A Day in the Life of an Operations Manager is responsible for leading and directing the manufacturing factory’s day-to-day operations while driving long-term initiatives focused on operational efficiency, productivity, quality, and value creation.
This position provides leadership across the factory floor, including production scheduling, direct labor management, manufacturing processes, safety, 6S/Lean initiatives, quality, and continuous improvement. The Factory Operations Manager will also support new product introduction (NPI), develop capacity and staffing plans, and serve as the primary escalation point for production, personnel, material, and quality issues.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who can effectively balance daily execution with strategic process improvement in a fast-paced, cross-functional, and global environment.
You Will Make an Impact By:
Factory Management
- Lead, direct, and supervise Production and Test Supervisors and manufacturing personnel in a global operating environment.
- Manage time and attendance, including shift schedules, PTO, sick time, overtime, and employee start/stop times.
- Develop and maintain capacity and staffing models aligned with factory production requirements.
- Manage employee performance, including annual reviews, goal setting, coaching, feedback, disciplinary actions, interviewing, hiring, and termination.
- Ensure compliance with manufacturing processes, procedures, work instructions, safety requirements, and company policies.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for personnel, supply, quality, technical, process, and cross-functional issues.
- Lead daily production meetings to prioritize workflow across fabrication, assembly, and test work cells in support of the Master Production Schedule.
- Coordinate shipping and receiving priorities with the Logistics team.
- Ensure manufacturing tools and equipment are maintained and calibrated according to established schedules.
- Identify material shortages and coordinate expediting activities with Purchasing and Planning.
- Resolve production issues and implement corrective actions to improve productivity, quality, throughput, and delivery performance.
- Provide budgetary recommendations for capital expenditures and direct and indirect labor requirements.
- Lead and maintain 6S and Lean manufacturing activities throughout factory operations.
- Help define, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures and workmanship standards.
- Train, coach, and develop employees on job responsibilities, safety procedures, manufacturing processes, and company policies.
Process & Capacity Management
- Develop capacity plans based on cycle time, demand forecasts, labor availability, and equipment requirements.
- Translate capacity requirements into staffing and facilities planning needs.
- Develop and maintain training matrices and cross-training plans to ensure workforce flexibility and adequate production coverage.
- Develop Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) for manufacturing operations and ensure appropriate safety controls are implemented.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, efficiency, cycle time, first-pass yield, productivity, and overall factory performance.
- Identify opportunities to eliminate waste, improve manufacturing flow, reduce downtime, and optimize labor and equipment utilization.
- Support New Product Introduction activities to ensure manufacturing readiness, process capability, training, tooling, and staffing are in place for successful production launches.
- Partner with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Purchasing, and other cross-functional teams to resolve issues and achieve production objectives.
Skills You Bring (Required Skills):
- Bachelor’s degree (preferred) in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field preferred.
- 7+ years of progressive manufacturing or factory operations experience, with demonstrated leadership responsibility.
- Experience managing production teams, supervisors, and direct labor personnel in a manufacturing environment.
- Strong understanding of production planning, capacity planning, scheduling, labor management, and manufacturing processes.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing, 6S, continuous improvement, and problem-solving methodologies.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and implement standard work, work instructions, training programs, and safety procedures.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Purchasing, and Logistics.
- Strong analytical and organizational skills with the ability to use data to identify opportunities and drive improvements.
- Excellent communication, leadership, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple competing demands and make effective decisions in a fast-paced production environment.
- Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and production ramp activities is preferred.
Leadership Competencies
- Operational Leadership: Drives consistent execution of production priorities while maintaining safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
- People Leadership: Builds high-performing teams through clear expectations, coaching, accountability, and employee development.
- Continuous Improvement: Identifies and implements opportunities to improve processes, productivity, quality, and efficiency.
- Problem Solving: Quickly identifies root causes and coordinates effective corrective actions.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Builds strong partnerships across manufacturing and corporate functions.
- Strategic Planning: Connects factory capacity, staffing, equipment, and process requirements to broader business objectives.
- Accountability: Takes ownership of factory performance and follows through on commitments and improvement initiatives.
Key Performance Areas
Success in this role will be measured through improvements in:
- Safety performance
- Production schedule attainment
- First-pass yield and product quality
- Manufacturing cycle time
- Labor productivity and utilization
- On-time delivery
- Capacity utilization
- Employee training and cross-training
- Material availability
- 6S and Lean performance
- Continuous improvement results
- Employee engagement and performance
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. as required
• Standing, walking, and operating in a warehouse environment for extended periods
• Working conditions may include minimal climate control and varying noise levels
• Dedication to safety to mitigate hazards including handling mechanical and electrical hardware, high voltage, gas, water, and heat
• Responsible for supporting operations across three different shifts, with flexibility to adjust or change shifts as business needs require
Compensation and Benefits:
Pay Range: $109,750 - 182, 900 annually is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. At MKS, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.
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