Senior Manager-Production Operations

The Senior Manager – Production Operations is responsible for planning, overseeing, and managing the operations and production processes for the department, leading a team of Managers, Assistant Managers, and Supervisors to achieve strategic Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC). The Senior Manager – Production Operations focuses on strategic and tactical operations planning with a mid-term focus, contributing towards greater functional strategies, directing the smooth operations of multiple departments, driving strategic problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives, reporting out to executive leadership on results, and making strategic adjustments and countermeasures when targets are missed.

Responsibilities

• Health & Safety Compliance: Drive a safety-first culture, ensuring leaders understand and enforce safety rules. Ensure that health & safety is considered in all departmental plans in order to maintain and promote a safety-conscious manufacturing environment and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards related to production operations.
• Leadership & People Management: Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing team. Role model appropriate and professional workplace behaviors, address/mediate conflicts to restore harmony, and support a positive, healthy, and inclusive workplace culture in accordance with S&C's mission, vision, values, and guiding principles. Manage departmental administrative team member processes, including but not limited to recruitment, induction, vacation management, performance reviews, performance improvement plans, and workforce/succession planning. Proactively establish, monitor, and hold team members accountable to clear responsibilities and accountabilities; provide ongoing performance feedback, both positive and developmental; address performance gaps in a timely manner; recognize and reward achievements and initiate decisions for corrective actions and terminations where required. Foster a culture that supports the growth and development of team members and proactively train, mentor, and coach team members.
• Strategy Implementation: Cascade strategies to develop mid-term tactical and operational plans for the function, in line with the company’s overall business objectives, including automation, insourcing, and unattended machining. Oversee a leadership team that directs the day-to-day operations of activities within the department and span of control, ensuring the timely and cost-effective delivery of outputs to KPIs. Work with senior leaders to recommend and implement strategic adjustments to operational plans in order to meet OKRs and KPIs.
• Production Planning & Operations: Lead strategic production planning initiatives, collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop a mid-term plan for the department and initiate strategies that contribute to long-term production planning. Work with leaders to optimize production schedules, identify bottlenecks, and determine capacity plans and processing methods. Evaluate machine resources to ensure continued production and minimal downtime. Establish a balance between increased productivity and reduced costs of manufacturing operations. Set mid-term productivity goals and analyze report-outs from Managers.
• Lean Performance Systems: Recommend and implement goals for departmental performance improvement, supporting leaders as they identify and implement process improvements to enhance production efficiency, reduce costs, and increase overall operational effectiveness. Collaborate with other leaders to formulate high-level solutions and develop plans for how to implement improvements throughout multi-faceted functions. Serve as a change agent by influencing, communicating, and institutionalizing a culture of continuous improvement, simplification, standard work, process improvement, and lean principles.
• Quality Management: Oversee the implementation of broad quality control programs, ensuring leaders fully understand quality issues and their corresponding solutions. Discuss and understand high-level, multi-faceted quality issues and help leaders formulate resolutions. Monitor and guide leaders responsible for the department’s communication of corrective action plans, resolutions, and quality results.
• Reporting: Analyzes reports and reviews provided by first-line supervisors. Communicates regularly with upper management regarding problems impacting production. Reports issues regarding production, quality, maintenance, or personnel to senior and executive leadership.
• Budget Management: Develop and manage the function’s budget, ensuring accuracy and appropriate allocation of resources to maximize ROI and the achievement of larger functional strategies and objectives. Approve expenditures for the achievement of operational goals and work with senior leaders to identify investment opportunities for gains towards mid-term goals.
• Compliance: Understand and comply with all applicable Company policies and rules.

Education

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline, Operations, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Six Sigma Certification(s).
• Certified Lean Six Sigma (CLSS).
• Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).

Skills, Knowledge, & Expertise

• 7+ years of experience in production control or other related fields within a manufacturing environment, including supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of precision machining processes and practices within a high mix, low-to-medium volume environment.
• Demonstrated track record of lean manufacturing leadership, sustained improvements, and KPI attainment.
• Great leadership skills within a multi-level manufacturing environment, with an ability to lead, guide, motivate, and delegate to deliver results.
• Sound critical thinking, organizational, planning, and project management skills, and creative problem-solving when obstacles arise.
• Great interpersonal skills to establish meaningful relationships built on mutual trust and respect, navigate and resolve conflict, moderate behaviors, and foster collaborative working relationships amongst a diverse audience.
• Excellent communication skills, (written, verbal, listening, and presentation) ability to liaise with internal and external stakeholders at all levels, from leadership to support staff, and present influentially to achieve buy-in from executives, managers, and team members.
• Sound analytical skills with the ability to use and analyze data to drive informed decisions, problem-solve difficult issues, and leverage data and learnings to drive continuous improvement.
• Proven success partnering across teams, creating effective partnerships at all levels, and collaborating at an operational level.
• Adapts to change and different ways of doing things quickly and positively and finds ways to get things accomplished, even when faced with challenges.
• Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) and, preferably, Oracle.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting
• Frequently required to perform desk-based tasks for hours at a time, with some tasks performed in a standing position from time to time.
• Walking
• Frequently required to walk moderate distances across the S&C campus.
• Manual Dexterity
• Occasionally required to use hand-eye coordination to control both hands and arms for a full range of motion to operate equipment/machinery/power tools/office productivity equipment.
• Ascending / Descending
• Occasionally ascending or descending ladders and stairs.
• Observation / Eyesight
• Occasionally required to observe details at close range including depth perception, peripheral vision, and the ability to differentiate between colors.
• Communication
• Frequently required to talk and hear or otherwise, in person and by phone/conference calls.
• Lifting & Carrying
• Occasionally required to lift, carry, push, and pull items ranging in weight from 5 to 50 lbs.

Environmental & Hazardous Conditions

• Continuously working indoors in an air-conditioned office and manufacturing environment
• Occasionally exposed to fumes/vapors/dust/gases/odors/mist/toxic chemicals/radiation/vibration/grease/oils/radiation/lasers/other etc.
• Occasionally exposed to moderate noise levels including machinery/vehicles/forklifts/office equipment/office traffic etc.
• Occasionally working around energized equipment with the risk of electrocution/scalding/burns/other etc.
• Occasionally working with machinery with moving parts/vehicles/forklifts/heavy machinery/sharp objects/other etc.