Production Manager in CHAMPLIN, Minnesota at States Manufacturing Corporation

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Production Manager who is responsible for overseeing and improving a specific product family or value stream within the organization. This role focuses on driving operational excellence by implementing lean manufacturing principles, optimizing production processes, reducing waste, improving quality, and meeting customer delivery expectations. The Production Manager works cross-functionally with production, quality, engineering, supply chain, and finance to ensure alignment and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate all activities within the assigned value stream, including daily operations, short- and long-term planning, and performance tracking. Serve as the point of accountability for meeting production, delivery, cost, and quality targets.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Maintenance to ensure that all upstream and downstream processes support flow and continuous improvement. Lead problem-solving efforts to remove bottlenecks and drive alignment across departments.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles to design, manage, and continuously improve the value stream. Identify bottlenecks and lead root cause analysis, and corrective actions. Facilitate Kaizen events, Champion standard work deployment, and performance reviews to reduce lead times, inventory, and non-value-added activity.
• Lead a diverse team of supervisors, operators, and support staff. Build and sustain a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Ensure workforce planning, skills development, and employee engagement support long-term goals.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as safety, throughput, first-pass yield, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and labor efficiency. Use data to drive daily management and strategic planning.
• Participate in site-level planning and initiatives. Translate business objectives into value stream plans and priorities, ensuring that the organization can scale effectively while maintaining operational excellence.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience for internal applicants)
• 7+ years of experience in manufacturing, including leading cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated success implementing lean practices in high-mix, low-volume environments
• Strong analytical, communication, and team-building abilities
• Knowledge of Lean tools (Kanban, SMED, 5S, Kaizen, A3)
• Ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing dashboards

Preferred:

• ISO experience
• Knowledge of ERP software, PDM software (Vantage, SharePoint)
• Six Sigma Green Belt is highly desirable

Skills and Competencies:

• Leadership & Team Development
• Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement
• Analytical & Data-Driven Decision Making
• Communication & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Problem-Solving & Root-Cause Analysis
• Planning, Organization & Prioritization
• Change Management & Process Discipline
• Safety & Quality Focus
• Operational Excellence Mindset
• Ability to Drive Results in Fast-Paced Environments

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