Second-Shift Production Leader — 400+ Team Oversight

Sterling Engineering; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Shift differential

Job summary

Sterling Engineering is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead a large-scale 2nd shift manufacturing operation, overseeing safety, quality, production performance, staffing and execution for up to 400 employees.

The ideal leader is hands-on, credible on the shop floor, able to manage a large workforce with limited senior leadership presence, and quickly learn the operation. Medical device experience is not required; high-volume automated environments are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Business, or related discipline preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing or production leadership experience.
• Experience leading large manufacturing teams in high-volume or highly automated environments.
• Experience managing through supervisors and frontline leaders rather than solo contributors.
• Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for second-shift operations supporting up to 400 employees.
• Lead production supervisors, team leads, and personnel to meet daily safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives.
• Maintain a strong presence on the floor to support teams and ensure effective execution.
• Drive daily production performance against schedules, output goals, labor requirements, and customer demand.
• Identify constraints, staffing issues, equipment concerns, and take action to maintain production.
• Collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, Supply Chain, HR for shift support.
• Strengthen handoffs between first and second shifts to ensure continuity of operations.
• Develop and coach supervisors and frontline leaders with clear expectations.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Lead problem-solving and root-cause efforts related to performance, downtime, and quality.
• Review KPIs and implement corrective actions when needed.
• Support employee engagement and retention for a stable second-shift workforce.

Skills

Leadership

High-volume manufacturing

Lean manufacturing

Production planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Safety leadership

Root-cause analysis

People management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

ERP software

MES systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Sterling Engineering is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead a large-scale 2nd shift manufacturing operation, overseeing safety, quality, production performance, staffing and execution for up to 400 employees.

The ideal leader is hands-on, credible on the shop floor, able to manage a large workforce with limited senior leadership presence, and quickly learn the operation. Medical device experience is not required; high-volume automated environments are preferred.