Production Manager - Printing

Socket.dev; Van Wert (OH); On-site; USD 71,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

TekniPlex in the United States is seeking a Production Manager-Printing to lead the day-to-day operations of the printing department. You will guide safety, quality, productivity and employee engagement while delivering results through strong leadership and Lean practices in a fast-paced manufacturing setting.

You will collaborate across Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain and HR to meet production targets, develop people, solve problems at the root cause, and drive continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent manufacturing leadership experience.
• 7+ years in high-volume manufacturing leadership.
• Experience leading supervisors and frontline teams.
• Strong Lean manufacturing knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Champion safety culture and compliance with OSHA and environmental standards.
• Own departmental performance and drive KPI improvements.
• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and hourly staff.
• Drive Lean initiatives and root-cause problem solving.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure readiness and schedules.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Operational Excellence

Leadership

Problem Solving

Team Development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related field

Tools

ERP

MES

Job description

Imagine: A Career with Purpose and Possibility

Picture this: You are part of a global team of problem-solvers whose innovations in materials science can make life better. Every day, you help turn ideas into impact using science, technology, and creativity to tackle real-world challenges. You are part of a company whose work helps improve patient outcomes in healthcare and protects essential consumer goods that people around the world rely on every day.

At TekniPlex, you’ll join more than 9,000 colleagues across 12 countries, all united by one purpose: creating safer, smarter solutions that touch daily life. Through our two divisions, TekniPlex Healthcare and TekniPlex Consumer Products, you’ll help shape industries that matter: healthcare, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, beauty, and personal care.

Here, your ideas count and your work matters. You’ll be encouraged to think boldly, collaborate across cultures, and keep growing every step of the way. You will help protect the integrity of essential products, support patient safety and comfort, and contribute to innovations that make everyday life better, all while building a career that makes an impact.

Because at TekniPlex, you don’t just deliver products – you help shape what’s next.

What is the role where you can make an impact?

Production Manager-Printing:

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Production Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of an assigned manufacturing department while ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement. This leader is accountable for delivering operational results through effective leadership, process discipline, continuous improvement, and the development of high-performing teams.

The Production Manager provides leadership to Supervisors, Team Leads, and production employees, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence. Working cross-functionally with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Continuous Improvement, this role ensures the department consistently meets production targets while supporting the site's operational readiness and long-term growth objectives.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader with a passion for developing people, solving problems, and driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

What will you do?

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a culture where safety is the first priority and every employee is accountable for maintaining a safe work environment.
• Ensure compliance with all company safety policies, OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, and food safety or customer standards as applicable.
• Lead incident investigations, corrective actions, and proactive risk reduction initiatives.

Operations Leadership

• Own departmental performance and drive corrective actions to achieve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People objectives.
• Drive daily production execution while monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), including Safety, Quality, OEE, Yield, Scrap, Downtime, Throughput, and Labor Efficiency.
• Develop action plans to address production challenges and improve overall operational performance.
• Ensure production schedules are executed while maintaining customer service expectations.
• Coordinate resources across shifts to maximize equipment utilization and productivity.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors, Team Leads, and hourly employees.
• Establish clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and performance management.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and continuous learning.
• Support hiring, onboarding, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
• Promote effective communication across shifts and departments.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives focused on waste elimination, process optimization, and standardization.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts using structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, efficiency, labor utilization, and manufacturing costs.
• Support new equipment installations, process improvements, and production startup activities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability and minimize downtime.
• Collaborate with Engineering on process improvements, capital projects, and operational readiness initiatives.
• Work with Quality to ensure compliance with customer specifications and drive continuous quality improvements.
• Coordinate with Planning and Supply Chain to meet production schedules and customer demand.
• Partner with Human Resources to support employee relations, engagement, training, and workforce development.

Operational Excellence

• Drive the department's Operational Excellence journey by embedding Lean principles, visual management, leader standard work, structured problem solving, and a culture of continuous improvement into daily operations.

Financial & Operational Accountability

• Manage departmental labor, overtime, and operating expenses.
• Monitor production metrics and implement corrective actions to achieve business objectives.
• Support annual operating plans, productivity initiatives, and cost reduction efforts.
• Drive a culture of ownership and operational discipline that delivers sustainable business results.

What We're Looking For:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or a related field is preferred; equivalent manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in a high-volume production environment.
• Minimum of 3 years leading supervisors and frontline production teams.
• Demonstrated experience improving safety, productivity, quality, and employee engagement.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence principles.
• Experience managing production metrics including OEE, throughput, labor efficiency, scrap, and downtime.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to coach, develop, and hold teams accountable.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting greenfield manufacturing startups or facility expansions.
• Experience within packaging, molded fiber, paper, pulp, plastics, food manufacturing, or other continuous manufacturing environments.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent continuous improvement experience.
• Experience with ERP and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES).
• Working knowledge of preventive maintenance, reliability, and production planning processes.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus.

Success in This Role

A successful Production Manager creates a culture where safety is non-negotiable, standards are consistently followed, problems are solved at their root cause, and employees are engaged in continuously improving performance. They develop capable leaders, build accountable teams, and consistently deliver results through disciplined execution rather than heroic effort.

The compensation range for this position will pay up to $118K plus target bonus incentive.