Operations Manager

Hoover & Strong•Richmond, VA

1d•$110,000 - $115,000

About The Position

Hoover & Strong is a family-owned jewelry manufacturer and refiner founded in 1912. The company produces more than 30,000 jewelry products, all made in the USA, and serves the jewelry industry with jewelry, contract castings, findings, mill products, and eco-friendly metal refining. It describes its workplace as progressive, family-oriented, casual, and non-corporate, with an emphasis on personal growth, responsible practices, quality, and innovation. The Operations Manager oversees daily business operations to support efficiency, accuracy, productivity, and customer service. This hands-on leadership role owns production planning, material readiness, and operational stocking decisions, balancing product availability and customer commitments against the working capital tied up in high-value materials and inventory. The manager leads production execution from order release through manufacturing completion and shipment readiness, while developing employees and improving how products are made and delivered. The position is weighted toward production and stocking strategy (70%) and team leadership and development (30%). The role is days-only with no shift work. Applicants must complete the online application and pass background, credit, criminal, and drug screening. Candidates must also adhere to a metal-free dress code policy and a no-cell-phone policy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Management, Operations Management, or a related field.
More than 7 years of manufacturing or production operations experience.
At least 3 years of direct people-management or production-supervision experience.
Demonstrated success leading and developing shop-floor teams, meeting production schedules, and improving safety, quality, delivery, or productivity.
Experience planning inventory and production material needs, setting stocking levels, and deciding whether to stock raw materials, work-in-process, or finished goods.
Proficiency with inventory management systems, ERP software, order management systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to complete the online application and pass background, credit, criminal, and drug screening.
Willingness to comply with a metal-free dress code policy and no-cell-phone policy.

Nice To Haves

Experience in metal-intensive manufacturing.
Experience with working-capital-sensitive inventory management.
Experience with Lean or continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily operations to ensure efficiency, accuracy, productivity, and excellent customer service.
Own production execution from released customer order through manufacturing completion and shipment readiness, prioritizing on-time delivery, quality, and customer commitments.
Set daily production priorities, balance capacity and labor, and resolve bottlenecks, rework, and scheduling conflicts.
Coordinate with sales, customer service, purchasing, warehouse, and logistics teams to monitor orders, manage backorders, and meet customer expectations.
Resolve order discrepancies and delays and improve order accuracy, processing efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Set operational stocking levels and replenishment triggers based on demand, production lead times, and service requirements while balancing shortage risk against inventory carrying costs.
Decide which materials and products to hold as raw materials, work-in-process, or finished goods, and where to position them for production and fulfillment.
Monitor supplier performance, delivery schedules, and material availability; collaborate across departments to prevent shortages and disruptions.
Improve material handling, storage, and utilization to increase workflow efficiency, maintain safety, and reduce costs and waste.
Develop and improve operational procedures to increase efficiency, productivity, and consistency while reducing errors, waste, and operating costs.
Establish and monitor KPIs, analyze operational data, and prepare performance reports to identify trends and support decisions.
Ensure compliance with company policies, quality standards, safety requirements, and applicable regulations while optimizing resources and workflows.
Track production throughput, on-time completion, backlog, scrap and rework, stockouts, and excess inventory; identify corrective actions.
Lead and supervise operations personnel by setting clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and priorities.
Develop the production team and foster a culture of safety, quality, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Provide training, coaching, and feedback while supporting employee development and a positive workplace culture.
Manage staffing and resource allocation, address performance concerns, and ensure adherence to company policies, standard operating procedures, and safety requirements.