OPERATIONS MANAGER

E&E Manufacturing Co•Plymouth, MI

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Operations Manager is a senior plant leadership role responsible for the safe, efficient, and profitable execution of all manufacturing operations within a $80-100M metal stamping and welded assembly facility. This role provides direct oversight of production, quality, maintenance, materials, and continuous improvement functions, ensuring the plant meets customer delivery commitments, quality standards, and financial targets. The Operations Manager partners closely with the Plant Manager and functional leaders to drive a high-performance culture grounded in safety, accountability, and operational excellence.

Requirements

Must have a college Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Industrial Management, or the equivalent in practical and specialized training.
7–12+ years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, with at least 3–5 years in a supervisory or management capacity.
Hands-on experience in metal stamping (progressive, transfer, or blanking dies) and welded assembly (MIG, resistance/spot welding) environments strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience managing multi-shift operations and large hourly workforces in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 automotive or industrial supply environment.
Track record of P&L accountability and delivering results against budgeted cost, quality, and delivery targets.
Experience with basic computer systems.
Speak effectively with fellow employees or customers.
Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, etc.
Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Ability to apply basic and intermediate mathematical concepts into documents understandable by E&E employees, customers, and customer targets.
Understands the basic functions of trigonometry and algebra, and their application as a problem solving tool.
Understands basic statistics, and is able to apply them to pertinent information.
Detail oriented.
Organized and able to meet deadlines while performing multiple duties.
Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Possesses some knowledge of industrial engineering, human resource laws and regulations, and employee relations skills.
Must have a broad and in-depth knowledge of labor relations, manufacturing methods, and production planning.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience in metal stamping (progressive, transfer, or blanking dies) and welded assembly (MIG, resistance/spot welding) environments strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct day-to-day manufacturing operations across metal stamping, resistance/MIG welding, and assembly cells to meet production schedules and customer release requirements.
Manage production planning and scheduling in coordination with the Materials and Customer Service teams, optimizing machine utilization and labor efficiency.
Oversee tooling and die management, including PM compliance, repair prioritization, and coordination with the tool room.
Drive OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) improvements by reducing downtime, changeover time, and scrap rates across press and weld operations.
Ensure adherence to standardized work, visual management systems, and production control boards throughout the shop floor.
Champion a zero-incident safety culture; ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, internal SH&E policies, and site-specific risk controls.
Lead or participate in incident investigations (near-miss, first aid, recordable), root cause analysis, and corrective action closure.
Conduct regular safety gemba walks and ensure all associates receive required safety training and PPE compliance.
Monitor and maintain compliance with environmental regulations applicable to stamping and welding operations (air, waste, noise, chemical handling).
Ensure the facility operates in accordance with IATF 16949 / ISO 9001 quality management system requirements.
Drive first-time quality through error-proofing (poka-yoke), control plan adherence, and in-process inspection standards.
Own internal scrap, rework, and warranty metrics; lead structured problem-solving (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) on chronic quality escapes.
Serve as an escalation point for customer quality concerns and corrective action requests; coordinate responses with the Quality team.
Directly supervise Production Supervisors, Team Leaders, and indirectly lead 80–200+ hourly associates across multiple shifts.
Build supervisor and team leader capability through structured coaching, performance management, and developmental feedback.
Partner with HR on talent acquisition, onboarding, disciplinary actions, and labor relations activities.
Cultivate a culture of engagement, respect, and continuous improvement at all levels of the workforce.
Lead and sustain Lean/CI initiatives including 5S, kaizen events, value stream mapping, and waste elimination projects.
Develop and track KPIs (safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity) and use data to prioritize and drive improvement actions.
Support the deployment of new programs, engineering changes, and product launches through structured APQP/PPAP activities.
Champion a culture of problem-solving and standardization; recognize and reward improvement contributions from all team members.
Manage the operations budget including labor, overtime, tooling, consumables, and MRO; identify and execute cost reduction opportunities.
Deliver on contribution margin and productivity targets through efficient resource allocation and waste elimination.
Provide input to capital justification for equipment, tooling, and infrastructure investments.
Analyze and report weekly/monthly operational performance to Plant Manager and senior leadership.
Oversee the Maintenance department (or partner with Maintenance Manager) to ensure PM compliance, equipment reliability, and minimal unplanned downtime.
Prioritize maintenance work orders based on production impact and safety risk; support transition toward predictive maintenance practices.
Maintain plant infrastructure and ensure capital assets are properly utilized, documented, and maintained.