Production Manager — Lean & Safety Leader

Polywater Corporation; Stillwater (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

401(k) with company match

Profit sharing

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Profit sharing opportunities

Job summary

Polywater Corporation seeks a Production Manager to lead and develop the production team at our Minnesota facility. The role focuses on safe, efficient, cost-effective manufacturing and packaging while upholding quality standards.

You will drive Lean initiatives, schedule daily operations, and collaborate across Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Maintenance, and R&D to reduce defects and improve throughput.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Engineering, Business, or related field preferred.
• 10+ years of manufacturing or packaging leadership experience.
• Experience in chemical packaging, blending, filling, or related process industries preferred.

Responsibilities

• Directs and develops a production workforce of approximately 30 employees by establishing clear performance expectations, driving accountability, and fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives through Lean Manufacturing, 5S, visual management, and problem-solving methodologies to support operational excellence and company values.
• Leads a safety-first culture by ensuring compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company safety requirements while promoting safe work practices.
• Conducts audits, risk assessments, incident investigations, training, and corrective actions to continuously improve safety performance, emergency preparedness, and workplace hazard prevention.
• Ensures all packaged products meet specifications, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards by maintaining adherence to established procedures, work instructions, and quality systems.
• Partners with Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Maintenance, and R&D to investigate non-conformances, perform root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives that reduce defects, scrap, and rework.
• Manages daily production scheduling, labor allocation, and workflow execution to ensure customer delivery commitments are met while maximizing efficiency and throughput.
• Coordinates cross-functionally with Planning, Purchasing, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Quality teams to address bottlenecks, communicate priorities, and implement contingency plans for production disruptions.
• Manages labor, material usage, staffing, and operational expenses to achieve budget objectives while ensuring efficient production performance.
• Drives continuous improvement through waste reduction, process optimization, equipment reliability initiatives, automation opportunities, and cost-saving measures to enhance productivity and reduce downtime.
• Leads, coaches, and develops Area Supervisors, Leads, and Operators while ensuring employees receive the training and resources needed to perform safely and effectively.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning through performance management, employee development planning, skills tracking, and cross‑training initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing

Problem-solving

Communication

ERP systems

Scheduling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management or related field

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Polywater Corporation seeks a Production Manager to lead and develop the production team at our Minnesota facility. The role focuses on safe, efficient, cost-effective manufacturing and packaging while upholding quality standards.

You will drive Lean initiatives, schedule daily operations, and collaborate across Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Maintenance, and R&D to reduce defects and improve throughput.