Production Manager - Coatings Shop

Kymera International - Specialty Materials that Shape the Future

Production Manager

Reports to: General Manager

Work Location: Kymera Thermal Spray Solutions - Chesapeake, VA (On-Site)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating daily manufacturing operations at the facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective execution of production activities across multiple shifts within Kymera's Coatings and/or Machining operations. This role translates customer requirements and business objectives into executable production plans, ensuring on-time delivery, consistent product quality, optimal resource utilization, and adherence to established processes and standards. The Production Manager drives accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline while developing supervisors, team leads, and production personnel to build a capable, high-performing team. This position is accountable for achieving production targets, maintaining safety and quality standards, managing labor and equipment capacity, resolving operational constraints, and fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement aligned with Kymera's core values.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead daily production operations across thermal spray, machining, and grinding departments, ensuring work is performed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with customer specifications and production schedules.
• Provide hands-on operational leadership and technical direction to supervisors, team leaders, thermal spray technicians, machinists, grinders, and other production personnel.
• Establish and communicate production priorities, performance expectations, and measurable goals for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
• Monitor individual and team performance, provide coaching and corrective feedback, and ensure accountability for meeting established objectives.
• Develop training and cross-training programs that strengthen technical capabilities in thermal spray application, surface preparation, coating finishing, machining, grinding, equipment operation, and inspection requirements.
• Develop Team Leaders and key technical personnel through structured career development and succession planning to strengthen the workforce and reduce dependence on individual employees.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, skills, and shift coverage to support production requirements, specialized processes, urgent customer requests, and after-hours work.
• Foster a culture of safety, craftsmanship, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement consistent with Kymera's core values.
• Oversee the complete production workflow, including job review, material preparation, surface preparation, thermal spray application, coating finishing, machining, grinding, inspection, and final release, as applicable to the assigned work.
• Ensure production activities are executed in accordance with approved work instructions, process parameters, engineering requirements, customer specifications, and applicable quality standards.
• Demonstrate a working understanding of thermal spray processes, including HVOF, plasma spray, wire arc, and other applicable coating technologies, as well as the associated preparation, application, finishing, and inspection requirements.
• Ensure appropriate controls are maintained for surface preparation, masking, substrate condition, coating application parameters, coating thickness, adhesion, porosity, surface finish, dimensional tolerances, and other specified acceptance criteria.
• Oversee machining and grinding operations to ensure components meet required dimensional tolerances, surface finish requirements, coating allowances, and final drawing specifications without compromising coating integrity or part functionality.
• Coordinate thermal spray and machining/grinding activities to optimize process sequencing, minimize handling and queue time, prevent damage to coated components, and achieve on-time completion.
• Ensure operators understand the critical-to-quality characteristics of each job and the consequences of process deviations, dimensional errors, coating defects, and improper handling.
• Review job travelers, routers, drawings, process documentation, and inspection requirements to verify production readiness before work begins.
• Ensure materials, powders, wires, tooling, fixtures, masking supplies, and other production consumables are available and suitable for the work being performed.
• Monitor equipment readiness and utilization across spray booths, spray systems, dust collection systems, lathes, grinders, and associated support equipment.
• Identify equipment limitations, production bottlenecks, and process constraints; coordinate with Maintenance, Engineering, and Quality to implement effective solutions.
• Support the introduction of new coating processes, machining capabilities, fixtures, automation, and robotic thermal spray technologies, including production trials, process validation, and workforce training.
• Ensure only appropriately trained and authorized personnel perform specialized or controlled manufacturing operations.
• Translate customer orders, contract requirements, and delivery commitments into realistic production schedules that account for process routing, equipment capacity, labor availability, setup requirements, inspection time, and outside processing when applicable.
• Coordinate scheduling across thermal spray, machining, and grinding to balance workloads, minimize work-in-process, and prevent downstream operations from delaying completed work.
• Maintain visibility into the production backlog, job status, material availability, equipment constraints, and customer priorities.
• Establish daily and weekly production targets and review actual performance against planned output, turnaround time, labor hours, and committed delivery dates.
• Proactively identify schedule risks, equipment downtime, staffing shortages, material delays, and quality issues that could affect customer commitments.
• Adjust production priorities and allocate resources to address urgent requirements while minimizing disruption to existing commitments.
• Ensure appropriate coverage for expedited work, field service requirements, and shipboard or customer-site support when applicable.
• Provide timely, accurate updates to facility leadership and cross-functional teams regarding production status, recovery plans, and anticipated delivery risks.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering to ensure thermal spray, machining, and grinding processes meet applicable specifications, approved procedures, and customer requirements.
• Ensure required inspections and process verification activities are completed at appropriate stages, including incoming condition, surface preparation, in-process coating checks, dimensional inspection, and final acceptance.
• Maintain compliance with applicable quality management system requirements, including ISO 9001, AS9100, NADCAP, and customer-specific requirements, as applicable to the facility and assigned work.
• Ensure production personnel follow approved procedures for process control, material traceability, equipment settings, calibration requirements, inspection documentation, and nonconforming material control.
• Review nonconformance reports (NCRs), corrective action reports (CARs), warranty issues, rework, and scrap trends; lead or support root cause investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Ensure process deviations, equipment malfunctions, coating defects, dimensional discrepancies, and other quality concerns are promptly identified, documented, and escalated.
• Coordinate with Quality and Engineering on process changes, procedure revisions, new material qualifications, customer approvals, and production readiness.
• Maintain production documentation and audit readiness to demonstrate compliance with approved processes and customer requirements.
• Drive first-pass yield improvements, reduction of rework and scrap, and consistent execution of repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Maintain a safe manufacturing environment across thermal spray booths, powder and wire handling areas, machining centers, grinding operations, and associated production spaces.
• Enforce safety requirements related to high-temperature processes, pressurized gases, combustible or hazardous materials, ventilation, dust collection, noise exposure, rotating equipment, lifting operations, and required personal protective equipment.
• Ensure thermal spray and grinding equipment, ventilation systems, dust collectors, and other critical safety systems are operated and maintained in accordance with established requirements.
• Conduct routine safety inspections and ensure hazards, unsafe behaviors, and equipment deficiencies are corrected promptly.
• Ensure incidents, near misses, and injuries are reported, investigated, documented, and addressed through corrective actions in coordination with EHS and Human Resources.
• Maintain disciplined 5S standards, housekeeping, material storage, tool organization, and control of work areas.
• Ensure preventative maintenance activities are scheduled, completed, and documented to support equipment reliability and minimize unplanned downtime.
• Ensure required safety training, job-specific qualifications, and equipment operating authorizations remain current.
• Coordinate return-to-work and modified-duty assignments with Human Resources when necessary.
• Manage production labor, overtime, consumables, coating materials, tooling, abrasives, equipment utilization, and other operating expenses to achieve established financial and operational targets.
• Monitor labor efficiency, throughput, cycle time, setup time, equipment downtime, material consumption, first-pass yield, rework, and scrap across thermal spray, machining, and grinding operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve coating deposition efficiency, reduce material waste, optimize machining and grinding cycles, improve fixture utilization, and minimize nonproductive time.
• Evaluate production methods, staffing models, process sequencing, and equipment capacity to improve throughput without compromising safety or quality.
• Lead structured problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives using root cause analysis, standard work, lean manufacturing principles, and other appropriate improvement methodologies.
• Establish action plans with clear ownership, milestones, and completion dates; verify that implemented improvements produce measurable and sustainable results.
• Partner with facility leadership and Finance to support operating budgets, forecasts, labor planning, capital equipment justification, and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for automation, robotics, improved tooling, upgraded equipment, and standardized processes that improve productivity, repeatability, and profitability.
• Support capital projects and equipment installations by defining production requirements, coordinating implementation, and ensuring operational readiness.
• Work closely with Sales, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Finance to align customer requirements with production capabilities and available resources.
• Participate in contract and job reviews to identify technical, scheduling, material, equipment, and capacity risks before production begins.
• Ensure production personnel receive clear instructions regarding job priorities, special processing requirements, customer specifications, and changes to approved work.
• Maintain a consistent operating cadence through production meetings, KPI reviews, shift handoffs, and action-item tracking.
• Escalate significant safety, quality, delivery, equipment, and cost issues promptly, including recommended corrective actions and recovery plans.
• Support new product introductions, customer trials, process qualifications, and expansion of thermal spray, machining, and grinding capabilities.
• Share best practices across Kymera facilities to improve consistency, technical competency, operational performance, and customer satisfaction.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by management.
• This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Duties and responsibilities may change as business needs evolve, consistent with applicable law and company policy.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Directly responsible for leading, supervising, and managing a team of approximately 10-20 shop employees across all coatings and machine operation trades (team size fluctuates when field service team is working locally). Accountable for day-to-day workforce management, including assigning and prioritizing work, monitoring productivity and performance, managing employee schedules and timekeeping, overseeing training and skills development, providing coaching and feedback, conducting performance evaluations, and addressing performance or conduct issues. Ensures employees are properly trained, qualified, and equipped to safely and effectively perform their assigned work while maintaining production schedules, quality standards, and operational objectives.

Qualifications

• Associates degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Technology, Operations Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent education and relevant manufacturing leadership experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive manufacturing experience, including leadership responsibility in thermal spray coatings, precision machining, grinding, or related industrial manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading production teams, supervisors, or Team Leaders in a manufacturing environment.
• Direct experience with thermal spray processes, such as HVOF, plasma spray, or wire arc, and/or precision machining and grinding operations strongly preferred.
• Experience coordinating integrated manufacturing processes, including surface preparation, coating application, finishing, machining, grinding, and final inspection, preferred.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, naval, marine, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments preferred.
• Familiarity with applicable quality management systems and customer requirements, including ISO 9001, AS9100, and NADCAP, as applicable to the operation.
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems and standard business software to support production planning, scheduling, reporting, and performance management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Skills and Competencies

• Technical Manufacturing Knowledge: Working knowledge of thermal spray coatings, surface preparation, masking, coating application, finishing, machining, grinding, dimensional tolerances, and surface finish requirements.
• Mechanical Problem-Solving: Strong mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to identify root causes, evaluate solutions, and resolve complex production and equipment challenges.
• Customer Focus: Strong customer focus and commitment to meeting customer specifications, quality expectations, delivery commitments, and service requirements.
• Engineering Drawings and GD&T: Ability to interpret engineering part and assembly drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), technical specifications, work instructions, and inspection requirements.
• Production Planning and Execution: Ability to develop and manage production schedules, allocate labor and equipment, balance workloads, and meet customer delivery commitments.
• Leadership and Team Development: Effective decision-making, team-building, coaching, and employee development skills, with the ability to establish accountability and build high-performing production teams.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across production teams, customers, suppliers, and cross-functional departments.
• Time Management and Organization: Strong organizational skills, effective task prioritization, and the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and competing operational demands.
• Quality and Process Control: Ability to maintain process discipline, interpret quality requirements, address nonconformances, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Continuous Improvement: Competency in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), 5S, root cause analysis, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Performance and Financial Analysis: Ability to interpret production metrics, cost reports, and variance analysis reports to identify performance gaps, determine root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Computer and Reporting Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, and the ability to use ERP/MRP systems for production planning, reporting, and performance monitoring.
• Safety and Environmental Compliance: Experience supporting environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) initiatives, hazard identification, incident prevention, and regulatory compliance in a manufacturing environment.
• Automation and Technology: Experience with robotic automation, automated manufacturing processes, and the implementation of technologies that improve productivity, process consistency, and workplace safety.
• Hands-On Operational Leadership: Ability and willingness to work directly in a hands-on production environment, respond to operational issues, and adjust working hours or travel as required by business and customer needs.
• Adaptability and Flexibility: Ability to adapt to changing priorities, support multiple functional areas, and operate effectively within a small but growing organization where responsibilities may extend beyond traditional departmental boundaries.
• Solutions-Oriented Mindset: Positive, proactive, and enthusiastic approach to addressing team and customer challenges, resolving problems, and driving sustainable operational improvements.
• Possess and ability to maintain a Valid Drivers license
• Ability to Travel (<25%): some domestic and international travel required.
• Must meet the definition of a U.S. Person under ITAR regulations, be legally authorized to work in the United States, and satisfy all applicable customer, facility access, and regulatory requirements.

Physical Requirements

• Physical Requirements: Must be able to work in a production environment, including standing, walking, climbing, reaching, pushing, pulling and lifting up to 50lbs.
• Ability to Travel (<25%): some domestic and international travel required.
• Accommodation for Disabilities: Kymera is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. When requested and feasible, reasonable accommodations will be made to help individuals with disabilities perform essential job functions.

Work Environment

• The role is primarily based in a thermal spray, grinding, and machine shop environment. Employees may be exposed to fumes, dust, and airborne particulates generated during thermal spraying, grinding, and machining operations. The work area can be noisy, and there may be occasional exposure to high temperatures or moving machinery. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is required at all times, including safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, respirators or masks, gloves, and protective clothing as dictated by specific tasks and safety protocols. Employees must adhere to all safety procedures and maintain a clean and organized workspace to minimize hazards.

EEO Statement

Kymera International is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Kymera International is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We recruit, hire, develop, and promote employees based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable law in the countries where we operate.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment and employment process for qualified individuals with disabilities or other protected needs, in accordance with applicable law.