Operations Manager - Assembly

JCB•Pooler, GA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Manager - Assembly is responsible for leading all assembly manufacturing operations to ensure the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of world-class equipment. This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for production teams, supervisors, and department managers while driving operational excellence through safety, quality, delivery, cost, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Operations Manager will develop and execute manufacturing strategies that support business objectives, capacity growth, workforce development, new product introductions, and productivity improvements. This position plays a critical role in building a high-performance culture focused on accountability, employee engagement, process discipline, and customer satisfaction.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, Operations Management, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience within a high-volume manufacturing environment.
5+ years of experience leading supervisors, managers, and large production teams.
Demonstrated experience managing production schedules, labor planning, and manufacturing performance metrics.
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and problem-solving methodologies.
Experience managing budgets, capital projects, and operational expenditures.
Advanced leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Must pass any drug screens, background checks, and any pre-employment tests, which will be conducted in accordance with applicable law.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Microsoft Project.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree or MBA.
Experience within heavy equipment, construction equipment, agricultural machinery, automotive, or industrial manufacturing environments.
10+ years of manufacturing experience with broad exposure to assembly, fabrication, quality, supply chain, and maintenance functions.
Lean Manufacturing Certification, Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent Continuous Improvement certification.
Experience leading multi-shift manufacturing operations.
Demonstrated success driving cultural transformation, operational excellence, and large-scale manufacturing improvements.
Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and facility expansion initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead all assembly operations to achieve established Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale (SQDCM) objectives.
Ensure production schedules are achieved while maintaining compliance with quality standards, operational procedures, and customer requirements.
Develop and execute operational strategies that support company growth, production demands, and organizational objectives.
Monitor daily production performance and implement corrective actions to address gaps in efficiency, throughput, and capacity.
Partner with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Materials, and Manufacturing Engineering teams to ensure smooth operations and production continuity.
Provide leadership, coaching, and development to supervisors, department managers, and production teams.
Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, teamwork, and continuous learning.
Drive succession planning efforts and develop leadership talent across the manufacturing organization.
Lead workforce planning activities to ensure adequate staffing levels to support production requirements.
Conduct performance reviews and establish measurable goals for direct reports.
Champion a world-class safety culture by ensuring compliance with all company policies, OSHA regulations, and environmental requirements.
Lead investigations into safety incidents, implement corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement in workplace safety performance.
Promote a quality-first culture focused on defect prevention, right-first-time manufacturing, and customer satisfaction.
Ensure compliance with all documented manufacturing processes, work instructions, and quality systems.
Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives to improve productivity, reduce waste, enhance efficiency, and optimize manufacturing flow.
Utilize Continuous Improvement methodologies including Kaizen, 5S, Standard Work, Root Cause Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, and Problem-Solving techniques.
Identify opportunities to reduce manufacturing costs while maintaining product quality and safety standards.
Lead cross-functional teams in the implementation of process improvements and operational excellence initiatives.
Collaborate with Engineering and Program Management teams to support successful New Product Introductions (NPI).
Evaluate manufacturing readiness and ensure assembly operations are prepared for new products and production changes.
Develop and implement plans for facility expansion, process optimization, tooling improvements, and manufacturing capacity growth.
Support capital investment initiatives through feasibility studies, business cases, implementation planning, and budget management.
Develop, manage, and monitor departmental budgets, labor costs, capital expenditures, and operational spending.
Analyze production performance metrics and drive initiatives to improve profitability and efficiency.
Ensure resources are allocated appropriately to meet operational objectives while controlling costs.
Prepare and present operational performance reports to senior leadership.
Monitor and report key manufacturing performance indicators.
Prioritize departmental activities and adjust resources based on changing business demands.
Support special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.
Other duties as assigned