Embedded Operations & Process Engineering Manager Classification: Exempt Salary: TBD Reports To: Director, Manufacturing Date: July 2026 JOB DESCRIPTIONSummary/ObjectiveThe Embedded Operations & Process Engineering Manager serves as Novagard's on-site representative at a Contract Manufacturer and is responsible for ensuring the successful production, inventory management, scheduling, and continuous improvement of Novagard products. This position acts as the primary liaison between Novagard and the Contract Manufacturer, coordinating production activities, supply chain execution, process optimization, and operational performance. The position combines manufacturing leadership, supply chain management, and hands-on process engineering expertise to ensure safe, efficient, cost-effective, and reliable operations while supporting Novagard's growth objectives and customer commitments. Essential FunctionsReasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Production Management- Serve as the primary Novagard representative embedded within the Contract Manufacturer's facility.
- Coordinate daily, weekly, and monthly production activities to achieve customer demand requirements and delivery commitments.
- Develop, maintain, and communicate production schedules with Novagard Planning and Contract Manufacturer personnel.
- Monitor schedule attainment and proactively identify and resolve production constraints.
- Lead daily production reviews and communicate operational status to Novagard leadership.
- Drive adherence to safety, quality, and production standards.
Supply Chain & Inventory Management- Coordinate raw material availability, packaging materials, and finished goods inventories.
- Work closely with Procurement, Planning, and Contract Manufacturer personnel to prevent supply disruptions.
- Monitor inventory levels and inventory accuracy.
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks affecting customer service or production continuity.
- Support demand planning, capacity planning, and Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) activities.
- Coordinate inbound and outbound logistics to ensure timely material flow.
Process Engineering & Continuous Improvement- Analyze manufacturing performance data and develop action plans to improve productivity, throughput, and process reliability.
- Lead root cause investigations related to safety, quality, downtime, scrap, and customer complaints.
- Develop and implement continuous improvement initiatives focused on yield, cycle time, labor efficiency, and cost reduction.
- Establish and maintain standardized work procedures and best practices.
- Support process validation, new product introductions, and process transfers.
- Collaborate with Quality, R&D, Operations, and Engineering teams on process improvements and commercial scale-up activities.
KPI Management & Reporting- Develop and maintain operational dashboards and visual management systems.
- Monitor and report key operational metrics including: Safety Performance, Schedule Attainment, On-Time Delivery, Inventory Accuracy, Yield, Scrap, Throughput, Downtime, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Customer Complaints and Non-Conformances.
- Perform trend analysis and drive corrective action implementation.
- Present operational performance reviews to Novagard leadership and Contract Manufacturer management teams.
Relationship Management- Build strong working relationships with Contract Manufacturer leadership and operational personnel.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for production and supply chain issues.
- Coordinate activities among Novagard Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, R&D, and Sales teams.
- Lead cross-functional teams in resolving operational and technical challenges.
Knowledge & Skills- Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or related technical discipline required.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in manufacturing, process engineering, operations management, or supply chain leadership.
- Experience in process manufacturing environments such as silicones, adhesives, coatings, chemical processing, compounding, polymers, or specialty materials preferred.
- Strong understanding of production planning, scheduling, inventory control, and supply chain management.
- Technical knowledge of manufacturing processes, process equipment, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Demonstrated experience implementing process improvements and solving complex manufacturing challenges.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Project management experience including planning, execution, prioritization, and stakeholder coordination.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel and ERP system experience.
- Ability to influence and lead through collaboration in environments without direct supervisory authority.
Preferred Qualifications- Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification.
- Experience supporting toll manufacturing or contract manufacturing operations.
- Knowledge of silicone, adhesive, polymer, or chemical manufacturing processes.
- Experience implementing OEE, TPM, Reliability, or Operational Excellence programs.
- Experience with NetSuite ERP and manufacturing planning systems.
- Experience with KPI dashboard development and data analytics tools.
Competencies- Problem Solving
- Analytical Skills
- Technical Capacity
- Manufacturing Operations
- Process Engineering
- Continuous Improvement
- Supply Chain Management
- Production Planning & Scheduling
- Business Acumen
- Communication Proficiency
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Change Management
- Customer Focus
- Decision Making
- Project Management
- Time Management
Supervisory ResponsibilityThis position has no direct reports but is responsible for coordinating and influencing the activities of Contract Manufacturer personnel and cross-functional Novagard teams to achieve operational objectives. Work EnvironmentThis position operates primarily within a manufacturing environment located at a Contract Manufacturer's facility. The role requires regular interaction with production personnel, maintenance technicians, quality personnel, warehouse staff, and leadership teams. The employee may be exposed to moving mechanical equipment, forklifts, chemical processing equipment, elevated noise levels, and varying environmental conditions typical of industrial manufacturing operations. Physical DemandsThe physical demands described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. - Frequent walking throughout manufacturing facilities.
- Ability to climb stairs and access production equipment.
- Ability to stand for extended periods.
- Occasional lifting of materials, equipment, and samples up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).
Position Type / Expected Hours of WorkThis is a full-time exempt position. The schedule will generally be Monday through Friday; however, flexibility is required to support production schedules, startup activities, process trials, customer demands, and operational issues that may occur outside normal business hours. Travel- Travel between Novagard facilities and Contract Manufacturer locations as required.
- Occasional travel for supplier visits, training, process trials, and customer support activities.
- Estimated travel: 10%.
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