Production Manager in Batavia, Illinois at Blue Peak Tents Inc.

Blue Peak Tents | Batavia, IL (On-Site) | Full-Time, Salaried

Competitive base + performance bonus | Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, 401(k), PTO

ABOUT BLUE PEAK

Blue Peak Tents is a leading provider of premium tent and event rentals across Chicagoland and beyond. We design and install custom structures for corporate galas, estate weddings, festivals, and large-scale productions with a white-glove level of service. As we grow, we're adding a Production Manager to keep every job ready, resourced, and on schedule.

THE ROLE

The Production Manager is the tactical backbone of proactive production planning and the owner of vendor coordination that keeps every job supplied, on budget, and off the Head of Production's desk. Reporting to the Head of Production, you'll look weeks ahead across every job to make sure it's fully resourced long before crews mobilize, and you'll run the sub-rental, procurement, and vendor invoice flow. Freight and fleet sit with the Transportation Manager, and you'll coordinate closely with that role.

Success means nothing reaches the field unplanned, and no vendor invoice reaches Accounts Payable without a job behind it.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Planning & Meeting Support

· Administer the weekly production meeting and daily stand-ups: schedule, prep agendas from the Head of Production's 30/60/90 look-ahead, capture notes, and drive action items to closure

· Run inventory and equipment reports to surface shortages, conflicts, and double-books; flag to the Head of Production for resolution

· Be the watchdog 30+ days out: subcontractor shortfalls, weather risk, slipping permits and JULIE deadlines, missing drawings or notes

Job Readiness & Sign-Off

· Drive job readiness before any job reaches the field: permits and JULIE cleared, equipment reserved, subs booked, logistics confirmed, client details locked, then confirm with the Head of Production for final release

· Lead pre-production reviews to confirm scope, logistics, and crew assignments; maintain complete job packets with clean Ops Base Camp data

Vendor, Sub-Rental & Procurement

· Source, quote, order, schedule, and off-rent equipment and event goods across roughly 150 vendors (generators, AC, lifts, restrooms, fuel, carpet, keder). Track open orders and chase backorders

· Source, book, and manage subcontractors; maintain the vendor and sub roster; coordinate flooring selections (carpet and hardwood)

· Align sourcing to budget using Job Costing sheets and hold partners to Blue Peak quality and timing standards

· Match every vendor invoice to its job and PO, code it, and route to Accounts Payable directly. Own Ramp receipts

· Build durable vendor and pricing knowledge in Ops Base Camp so it lives in a system, not one person's inbox

· Place and track big-box and parts orders (Menards, Home Depot Pro, Harbor Freight); receive shipments and manage returns

Scheduling & Resource Support

· Build the draft schedule across jobs, labor, and production capacity for the Head of Production's final call; coordinate trucking with the Transportation Manager

· Draft and maintain install, removal, Event Technician, and on-call crew schedules for the Head of Production's approval; coordinate temp labor as needed

Crew Travel & Logistics

· Book and manage all crew travel for out-of-market jobs (flights, hotels, ground transportation, per diem), timed to install and strike schedules and within budget

· Maintain crew rosters and contact lists; confirm temporary labor bookings with staffing brokers

SOPs & Documentation

· Develop and maintain production SOPs with the Head of Production (load lists, install and strike, readiness checklists, vendor onboarding) and use them to onboard and cross-train crews, reducing single-person dependencies

Handoff, Client Support & Field Issues

· Attend post-sale client meetings with Sales as an extension of the Production team; route technical customer questions quickly

· Join the production on-call rotation (after-hours and weekends) and triage field issues: truck, driver, and labor shortages, equipment problems, and jobs running behind

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

· Full-time, salaried, on-site in Chicagoland

· Competitive base salary plus performance bonus

· Medical, dental, and vision insurance

· Short-term and long-term disability coverage

· 401(k)

· Paid time off and company holidays

· A seat on a growing operations team investing in real systems and long-term infrastructure

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

· Thinks weeks ahead. Anticipates what a job needs before anyone has to ask

· Relentlessly organized across vendors, permits, equipment, and timelines

· Gets ahead of issues rather than reacting to them

· Precise with numbers, invoice coding, and vendor detail

· Strong communicator who can hold subs and vendors accountable without burning the relationship

QUALIFICATIONS

· 3 to 5 years in tent or event production, construction, or general contracting logistics

· Proven experience sourcing, purchasing, and coordinating vendors and subs at high order volume

· Working knowledge of permitting and site logistics

· Disciplined in CRM and ops software (HubSpot, Microsoft 365)