Production Manager- Manufacturing Operations

Woodstream•Lititz, PA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Production Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient operation and continuous improvement of manufacturing and assembly at the Lititz Factory — leading through people first, process second, and results always. As a member of the factory leadership team, this role partners with peers to deliver QEHS excellence, asset care (AM/PM), plan delivery, and continuous improvement, while building a culture centered on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people development. This leader creates a compelling vision, aligns and inspires the team, and leads by example with strong communication, caring, professionalism, and urgency. Success is defined not only by operational performance but by the strength of the team, the development of future leaders, and the culture built across the organization.

Requirements

BS in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a similar discipline; equivalent manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
3-5+ years' experience in a world-class manufacturing environment, including managing supervisors and hourly teams; employee engagement and servant leadership experience preferred.
3-5 years' Lean Continuous Improvement experience; strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and TPM methodologies.
Demonstrated ability to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
Ability to set priorities, follow up, deliver on commitments, and get results while engaging the workforce.
Ability to communicate effectively through verbal and written communication with all professional contacts; excellent coaching skills using rewards and recognition.
Problem-solving/decision-making aptitude; strong analytical skills.
Ability to work with deadlines and manage teams across shifts to achieve expected results.
Proficiency in the use of PCs, MS Office suite, statistical software, and applications; hands-on experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred).
Motivated self-starter with a history of success in a process industry; positive attitude and ability to work independently.
Team-building skills and ability to work in an empowered, team atmosphere.
Capable of managing several projects at one time and interacting with upper management, shop floor personnel, and outside contractors respectfully and professionally, exemplifying company values.
Eagerness and ability to learn/absorb new information and apply learnings to other areas with a vision for the future.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

Supervise, coach, and empower manufacturing supervisors, coordinators, and future leaders to meet performance goals — coaching rather than commanding following our ESQDPG model.
Coordinate and direct activities of shop floor supervision in completion of daily standard work and improvement activities.
Provide daily coaching, performance feedback, recognition, career development, and succession planning; conduct regular check-ins and performance reviews.
Promote a culture of accountability, initiative, trust, and respect where employees feel valued, understand expectations and the “why,” and believe their ideas matter.
Spend more time on the production floor than behind a desk — be visible, remove roadblocks, ask thoughtful questions, and follow up on commitments daily.
Administer company policies and procedures such as hiring, discharge, performance appraisals, and wage changes, within the union contract.
Address problems early; coach before discipline whenever appropriate; never ignore poor performance and never embarrass people publicly.
Encourages experimentation, learning, and responsible innovation while maintaining operational discipline.
Ensure programs and processes are in place to safely deliver quality products, positively impacting the health of employees, the environment, and the community.
Build a culture where every employee returns home safely every day; demonstrates safe behaviors, enforce safety protocols, and lead by example in all safety expectations.
Conduct regular safety observations, investigate incidents using root cause analysis, and remove hazards before they become injuries.
Promote psychological safety where employees speak up, and near misses are reported.
Develop and implement strategies to staff and deliver profitable weekly production plans.
Drive schedule plan attainment, throughput, labor efficiency, machine efficiency, and capacity gains.
Track and report KPIs such as cost per unit, budget adherence, plan attainment, labor use, capital justifications, and plant absorption.
Heavily interacts with the ERP system (SAP), conducting confirmations, scrapping, inventory tracking, and supporting inventory integrity through the manufacturing side.
Understand customer expectations and ensure manufacturing decisions support customer satisfaction, service, and long-term partnerships.
Reduce scrap, downtime, and changeover time through disciplined execution.
Coordinate training and cross-training activities to ensure equipment is fully utilized for efficient scheduling.
Anticipate future capacity constraints, workforce needs, technology opportunities, and operational risks while developing proactive solutions.
Partner daily with safety, Maintenance, Engineering, Warehouse, Quality, Planning, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Finance — succeeding through collaboration, not silos.
Lead and support Lean Manufacturing, 5S, waste elimination, Standard Work, Visual Management, and Kaizen activities.
Utilize practical problem-solving, 5-why, and root cause analysis tools to drive efficiency and equipment utilization.
Track and report KPIs such as TRIR and near miss reporting, schedule attainment, on-time delivery, throughput, OEE, scrap, first pass yield, labor efficiency, overtime, conversion cost, inventory accuracy, retention, engagement, attendance, training completion, Kaizen participation, and 5S audit scores.
Proactively identify bottlenecks and lead cross-functional improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and morale.
Prepare production performance reports for management review; challenge the status quo while respecting the people doing the work.
Performs other duties as assigned.