Manufacturing Manager

Job Function:The Production Manager leads day-to-day production operations at Bradford Labs' two Illinois manufacturing facilities: the Broadview liquid facility and the Wireton aerosol facility in Blue Island. Reporting to the VP of Operations, IL, this role is accountable for meeting the production plan at both sites safely, on time, at the required quality, and at the right cost. The Production Manager directs production supervisors, line leads, operators, and temporary labor across both facilities, and partners closely with Planning, Commercial, Quality, Maintenance, EHSS, and Human Resources to coordinate schedules, solve problems, and allocate people and equipment where they are needed most. The position requires hands-on leadership on the production floor, the ability to manage two distinct operations (liquid and aerosol) with different equipment, hazards, and regulatory requirements, and a continuous improvement mindset that drives consistent standards and practices across both sites.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Production Planning and Execution

• Oversee the full production process at the Broadview and Wireton facilities, from planning and staging through filling, packaging, and completion.
• Ensure the daily and weekly production plan is attained at each site; work with Planning, Commercial, and Operations to adjust the plan when materials, equipment, staffing, or customer priorities change.
• Determine the staffing levels, equipment, and supplies required to run each line and product type, and establish baseline crewing standards for all levels of production at both sites.
• Allocate labor, equipment, and resources between the two facilities as needed to meet the combined production schedule.
• Lead daily production meetings and shift handoffs at each site to review safety, quality, schedule attainment, and open issues.
• Provide regular updates to the VP of Operations, IL on production status, communicating critical issues, risks, and recovery plans promptly.

People Leadership

• Lead, supervise, and direct production supervisors, line leads, and production employees at both facilities; assign work, set daily priorities, and ensure appropriate coverage across shifts.
• Recruit, train, and develop production staff in partnership with Human Resources; review performance, provide regular coaching and feedback, and recommend staffing and compensation changes.
• Lead and drive a continuous production training program, including new hire onboarding, cross-training, and line and equipment qualification at each site.
• Own and drive accountability for adherence to Company policies and procedures at all levels through the fair and consistent use of the disciplinary process, in partnership with Human Resources.
• Manage the temporary labor workforce in coordination with staffing agency partners to maintain staffing levels consistent with the production plan.
• Review and approve employee time records and maintain production labor and payroll-related reports as required.

Safety, Quality, and Compliance (In partnership with EHSS and Quality)

• Partner with EHSS to ensure all safety and health standards are followed at both sites and that production employees are trained on and follow site safety programs, including lockout/tagout, powered industrial truck safety, chemical handling, and use of personal protective equipment.
• At the Wireton aerosol facility, ensure production follows established procedures for the safe handling of flammable propellants and pressurized containers, including gassing, leak testing, and segregation and storage requirements, in partnership with EHSS and Quality.
• Implement Right First Time (RFT) practices in all production areas to maintain quality and service standards.
• Ensure production practices support current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), batch record accuracy, line clearance, and sanitation standards, and support customer and third-party audits.
• Partner with Quality and Commercial to communicate product and production standards to production staff, and to investigate and correct quality issues, deviations, and customer complaints.

Continuous Improvement, Equipment, and Cost

• Analyze production data (e.g., schedule attainment, efficiency, downtime, scrap, labor hours) to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and implement corrective actions.
• Work closely with Maintenance and Engineering to set priorities for equipment repairs, preventive maintenance windows, controls, and modifications.
• Oversee and support process improvement projects, new product introductions, and production trials in partnership with R&D, Project Management, Engineering, and Quality.
• Standardize production practices, metrics, and reporting across the Broadview and Wireton facilities where appropriate, and share best practices between sites.
• Monitor production costs, including labor, overtime, temporary labor, and material usage, and implement cost-saving strategies.

General

• Participate as needed in strategic and operational planning, including capacity planning and budgeting for both facilities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve problems and improve processes and systems.
• Manage and coordinate special projects as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
2. 5-10 years of progressive production or manufacturing leadership experience, including direct management of supervisors and hourly production employees.
3. Experience in a regulated, high-volume manufacturing or filling and packaging environment (e.g., personal care, cosmetics, OTC, household products, or food) is strongly preferred.
4. Aerosol manufacturing experience, or experience working with flammable or pressurized materials, is strongly preferred.
5. Experience managing operations across more than one shift, line, or facility.
6. Working knowledge of OSHA standards, cGMP, and quality systems and methodologies.
7. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute detailed production plans and schedules, and to adjust quickly when priorities change.
8. Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills; experience with continuous improvement tools (e.g., Lean, 5S, root cause analysis) is preferred.
9. Experience managing a temporary or agency labor workforce.
10. Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook); experience with an ERP or production planning system is preferred.
11. Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to motivate teams, delegate effectively, resolve conflicts, and communicate clearly with production employees, management, customers, and suppliers.
12. Ability to function with minimal supervision, exercise sound judgment on complex decisions that affect Company profitability, and hold self and others accountable for results.
13. Bilingual in English and Spanish required

Work Environment

Factory setting at two manufacturing facilities. Regular physical presence on the production floor at both the Broadview and Wireton facilities is required, and the role requires routine travel between the two sites during the work week. The role involves exposure to noise, moving machinery, forklift traffic, and chemicals used in production, and, at the Wireton facility, flammable propellants and pressurized aerosol containers. Personal protective equipment must be worn in accordance with site safety protocols. Work requires frequent standing and walking on the production floor and the ability to lift up to 35 pounds. Availability across shifts and outside normal business hours is required as production needs dictate.