Manufacturing Operations Manager

Worcester, MA | Full-Time | On-Site

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead and optimize all aspects of manufacturing operations within a precision industrial manufacturing environment. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence across production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, logistics, maintenance, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader with extensive experience managing multi-department operations in a metal manufacturing environment. This individual will combine strong operational expertise with strategic leadership to improve productivity, enhance quality, increase profitability, and build a high-performing manufacturing organization.

Responsibilities:

• Lead all manufacturing operations, including production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory management, logistics, maintenance, and material flow.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that improve productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, and on-time delivery.
• Direct production planning activities to ensure manufacturing schedules align with customer demand and business objectives.
• Monitor production performance and key operational metrics, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, labor utilization, scrap, and inventory performance.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives focused on waste reduction, process optimization, continuous improvement, and cost savings.
• Lead cross-functional production review meetings to evaluate performance, address production constraints, and establish corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Engineering to evaluate manufacturability of new products and support successful product launches.
• Partner with Sales, Finance, and executive leadership to develop annual operating plans, production forecasts, and capacity planning strategies.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, company safety policies, environmental standards, and applicable manufacturing regulations.
• Develop and implement standardized operating procedures, performance metrics, and operational best practices.
• Lead recruiting, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and professional development for manufacturing personnel.
• Establish and maintain employee skills matrices and apprenticeship or workforce development programs.
• Oversee purchasing, inventory control, warehouse operations, and supply chain coordination to optimize material availability and inventory accuracy.
• Partner with Quality to resolve nonconforming material issues, improve manufacturing quality, and maintain compliance with ISO quality standards.
• Drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and operational improvements that support long-term business growth.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of manufacturing operations experience, including 6 or more years in a manufacturing leadership role.
• Proven experience leading operations within a metal manufacturing environment, including machining, metal stamping, bearings, precision components, or related manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory management, Kanban systems, and material flow.
• Experience utilizing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and manufacturing performance metrics to drive operational improvements.
• Knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SyteLine or similar manufacturing ERP platforms.
• Experience managing purchasing, production planning, logistics, maintenance, and warehouse operations.
• Working knowledge of ISO quality systems and manufacturing compliance standards.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, and organizational skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience within precision manufacturing, industrial components, bearings, metal stampings, machined components, or mechanical assemblies.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).
• Experience leading ERP implementations or manufacturing system improvements.
• Strong understanding of supply chain optimization and inventory control methodologies.
• Experience building high-performing manufacturing teams and developing future operational leaders.
• MBA or advanced operations or engineering degree is a plus.