Operations Group Lead, Body - 1st Shift

Slate Auto•Warsaw, IN

26d•Onsite

About The Position

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them. We are seeking an Operations Group Lead to lead day-to-day production activities within the Body Shop. This role is a hands-on, floor-focused leadership position responsible for supervising production associates and team leads, ensuring safe operations, high-quality output, and on-time delivery. The Operations Group Lead partners closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to support stable, repeatable, and efficient production.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field (or equivalent hands-on manufacturing leadership experience).
5–8 years of experience in automotive or high-volume manufacturing environments.
2+ years of direct supervisory experience on the production floor.
Understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles and structured problem-solving techniques.
Proven ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, safety-critical, and highly automated environment.
Strong communication skills with the ability to influence hourly teams and partner cross-functionally.
Ability to prioritize, make timely decisions, and remain engaged under pressure.
Comfortable spending the majority of time on the shop floor in an industrial environment.

Nice To Haves

Strong working knowledge of Body-in-White (BIW) processes, equipment, and inspection methods preferred.

Responsibilities

Directly supervise Body Shop production associates and/or team leads to meet daily production targets.
Ensure strict adherence to safety standards, quality requirements, and standardized work instructions.
Execute daily production plans, manage staffing, and balance labor to support takt time and throughput.
Monitor and drive performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People metrics.
Lead daily tier meetings, shift handovers, and production floor communication.
Identify production issues and lead first-level root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Escalate complex or cross-functional issues effectively and follow through to closure.
Support Manufacturing Engineering with PFMEAs, control plans, and implementation of process changes.
Partner with Quality and Maintenance to resolve downtime, defects, and rework.
Drive continuous improvement using Lean manufacturing tools and standard problem-solving methods.
Coach, train, and develop production associates to build skills, engagement, and accountability.
Maintain accurate reporting of production performance, safety incidents, and quality concerns.