Production Operations Lead

Lab Alley•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Opportunity: Lab Alley, a leading eCommerce chemical distribution company, is seeking a Production Operations Lead to drive efficiency, safety, and compliance across our production and facilities functions. This role is responsible for overseeing down-packing operations, managing automation maintenance, leading automation initiatives, and, in partnership with our Quality team, developing chemical technicians and production capabilities. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in production management, process optimization, and regulatory compliance, ensuring adherence to OSHA and chemical industry standards. This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in a fast-growing company, enhancing operational effectiveness while supporting Lab Alley's mission to deliver high-quality products with safety, precision, and innovation. Essential Responsibilities: Production Operations & Automation Leadership: Responsible for daily production activities, including production planning, down-packing, and workflow optimization, while driving the optimization of automation systems to enhance efficiency, improve product consistency, and reduce labor costs. Partner with inventory control and quality to ensure accuracy, and compliance with safety and quality standards, and stay current on automation technologies to apply them to production processes. Production Scheduling: Responsible for ensuring an optimal amount of product is ready for the Shipping team to package and send to customers. This involves navigating the complexities of diverse chemical types and the varied skill sets of our Chemical technician team. The role requires taking ownership of the down-packing/production schedule, working closely with the Shipping team, Inventory, and Supply Chain, and managing the transition between manual and automated down-packing efforts. Equipment Preventative Maintenanc e: Oversee the upkeep and performance of production equipment, ensuring it is properly maintained to reduce downtime, and establish and manage a preventative maintenance schedule for optimal functioning. Leadership, Team Development & Continuous Improvement : Along with the QC Inspectors, lead, mentor, and develop the production team, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement. Drive continuous improvement initiatives, identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions to streamline workflows, improve throughput, and reduce waste. Provide regular feedback, drive training, recognize achievements, and emphasize Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies to maintain high employee engagement. Lab Alley has multiple certification including Halal, RSPO, Organic, Kosher, ISO9001:2015 and this role will be responsible for the team adhering to requirements.

Requirements

3+ years in a production/operations leadership role , preferably in an ecommerce, manufacturing, food production, or CPG environment
Strong understanding of automation systems and experience implementing or managing automated production lines
Demonstrated experience with production planning, workflow optimization, and process improvement initiatives
Knowledge of preventative maintenance programs and experience overseeing production equipment
Prior automation or semi-automation production equipment
Proven leadership and team development skills (e.g., hiring, coaching, performance management)
Ability to foster a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement
Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies
Track record of identifying inefficiencies and implementing measurable improvements
Strong understanding of quality and safety standards in a production setting
Familiarity with OSHA or other relevant regulatory requirements
Excellent communication and collaboration skills across cross-functional teams (e.g., inventory, quality, customer care, facilities)
Problem-solving mindset and data-driven decision-making ability

Nice To Haves

Spanish speaking
Working knowledge on filling machines, calibration, and trouble shooting
Background in high-volume or highly regulated industries (e.g., food, pharma, cosmetics, electronics)
Experience working in startup or scale-up environments
Chemical distribution or chemistry background

Responsibilities

Responsible for daily production activities, including production planning, down-packing, and workflow optimization, while driving the optimization of automation systems to enhance efficiency, improve product consistency, and reduce labor costs.
Partner with inventory control and quality to ensure accuracy, and compliance with safety and quality standards, and stay current on automation technologies to apply them to production processes.
Responsible for ensuring an optimal amount of product is ready for the Shipping team to package and send to customers.
Oversee the upkeep and performance of production equipment, ensuring it is properly maintained to reduce downtime, and establish and manage a preventative maintenance schedule for optimal functioning.
Along with the QC Inspectors, lead, mentor, and develop the production team, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives, identifying inefficiencies and implementing solutions to streamline workflows, improve throughput, and reduce waste.
Provide regular feedback, drive training, recognize achievements, and emphasize Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies to maintain high employee engagement.
Responsible for the team adhering to requirements for Lab Alley certifications including Halal, RSPO, Organic, Kosher, ISO9001:2015