Production Manager

StraussGroup - Executive Search Consultants; Town of Tonawanda (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

StraussGroup - Executive Search Consultants is helping a family-run manufacturer find a hands-on Production Manager to lead daily operations and keep production safe, efficient, and on schedule.

You'll spend your day on the floor and with systems, building a strong team, setting clear expectations, and driving accountability in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations or related field with 5+ years of manufacturing experience including production leadership
• OR 10+ years of manufacturing experience with 5+ years in a leadership role

Responsibilities

• Daily production planning, scheduling, and shop-floor execution
• Labor, capacity, and workflow management to meet delivery and quality targets
• Materials flow coordination with planning and purchasing
• Track KPIs and take corrective action when indicators slip
• Lead quality initiatives, audits and continuous improvement
• Maintain a strong safety culture and OSHA/compliance

Skills

Leadership

Floor leadership

Team development

Problem solving

Hands-on operations

Education

Bachelor’s in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations

Tools

Odoo

Epicor

SAP

NetSuite

Dynamics

Plex

Job description

About the Role

An established, family-run manufacturer is hiring a hands‑on Production Manager to lead daily operations and keep production running safely, efficiently, and on schedule. This is a working leadership role—you'll spend your day split between the floor and the system, leading from the front.

We’re prioritizing leadership above all. If you know how to build a team, hold a floor accountable, and bring structure to a manual manufacturing operation, we want to talk—even if you don’t tick every technical box below.

What You’ll Own

• Daily production planning, scheduling, and shop‑floor execution
• Labor, capacity, and workflow to hit delivery and quality targets
• Materials flow—partnering with planning and purchasing to prevent shortages
• KPIs, with the judgment to act when something slips
• Quality initiatives, audits, and continuous improvement
• A strong safety culture and OSHA/company compliance

What Matters Most

• Proven production leadership in a manufacturing environment
• The ability to lead from the floor, set clear expectations, and hold people accountable
• Comfort coaching and developing hourly teams
• A practical, problem‑solving mindset in a fast‑paced, hands‑on setting

Helpful, But Not Required

• Experience with ERP/MRP systems (Odoo, Epicor, SAP, NetSuite, Dynamics, Plex, etc.)
• Understanding of BOMs, routings, and capacity planning
• Exposure to ISO‑certified operations
• Background in discrete manufacturing or converting

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, or related field with 5+ years of manufacturing experience including production leadership, OR 10+ years of manufacturing experience with 5+ years in a leadership role

Why This Role

• Stable, established operation with room to improve systems, flow, and team performance
• Real ownership of daily production
• A smaller, people‑first environment where your leadership is visible and valued