Operations Management Associate

International Wire Group•Village of Canastota, NY

3d•$90,000 - $105,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Operations Management Associate (OMA) – Plant Manager Development Program is designed to develop the next generation of Plant Managers through a structured combination of hands-on manufacturing experience, executive mentorship, and progressive leadership assignments. This is a leadership development program with a clear career path, where high-performing associates are typically promoted into a Plant Manager position within two years or less, based on performance and business needs. The program is for driven operations leaders who enjoy developing people, solving complex challenges, and driving operational excellence.

Requirements

5–10 years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership experience.
Proven success leading teams in a manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated ability to improve safety, quality, productivity, delivery, and operational performance.
Strong leadership, coaching, and team development skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
High integrity with sound decision-making skills.
Bachelor's degree in engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field preferred. Equivalent experience will be considered.

Nice To Haves

Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement experience.
Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action experience.
Manufacturing equipment or maintenance experience.
High learning agility with a desire to become a hands-on student of the manufacturing process.

Responsibilities

Rotating through key manufacturing operations including rod breakdown, wire drawing, bunching, stranding, cabling, plating, quality, maintenance, shipping and receiving, and production planning.
Learning International Wire Group's manufacturing processes, systems, quality standards, and production specifications.
Shadowing supervisors and department leaders across multiple shifts to gain firsthand operational experience.
Partnering with Plant Leadership to review production metrics, staffing plans, financial reporting, and operational performance.
Participating in Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
Building strong partnerships across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Planning, and Corporate Leadership.
Developing leadership skills by coaching employees, solving operational challenges, and driving business results.
Demonstrating ownership by identifying issues early, communicating effectively, and implementing solutions that improve plant performance.
Leading supervisors and manufacturing teams responsible for Safety, Quality, On-Time Delivery, Productivity, Work-in-Process (WIP), Employee Development, and Continuous Improvement (following successful completion of the development program).