Manufacturing Operations Manager
nLIGHT•Hillsboro, OR
•$110,000 - $125,000•Hybrid
About The Position
The Manufacturing Operations Manager leads day-to-day production operations for the manufacturing organization, including work performed on the clean room floor. This role is responsible for building, managing and retaining a safe, high-performing team; meeting safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity goals; and driving continuous improvement through strong execution, workforce development, and cross-functional partnership.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related discipline preferred.
- 5+ years of high-tech manufacturing experience, including 3+ years in a manufacturing leadership role and experience supporting defense, aerospace, military, government, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
- Familiarity with ITAR, EAR, export-controlled technologies, and controlled technical data requirements.
- Hands-on experience applying lean manufacturing tools such as material pull/kanban, visual management, one-piece flow, value-stream mapping, and 5S.
- Strong leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills.
- Ability to work successfully with minimal direction.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively with diverse teams.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
- Must be a US Person (US citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual granted asylum or refugee status).
Nice To Haves
- Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred.
Responsibilities
- Owns key manufacturing performance metrics, including safety, quality, delivery, productivity, yield, inventory accuracy, labor efficiency, cost, revenue attainment, on-time delivery, and lead time.
- Uses daily management practices, including tiered accountability meetings, KPI reviews, visual management tools, metric reporting, and escalation processes, to improve performance and resolve issues quickly.
- Ensures manufacturing operations meet defense customer requirements, contractual obligations, quality management system standards, export control regulations, and company policies.
- Maintains product traceability, configuration control, material accountability, and documentation standards required for defense and government programs.
- Leads change initiatives that support new processes, technologies, facility layouts, and operating models.
- Provides leadership and direction for new and existing products in partnership with senior management and cross-functional teams.
- Identifies and addresses bottlenecks, staffing needs, and capacity constraints to support cost-effective production capability.
- Leads supervisors, leads, technicians, and specialists to achieve quality, yield, delivery, cost, and cycle-time goals.
- Promotes a safe work environment by reinforcing safety expectations, supporting incident investigations, and modeling safe behaviors.
- Coaches, trains, recognizes, and develops employees to build team capability and achieve business results.
- Reviews and approves employee time and attendance records in compliance with applicable wage and hour laws.
- Drives continuous improvement using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, structured problem solving, and visual management tools to improve performance and reduce waste.
- Partners with R&D, supply chain and quality teams to improve process efficiency, product yield, and manufacturability.
- Supports new product introductions and manufacturing transfers by ensuring personnel, equipment, processes, documentation, and capacity are ready for production.
- Develops supervisors, leads, and emerging leaders through succession planning and career development.
Benefits
- Target Cash Bonus of 6-8% of earned wages
- Eligible for Restricted Stock Unit grants
- 4 weeks of Paid Time Off per year
- 10 paid Holidays
- Eligible for health benefits on the 1st day of the month after your start date
- Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits, including prescription and orthodontia with employee-paid premiums as low as $40.00 per pay period
- Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting
- Company paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, and Life & AD&D Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Aflac Supplemental Insurance
- Paid Bereavement Leave and Jury Duty
- Tuition Assistance Program
- Pet Insurance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
