Production Manager

Quovis, Inc.•Mokena, IL

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Our client is a division of a Fortune 500 diversified industrial manufacturer with roughly $14B in global revenue, operations in 57 countries, and a portfolio of more than 16,000 active patents. Within that global enterprise, this division is a focused, ~$160M automotive business serving major OEMs across North America, engineering and manufacturing housing units, vehicle doors, capless fuel systems, and electric vehicle (EV) charge ports. The division operates multiple manufacturing locations across the U.S. and Mexico. This role is based at either of the division's Mokena, IL or Richton Park, IL facilities, running injection molding and assembly operations across all three shifts. As the business modernizes its operations and pursues renewed growth, it needs a hands-on Production Manager who can own the floor, drive performance, and build the next generation of shop-floor leadership. This is not a back-office role — it's a highly visible, hands-on leadership position at the center of daily plant performance. You'll be the primary link between shifts, the first point of contact when something goes wrong, and the person accountable for turning safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets into daily reality. If you want a role where your decisions show up on the floor and in the P&L the same day, keep reading.

Requirements

Directly lead first-shift production operations and manage the second- and third-shift Production Supervisors
Hold hiring, disciplinary, and spending authority within approved limits
Own full P&L accountability for the financial performance of assigned cost centers and their contribution to the plant's overall financial performance
Control and improve conversion costs, including direct and indirect labor, overtime, scrap, premium freight, variable inventory costs, and external sorting
Directly manage production schedules, labor allocation, staffing levels, overtime, and resource priorities; maintain a forward-looking production and labor plan to reduce shortage-driven scheduling and avoidable overtime
Partner with Quality and Engineering to resolve production quality concerns, establish clear acceptance standards, contain questionable product, and ensure formal disposition before production or shipment continues
Ensure process changes, automation modifications, production startups, and restarts are properly evaluated, validated, documented, and communicated across all shifts
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, reduce waste, improve quality, strengthen standard work, and reinforce operational discipline and accountability
Set priorities and partner with other leaders to hold technical and other resources accountable for resolving downtime, cycle-time losses, process instability, quality concerns, changeover issues, and other production constraints
Own safety performance and culture; ensure compliance with safety requirements, quality standards, work instructions, company policies, and applicable regulations
Review daily performance metrics, identify gaps, establish corrective actions, assign clear ownership and due dates, and escalate significant risks
Partner with Quality, Materials, Maintenance, Engineering, and Human Resources to address operational constraints and ensure timely resolution
Represent the plant to customers, auditors, and corporate leadership as required

Nice To Haves

Safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets are consistently met across all three shifts
Shift handoffs are smooth, priorities are consistent, and escalations are resolved quickly and closed out
Conversion costs — labor, overtime, scrap, premium freight, and external sorting — trend down as standard work and accountability take hold
Production Supervisors and Team Leads are developing, with a visible bench for the next level of leadership
The production and labor plan is stable enough to meaningfully reduce shortage-driven scheduling and last-minute changes

Responsibilities

Execute daily production operations across all three shifts to meet safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and customer requirements
Serve as the primary point of contact for the assigned location, including off-shift, weekend, and holiday operational escalations
Maintain high visibility and an active leadership presence on the shop floor
Serve as the primary link between shifts and functions, ensuring consistent priorities, effective shift handoffs, clear ownership, timely escalation, and follow-through on operational issues
Directly lead first-shift production operations and manage the second- and third-shift Production Supervisors
Lead, coach, and hold accountable Production Supervisors, Team Leads, Setup Technicians, Material Handlers, and production operators — a true leader of leaders on the floor
Hold hiring, disciplinary, and spending authority within approved limits
Develop Production Supervisors, Team Leads, and operators through clear expectations, coaching, performance feedback, and succession planning
Build bench strength on the floor as the organization brings along the next generation of manufacturing talent
Own full P&L accountability for the financial performance of assigned cost centers and their contribution to the plant's overall financial performance
Control and improve conversion costs, including direct and indirect labor, overtime, scrap, premium freight, variable inventory costs, and external sorting
Directly manage production schedules, labor allocation, staffing levels, overtime, and resource priorities; maintain a forward-looking production and labor plan to reduce shortage-driven scheduling and avoidable overtime
Identify and resolve immediate operational issues that could affect production, quality, staffing, cost, or delivery
Partner with Quality and Engineering to resolve production quality concerns, establish clear acceptance standards, contain questionable product, and ensure formal disposition before production or shipment continues
Ensure process changes, automation modifications, production startups, and restarts are properly evaluated, validated, documented, and communicated across all shifts
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, reduce waste, improve quality, strengthen standard work, and reinforce operational discipline and accountability
Set priorities and partner with other leaders to hold technical and other resources accountable for resolving downtime, cycle-time losses, process instability, quality concerns, changeover issues, and other production constraints
Own safety performance and culture; ensure compliance with safety requirements, quality standards, work instructions, company policies, and applicable regulations
Review daily performance metrics, identify gaps, establish corrective actions, assign clear ownership and due dates, and escalate significant risks
Partner with Quality, Materials, Maintenance, Engineering, and Human Resources to address operational constraints and ensure timely resolution
Represent the plant to customers, auditors, and corporate leadership as required