Plastics Production Manager

Job Summary
The Plastics Production Manager has full operational responsibility for all injection molding and extrusion production, including output, quality, safety, cost, and team performance. This role leads supervisors, technicians, and operators to achieve daily production targets while driving continuous improvement, scrap reduction, and on-time delivery across both primary processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day plastics production operations (injection molding extrusion) to meet or exceed schedule, quality, and cost goals.
• Directly manage production supervisors, process technicians, and operators; set clear expectations, provide coaching, and hold the team accountable for performance.
• Own key metrics: OEE, scrap rate, cycle time, first-pass yield, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives (lean, SMED, 5S, Kaizen) to reduce scrap, downtime, and cost.
• Work closely with Process Engineering, Tooling Engineering, Maintenance, and Quality to resolve issues and implement process/tooling improvements.
• Collaborate with Sales and Product Engineering to ensure production can support new product launches and customer requirements.
• Manage labor planning, overtime, shift coverage, and training programs for the plastics department.
• Enforce safety standards, housekeeping, and regulatory compliance; lead safety investigations and corrective actions.
• Develop and manage the annual production budget, including labor, consumables, and tooling maintenance costs.
• Participate in daily production meetings and escalate issues that impact schedule, quality, or cost.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Experience: 8–15 years in plastics manufacturing, with at least 5 years in a production management or supervisory role overseeing injection molding and/or extrusion.
• Technical Skills: Strong understanding of injection molding and extrusion processes, scientific molding principles, and lean manufacturing tools.
• Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead and develop teams, hold people accountable, and drive results in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Certifications (Preferred): Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, RJG Master Molder, Lean Manufacturing Certification.
• Other: Experience managing both injection molding and extrusion simultaneously is a strong advantage.

Physical Requirements
Ability to spend the majority of the day on the production floor, lift up to 50 lbs, and work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to noise, heat, and moving equipment.

Work Environment
Full-time, on-site role with primary time spent on the production floor. Will include some office work and occasional off-shift presence during major issues or launches.