Department Manager, Performance

Intertek•Kentwood, MI

3d•$90,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Department Manager, Performance leads the Performance department’s daily operations, technical execution, customer delivery, safety, quality, financial performance, and team development. The role ensures testing services are delivered accurately, efficiently, safely, and in accordance with applicable standards, customer requirements, accreditation requirements, and Intertek policies. The manager works with operations leadership, sales, engineering, quality, and laboratory personnel to improve operational performance and turnaround times, support profitable growth, and maintain customer satisfaction. The position is with Intertek’s Transportation Technologies team in Kentwood, Michigan. The team provides testing and certification expertise for automotive, battery and energy storage, and other transportation industries, helping manufacturers assess products and services against quality, safety, sustainability, and performance standards. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The stated base salary range is $90,000–$110,000, with individual compensation based on factors including skills, experience, and qualifications.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in a laboratory, testing, engineering, manufacturing, quality, or technical operations environment.
At least 2 years of people leadership, supervisory, project leadership, or departmental coordination experience is preferred.
Strong understanding of laboratory operations, test planning, customer requirements, quality systems, safety expectations, and technical documentation.
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, drive accountability, communicate effectively, and lead a team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, including the ability to use operational data to improve performance.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and common business systems for scheduling, reporting, project tracking, and communication.
Ability to interpret unique customer needs, develop or support custom test approaches, troubleshoot complex technical challenges, and contribute to R&D or non-standard testing projects.
Model Intertek’s 10X Energies and practice business the right way.
Adhere to safety practices and policies to protect oneself and others who may be affected by work activities.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, multitasking environment with shifting priorities and demanding deadlines.
Attention to detail and ability to prioritize and organize workload with effective time management.
Ability to communicate and interact effectively in verbal, written, and presentation formats.
Possess the fundamental technical and administrative skills required to perform the job duties.
Customer-focused and quality-driven.
Ability to travel as business needs dictate.
A bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related technical field is preferred; an equivalent combination of education, technical knowledge, and relevant experience may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related technical field.
At least 2 years of people leadership, supervisory, project leadership, or departmental coordination experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the Performance department’s day-to-day scheduling, workload planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and execution of customer testing projects.
Provide direct leadership, coaching, performance management, and development for department personnel, including technicians, engineers, supervisors, and other assigned team members.
Ensure testing complies with applicable standards, customer specifications, quality system requirements, safety procedures, and accreditation expectations.
Review capacity, backlog, utilization, throughput, and turnaround-time performance; implement corrective actions and continuous-improvement plans as needed.
Partner with sales, customer service, engineering, and operations teams on quoting, project planning, technical feasibility reviews, customer communications, and issue resolution.
Monitor departmental financial performance, including revenue, labor efficiency, overtime, cost control, margins, capital needs, and productivity opportunities.
Maintain a safe, organized, and professional laboratory environment, reinforcing safety expectations, 5S practices, equipment readiness, housekeeping, and corrective-action follow-up.
Support development, maintenance, and improvement of department procedures, work instructions, training plans, competency records, and technical documentation.
Ensure test equipment, fixtures, tools, chambers, and supporting assets are maintained, calibrated, scheduled, and available for customer and operational requirements.
Investigate customer concerns, nonconformances, delays, safety events, and quality issues; lead root-cause analysis and corrective and preventive measures.
Promote customer-focused service through clear communication, accurate reporting, timely project updates, and effective escalation of risks or barriers.
Assist with business planning, staffing plans, training needs, capital-investment recommendations, service-capability improvements, and department growth initiatives.