Position Title: Manager, Manufacturing Operations Location: ArcolaStarting Pay for position: $90K - $120K Your Opportunity: The Herff Jones Cap & Gown Manufacturing team, based in Arcola, IL is looking for a Manufacturing Operations Manager to join our production department.
As the Manufacturing Operations Manager (Cap & Gown) you will be responsible for general supervision of all phases of manufacturing including production and quality control. You will also recruit/hire outstanding talent, train personnel, and manage facility/physical up-keep and capital improvements.
Here are the challenges that we want you to tackle.
What You'll Be Doing On A Daily Basis:- Build a strong safety culture by elevating the operational safety standards, driving compliance, and maintaining a safe work environment for all employees.
- Lead daily manufacturing operations to ensure safety, quality, delivery, inventory, and cost objectives are achieved.
- Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Improve manufacturing processes and workflows to increase efficiency, reduce waste, improve quality, and control operating costs.
- Monitor production performance, labor utilization, scrap trends, and operational KPIs to identify improvement opportunities.
- Collaborate with quality teams to ensure product consistency and drive corrective actions when needed.
- Review and execute production schedules to support customer demand, inventory targets, and on-time delivery objectives.
- Lead hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and development of manufacturing personnel, including seasonal workforce planning.
- Analyze workforce requirements and allocate labor and equipment resources to meet operational goals.
- Develop and manage departmental budgets, operating expenses, and capital improvement initiatives.
- Maintain appropriate inventory levels and oversee the flow of materials throughout the manufacturing process.
- Support facility upkeep, housekeeping standards, maintenance coordination, and facility security systems.
- Partner cross-functionally with Planning/Materials, Customer Service, and Sales teams to support operational and business objectives.
- Build strong supplier and supply chain partner relationships to improve operational performance and responsiveness.
- Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and continuous improvement throughout the operation.
What You'll Bring to the Table: - Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
- 7+ years of progressive leadership experience within a manufacturing environment preferred.
- Strong hands-on experience implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement systems in a production environment.
- Demonstrated success driving measurable operational improvements in safety, quality, delivery, inventory, labor efficiency, and cost.
- Experience leading and facilitating Kaizen events, Gemba walks, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving activities.
- Strong understanding and practical application of Lean tools and methodologies such as 5S, value stream mapping, standard work etc.
- Experience in labor planning, takt time, throughput analysis, OEE, and workflow optimization.
- Experience implementing and sustaining continuous improvement culture initiatives across manufacturing teams.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Power BI.
Physical Requirements:- Daily activity includes but is not limited to lifting, carrying, sitting, grasping, reaching, standing, kneeling, walking, bending, twisting.
- Reading, communication, math.
- Working at a computer for extended periods of time.
- Ability to regularly lift/move up to 50lbs.
- Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to above
