Manufacturing Area Leader - OPS

GE Appliances•Camden, SC

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Manufacturing Area Leader serves as the front-line leader responsible for daily operations, safety, quality, and performance of production areas. This role ensures that assembly and fabrication processes run efficiently, safely, and in compliance with all standards, while developing team members and driving continuous improvement. The Area Leader is a key influencer who provides purpose, motivation, and direction to production teams—aligning people, process, and performance to achieve plant goals and deliver high-quality products to customers.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED
Completion of required Skills Upgrade Classes
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) certification
Proven experience as a Team Leader or equivalent
Strong leadership, interpersonal, and coaching skills
Ability to influence and motivate teams
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and plant operating systems
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities
Demonstrated teamwork and continuous learning
Excellent attendance and dependability

Nice To Haves

Associate Degree in Manufacturing, Engineering Technology, or a related field
Experience in Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma
Familiarity with GE Appliances manufacturing systems (SLIM, CICS, DMDZ)
Forklift experience preferred
Working knowledge of SWO1, SWO2, Yamazumi, and 6S

Responsibilities

Champion a zero-injury safety culture by modeling safe behaviors and ensuring compliance with all EHS policies and procedures.
Verify all operators wear proper PPE and immediately address safety violations or concerns.
Conduct daily safety walks, identify hazards, and escalate issues to the Business Leader (BL) or EHS representative.
Lead or participate in incident investigations and corrective actions.
Promote ergonomic best practices to reduce injury risks.
Own safety performance for the assigned assembly line, including proactive reporting and engagement in safety improvement initiatives.
Oversee the day-to-day performance of the assembly line, ensuring targets for safety, quality, delivery, and cost are met or exceeded.
Monitor and update hour-by-hour production charts, proactively addressing barriers to achieving production goals.
Respond rapidly to production interruptions, coordinating containment, troubleshooting, and safe recovery.
Partner with maintenance to prioritize and complete work orders and ensure reliable equipment uptime.
Collaborate with Technical Support Engineering and Design Engineering during new model introductions (NPI), process changes, and pre-pilot/pilot runs.
Maintain high standards of 5S/6S—ensuring workstations are organized, clean, and audit-ready.
Lead line rebalances and improvement activities to optimize cycle time and product flow.
Ensure strict adherence to quality standards, procedures, and inspection processes within the assembly area.
Identify and escalate product or process quality issues to the Quality Department for root cause analysis and corrective action.
Facilitate containment activities for non-conforming materials or products.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing principles, including SWO1, SWO2, Yamazumi, and Kaizen tools.
Encourage a culture of accountability and pride in workmanship.
Participate in PCTO (Product Change to Order) or process improvement projects aimed at reducing waste and improving quality.
Partner with the Materials team to ensure all required components are properly staged and available for assembly operations.
Coordinate line jumps and production schedule changes in alignment with PSI updates.
Validate the accuracy of cycle counts and assist with inventory adjustments.
Communicate part shortages, material flow issues, or quality concerns to prevent delays.
Ensure effective material flow from fabrication, finishing, and receiving areas to the assembly line.
Lead, motivate, and develop a team of assembly operators and team leaders to foster engagement and performance excellence.
Ensure all team members are trained, certified, and competent to perform tasks safely and effectively.
Reinforce training and standard work principles daily through coaching.
Partner with HR and the Business Leader to monitor employee performance and conduct evaluations.
Manage manpower allocation, breaks, lunches, and overtime scheduling.
Support a positive, inclusive, and respectful team culture aligned with GE Appliances’ values.
Serve as a critical communication link between hourly operators, team coordinators, and plant leadership.
Facilitate daily start-up meetings and performance updates.
Communicate people issues, production updates, and improvement ideas to the Business Leader.
Provide clear, timely, and constructive feedback to team members.
Encourage open communication and collaboration across departments.