Operations Manager

NexForm•Battle Creek, MI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading daily manufacturing operations to ensure the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of quality products that meet customer requirements. This position oversees production activities, supervises operations leadership, and partners with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) to achieve operational objectives. The Operations Manager drives operational excellence through continuous improvement, employee development, and effective execution of production plans while supporting the plant's strategic goals.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field required.
Minimum of seven years of manufacturing experience.
At least three years of operations leadership or supervisory experience.
Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
Experience leading Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
Experience managing production, staffing, and operational performance metrics.

Nice To Haves

Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives.
Supervise Production Managers, Production Supervisors, and other operational leaders.
Establish departmental goals aligned with plant and company objectives.
Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Support succession planning and employee development initiatives.
Ensure production schedules are executed efficiently while meeting customer requirements.
Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions to achieve operational targets.
Balance labor, equipment, and material resources to maximize productivity.
Coordinate production priorities with Materials, Planning, and Customer Service.
Ensure effective shift communication and operational continuity.
Promote a culture where safety is the highest priority.
Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, and company safety policies.
Lead safety initiatives, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
Maintain compliance with all plant operating procedures and regulatory requirements
Partner with Quality to ensure products meet customer specifications and quality standards.
Support corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities.
Monitor quality metrics and implement improvement initiatives.
Support customer audits and new product launch activities.
Lead Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, and Operational Excellence initiatives.
Improve productivity, labor efficiency, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and throughput.
Reduce waste, scrap, downtime, and manufacturing costs.
Standardize best practices across production departments.
Support development and management of departmental budgets.
Monitor labor costs, overtime, productivity, scrap, and manufacturing expenses.
Identify opportunities to improve profitability and operational efficiency.
Support capital planning and return-on-investment analyses.