Plant / Production Manager

N-K Manufacturing Technologies•Grand Rapids, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

A Production Manager leads and oversees shop floor operations to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality production while meeting internal and external customer demands. This role is responsible for driving operational performance, maintaining accountability and discipline, supporting continuous improvement initiatives, and developing production teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The Production Manager plays a key role in achieving production, quality, safety, staffing, and cost objectives while fostering a positive and performance-driven culture. The plant manager will serve as the primary on-site representative of the company, acting as a liaison with customers, corporate leadership, and external stakeholders. The plant manager is responsible for managing all production. This role requires strategic decision-making, operational oversight, leadership of department heads, and maintaining compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements. This role demands a focus on quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement in plastic injection molding.

Requirements

Plastic injection molding experience
Experience with molding machines, automation, tooling, and product and case handling systems
Experience with equipment and tooling setup, changeovers, processing, and maintenance
Experience monitoring production specifications, quality samples, and process controls
Experience with department procedures, work instructions, and compliance documentation
Experience conducting Layered Process Audits (LPA)
Experience managing department performance across safety, quality, productivity, and key operational metrics
Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Engineering and other internal teams
Experience supporting production planning activities
Experience monitoring daily staffing levels and managing attendance coverage
Experience managing incident investigations, safety alerts, corrective actions, and safety training
Experience leading root cause investigations and implementing corrective and preventive actions
Experience with workforce management activities including hiring, onboarding, retention, performance evaluations, promotions, corrective actions, and terminations
Experience tracking, maintaining, and communicating KPIs and operational performance
Experience providing data for OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day operations for the IML injection molding department, including molding machines, automation, tooling, and product and case handling systems.
Oversee equipment and tooling setup, changeovers, processing, and maintenance to support production efficiency and output goals.
Monitor production specifications, quality samples, and process controls to ensure compliance with customer and engineering requirements.
Ensure department procedures, work instructions, and compliance documentation are maintained through the internal document control system.
Conduct thorough and timely Layered Process Audits (LPA) within assigned production areas.
Manage department performance across safety, quality, productivity, and key operational metrics.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering and other internal teams during commercialization, process changes, and improvement initiatives.
Support production planning activities to align staffing, materials, and operational priorities with production schedules.
Monitor daily staffing levels, manage attendance coverage, and develop contingency plans to support operational continuity.
Manage incident investigations, safety alerts, corrective actions, and safety training for employees, contractors, and visitors.
Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective and preventive actions for quality and production issues.
Support workforce management activities, including hiring, onboarding, retention, performance evaluations, promotions, corrective actions, and terminations for hourly team members.
Track, maintain, communicate KPIs and operational performance to management team.
Provide data for OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).