Production Manager - 2nd Shift (5 PM to 5 AM)

Kaizen Lab Inc.; Fort Worth (TX); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Willbanks Metals Inc. is seeking a hands-on Production Manager to lead the cut-to-length / decoiling department. You will own safety, quality, throughput, scheduling, and continuous improvement while translating business priorities into daily execution on the shop floor.

You will develop staffing plans, create efficient schedules, coach a growing team, and partner with maintenance, quality, and leadership to improve uptime, material flow, and on-time delivery in a fast-paced metals environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of production management, manufacturing supervision, or operations leadership in metals/related field.
• Proven experience leading production teams with labor planning, scheduling, throughput, safety, and quality.
• Strong knowledge of cut-to-length / decoiling operations, material handling, coil processing, and production flow management.
• Excellent communication with frontline employees, peers, and executive leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills for fast-paced manufacturing.
• Proficiency in Excel, production reporting tools, and KPI management.
• High school diploma required; bachelor’s degree in operations, engineering, business, or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations for the cut-to-length/decoiling department with ownership for safety, quality, throughput, productivity, and on-time execution.
• Manage production with staffing, capacity, material flow, and scheduling considerations.
• Monitor department performance using production, downtime, labor, and quality metrics and act on gaps.
• Develop staffing plans, shift coverage, and labor allocation to meet production demand.
• Build schedules leveraging skills while remaining flexible for priorities.
• Coach, develop, and hold employees accountable for performance, safety, and standards.
• Identify bottlenecks and drive improvements with maintenance, quality, and upstream/downstream partners.

Skills

Production mgmt

Lean manufacturing

Staff development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in operations, engineering, business, or related field

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Production reporting tools

KPI management

Job description

Cut-to-Length / Decoiling Department | Willbanks MetalsInc.

Position Summary

Hands-onoperational leader for the cut-to-length / decoiling function with ownershipfor safety, people, scheduling, throughput, and continuous improvement.

Role Overview

Reports To

Vice President of Operations

Department

Cut-to-Length / Decoil

Location

Willbanks Metals Inc.

FLSA Status

Exempt

Leadership Scope

Direct leadership of departmentstaffing, production planning, scheduling, execution, and performance

The Production Manager is responsible for leading thecut-to-length / decoiling department to achieve safe, efficient, and reliableproduction performance while meeting customer requirements, quality standards,and operating targets.

This role requires a strategic and hands-on leader who cantranslate business priorities into daily execution, develop a capable team, andcommunicate with credibility at both the shop-floor level and with seniorleadership, including the Vice President of Operations.

Operational Leadership

• Lead day-to-day operations for the cut-to-length/ decoiling department with clear ownership for safety, quality, throughput,productivity, and on-time execution.
• Manage production at the ground level whilemaintaining a forward-looking view of staffing, capacity, material flow, andscheduling needs.
• Monitor department performance using production,downtime, labor, and quality metrics and take timely action to correct gaps.

Staffing, Planning, and Scheduling

• Develop and manage department staffing plans,shift coverage, and labor allocation to align resources with production demand.
• Build schedules that utilize employees accordingto their skills and strengths while maintaining flexibility for changingpriorities.
• Partner with operations leadership to forecastlabor requirements, identify staffing risks, and support hiring, onboarding,and cross-training plans.

Team Leadership and Development

• Coach, develop, and hold employees accountablefor performance, attendance, safety, and operational standards.
• Create a culture of ownership, urgency,teamwork, and continuous improvement across the department.
• Identify high-potential talent, addressperformance issues promptly, and strengthen bench depth through training androle development.

Process Improvement and Bottleneck Resolution

• Identify production bottlenecks, workflowconstraints, and labor inefficiencies; communicate practical solutions anddrive execution through resolution.
• Collaborate with maintenance, quality, andupstream/downstream partners to improve uptime, material flow, and scheduleadherence.
• Apply structured problem-solving and root-causethinking to improve productivity, reduce waste, and stabilize performance.

Communication and Executive Partnership

• Communicate department performance, operationalrisks, staffing needs, and improvement priorities clearly and professionally tothe Vice President of Operations and other leaders.
• Translate high-level business direction intomeasurable actions for frontline teams and supervisors.
• Provide timely updates, recommendations, andescalation on issues affecting safety, output, service, or labor performance.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of production management,manufacturing supervision, or operations leadership experience in a metalsprocessing, steel service center, cut-to-length, slitting, decoiling, orsimilar industrial environment.
• Proven experience leading production teams withaccountability for labor planning, scheduling, throughput, safety, and quality.
• Strong working knowledge of cut-to-length /decoiling operations, material handling, coil processing, and production flowmanagement.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectivelywith frontline employees, peers, and executive leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, anddecision-making skills with the ability to prioritize in a fast-pacedmanufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, productionreporting tools, and operational KPI management.
• High school diploma or equivalent required;bachelor's degree in operations, engineering, business, or a related fieldpreferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a steel service center orhigh-volume metals manufacturing operation with direct exposure tocut-to-length, decoiling, slitting, or related processing lines.
• Experience implementing lean manufacturing,continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, or productivity improvementinitiatives.
• Background in workforce planning, training, andcross-functional coordination with maintenance, quality, shipping, andwarehouse teams.
• Bilingual communication capability is a plus,based on workforce needs.

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic mindset with the ability to connectdepartment execution to broader business priorities.
• Hands-on leadership style with a strong presenceon the floor and a willingness to engage directly in problem solving.
• Sound judgment and composure under pressure,with the ability to make timely, practical decisions.
• Strong communicator who can influence atmultiple levels, from hourly employees to senior executives.
• Commitment to safety, accountability, talentdevelopment, and operational excellence.

Work Environment / Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in both office andmanufacturing floor environments and requires regular presence in theproduction area.
• Ability to stand, walk, observe operations, andmove throughout the facility for extended periods.
• Ability to work around industrial equipment,moving material, and noise while following all safety procedures and PPErequirements.
• Ability to occasionally lift or move itemsconsistent with plant leadership responsibilities.

Success Profile

• Builds a stable, capable team that is scheduledand deployed effectively against production demand.
• Improves labor utilization and throughput whilemaintaining high standards for safety and quality.
• Identifies bottlenecks early, communicatessolutions clearly, and drives disciplined follow-through.
• Earns credibility with the workforce andprovides high-level operational partnership to the Vice President ofOperations.