Production Manager

The Production Manager executes the daily shop-floor manufacturing and assembly strategy under the direct guidance of the Operations Manager. This role directly oversees shift supervisors, team leaders, and technicians responsible for structural fabrication, mechanical assembly, and final product integration. The focus is entirely on real-time line execution, strict safety compliance, throughput optimization, and ensuring that all unit’s match engineering specifications before final testing

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Execution: Drive the daily production schedules and resource allocations established by the Operations Manager to hit aerial lift delivery targets. Monitor schedule attainment, identify bottlenecks, and adjust staffing and production priorities to meet customer delivery commitments.

• Production Performance Management: Monitor and drive key manufacturing KPIs including safety, quality, labor efficiency, schedule attainment, first-pass yield, overtime utilization, and on-time delivery. Communicate results through daily production meetings and management reviews.

• Workforce Development: Develop supervisors, team leads, and production personnel through coaching, training, succession planning, and performance management. Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Coordinate daily with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Facilities, and Service teams to resolve production issues, implement engineering changes, and maintain uninterrupted manufacturing flow.

• Labor & Capacity Management: Manage staffing levels, overtime utilization, and workforce allocation to maximize productivity while maintaining safety, quality, and budget objectives.

• Cost Management: Support departmental financial objectives by controlling labor costs, reducing rework and scrap, improving productivity, and optimizing manufacturing resources.

• Production Issue Resolution: Lead rapid resolution of manufacturing issues involving materials, tooling, equipment, quality concerns, and labor constraints. Escalate major risks while coordinating timely corrective actions to minimize production disruptions.

• Supervisory Oversight: Direct, mentor, and evaluate shift production supervisors. Ensure strict accountability, line safety, and standardized assembly work instructions.

• Line Balancing & Throughput: Monitor real time assembly performance across all key phases: structural turntable fabrication, assembly, bucket/platform installation, and final hydraulic upfitting.

• Safety & Compliance Management: Enforce compliance with OSHA regulations and company safety standards. Ensure all personnel safely operate around overhead crane systems and hydraulic testing cells.

• Quality & Technical Control: Coordinate defect tracking. Verify that boom extensions, outriggers, and electronic upper controls comply with strict quality checkpoints before passing to final inspection.

• Lean & Continuous Improvement: : Lead daily Gemba walks and drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives utilizing Kaizen, 5S, Six Sigma methodologies, Root Cause Analysis, and Value Stream Mapping to improve safety, quality, throughput, and operational efficiency. Identify and implement process improvements, measure cycle time reductions, and report performance gains and corrective actions to the Operations Manager Champion Lean Manufacturing initiatives including visual management, standardized work, and waste reduction activities. Lead projects that improve safety, quality, throughput, and operational efficiency.

• Resource & Material Escalation: Act as the first point of contact for production issues, weld defects, tool calibrations, or critical parts shortages. Escalate structural material constraints directly to the Operations Manager.

• Regulatory & Product Compliance: Ensure manufacturing processes and completed units conform to applicable ANSI, OSHA, DOT, and company quality requirements. Support audits, inspections, and corrective action initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, Mechanical Technology, Business Management, or related field
• At least 5 years of hands-on experience in a supervisory role leading and directing a team
• Quality critical and continuous improvement mindset
• Effective problem solving, communication and organizational skills
• Excellent color acuity and good vision (corrected if necessary)
• PC skills, including Microsoft Programs
• Strong functional understanding of structural steel/aluminum welding (AWS standards), high-pressure mobile hydraulics, electrical schematic routing, and complex boom geometry blueprints.
• Displays excellent decision-making skills
• Must have flexibility and be willing to work varying schedules and hours as needed
• Must be able to work overtime as required by workload and customer-driven deadlines

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.