Production Manager

Forgent • Dayton, MN

1d

About The Position

The Production Manager oversees and improves a specific product family or value stream, driving operational excellence through lean manufacturing, production-process optimization, waste reduction, quality improvement, and reliable customer delivery. The role works cross-functionally with production, quality, engineering, supply chain, maintenance, and finance to align operations and improve efficiency.

The Production Manager leads the assigned value stream’s daily operations, planning, performance tracking, and improvement efforts. The role is accountable for production, delivery, cost, and quality targets; leads a diverse team; and translates business objectives into value stream plans and priorities. The position also participates in site-level planning and initiatives and performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience for internal applicants.
• At least 7 years of manufacturing experience, including leading cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated success implementing lean practices in high-mix, low-volume environments.
• Strong analytical, communication, and team-building abilities.
• Knowledge of lean tools, including Kanban, SMED, 5S, Kaizen, and A3.
• Ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing dashboards.

Nice To Haves

• ISO experience.
• Knowledge of ERP software and PDM software such as Vantage and SharePoint.
• Six Sigma Green Belt; described as highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate activities within the assigned value stream, including daily operations, short- and long-term planning, and performance tracking.
• Be accountable for meeting production, delivery, cost, and quality targets.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Maintenance to support process flow and continuous improvement.
• Lead problem-solving efforts to remove bottlenecks and improve cross-departmental alignment.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles to manage and continually improve the value stream.
• Identify bottlenecks, lead root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, champion standard-work deployment, and conduct performance reviews to reduce lead times, inventory, and non-value-added activity.
• Lead supervisors, operators, and support staff, fostering accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure workforce planning, skills development, and employee engagement support long-term goals.
• Monitor and report on KPIs, including safety, throughput, first-pass yield, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and labor efficiency.
• Use data to guide daily management and strategic planning.
• Participate in site-level planning and initiatives.
• Translate business objectives into value stream plans and priorities to support effective scaling and operational excellence.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager