Manufacturing Operations Manager

Location: Chaska MN

Job Summary:

Provide independent quality and compliance leadership to TMEA Manufacturing. Own factory-level product quality, CAPA management and closure, audit readiness, operator quality training and standards, and the plant continuous improvement (CI) program as it relates to quality. Retain authority to stop production for safety/critical quality. Ensure alignment with Corporate/Global Quality standards and provide technical escalation when required.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

- Own manufacturing product quality and compliance with applicable standards/regulatory requirements (e.g., FPY, defect rate, customer escapes).

- Execute, track, and close local CAPAs to TMEA Quality department requirements and timelines; escalate nonconformances to TMEA Quality department.

- Exercise independent stop-work authority for safety and critical quality issues; ensure immediate containment and notification to the Manufacturing Manager (MM) and Operations Manager (OM).

- Lead and manage quality-related continuous improvement activities across the factory; directly manage manufacturing Team Leads for quality/CI execution.

- Conduct internal audits, support external audits and certifications, and maintain audit readiness.

- Deliver and maintain quality training and competency matrices for operators and leads; ensure standard work for quality checks.

- Maintain quality documentation, records, and data integrity, report manufacturing quality metrics to TMEA Quality and TMEA Leadership.

- Participate in change control and process change reviews; provide quality sign-off for changes impacting controlled characteristics or inspection criteria.

- Coordinate with Manufacturing Engineering (MEM) on root cause analysis, process capability, and corrective actions requiring engineering solutions.

- Support production planning discussions to assess quality impacts of scheduling, sequencing, and product changeovers.

Supervisory and/or Leadership Responsibilities:

- Directly manage quality/CI execution through Assembly/Checkout Team Leads and Manufacturing Quality Leads as applicable.

- Lead factory-level quality continuous improvement initiatives and ensure completion, effectiveness verification, and sustainability.

- Coach and develop operators and leads through competency training, refresher plans, and standard work adherence.

- Provide leadership for quality decision-making, containment, and corrective action prioritization with Operations and Engineering.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

- Strong technical problem-solving and process improvement capability (root cause analysis, verification, sustained effectiveness).

- Assertive decision-making; able to stop the line when required and negotiate trade-offs with operations while preserving compliance.

- Strong understanding of CAPA systems and QMS requirements; disciplined use of corrective action and effective verification methods.

- Strong communication and escalation management skills; ability to work effectively with Corporate Quality SMEs.

- Proficiency with quality management tools and techniques (e.g., CAPA tracking, internal auditing, SPC, FMEA, MSA1 preferred).

- SAP Quality Management (Quality Inspection, Quality Certificates, and Quality Notification) preferred experience.

- Strong data analysis skills and ability to present quality metrics clearly to leadership; proficiency with MS Office/data visualization.

- Ability to enforce quality standards in a production environment with consistency and urgency.

Experience & Qualifications (minimum):

- Bachelors degree in Engineering, Science, or Quality related field; or equivalent experience.

- Minimum 5+ years of factory quality experience in a manufacturing environment; 2+ years supervisory/manager role preferred.

- Demonstrated experience with CAPA systems, root cause analysis (8D, RCA), internal auditing, and regulatory/compliance processes.

- Experience leading CI initiatives and working cross-functionally with Operations and Engineering.

- Excellent communication skills and ability to enforce quality standards in a production environment.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

- Work is performed in a manufacturing/production environment with exposure to typical shop-floor conditions (e.g., noise, temperature variation, and moving equipment).

- Ability to walk through production areas, inspect operations/records, and participate in containment and audit activities.

- Ability to sit/stand for extended periods during shift support, audits, and meetings.

- Ability to read/interpret quality records, charts, and documentation; comfortable using computers/tablets to review quality systems and reporting.

Individual pay is determined based on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, experience, skills, job-related knowledge, relevant education, certifications, and/or training.  In addition to base salary, we offer (full time regular employees ) a comprehensive benefits package and for certain roles eligibility in our bonus plan and long-term incentives as applicable.  The talent advisor can share more details about total compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.