edge: Advanced proficiency in leveraging ERP data and IIoT insights to drive shop-floor behavior and long-term strategic planning.