Production Manager

Factory Technologies, Inc. (FTI), a Systems Integrator located in Modesto CA., is currently seeking to hire a Production Manager. This position requires working within an office environment and occasional support at client sites. This is not a remote role and is based in Modesto, CA.

Along with the traditional engineering technical skills, as a member of the FTI team, you will be most successful with the following non-technical skills/traits:

• Communication, communication, communication
  • All team members need to strive for excellent communication skills; oral, written and listening.
  • Discuss task/milestone/project successes, failures, roadblocks with your team.
  • Let the team know of unexpected changes to the project and/or personal life schedule – as soon as you can. Text, phone, email – whatever it takes.
  • Let the team know of unexpected changes to the scope of work.
  • Provide daily updates on progress. Know your audience and cater your updates accordingly.
  • Feedback – ask for it and provide it respectfully.
• Sharing/collaboration – share your time, your skills, and the information you have gathered over the years. As a production manager, you will be expected to support/develop/lead/mentor junior engineers, drafter’s, shop personnel and new employees.
• Focus – support others when needed and allow others to focus on their tasks as needed.
• Be curious, not judgmental – ask questions to get details.
• Adaptability/flexibility – the controls systems integrator world is fast paced and changes regularly. Team members need to be able to change directions routinely.
• Problem solving/critical thinking – senior team members are key to solving problems whether they be technical or other.
• Repeatability/scalability – think about the work you are completing and how it may be reused and/or scaled for the future. Reuse existing work where appropriate.
• Self awareness – understand where you are at and what your strengths/weaknesses are.
• Empathy – put yourself in someone else’s shoes before judging. All engineers find mistakes in others work. Remember that others will find mistakes in your work too.
• Active Listening – listen with the intent to understand, not just to react/respond.
• Conflict resolution – support reducing inevitable tensions both internally and externally.
• Resilience – some days can be difficult. Some projects can be difficult. Remember that those difficult times are temporary.
• Take care of yourself – everyone is different, and you will be supported to avoid burnout. You need to be your own gatekeeper and communicate issues, goals, and needs.
• Participate – improvements can only be made with participation. Without participation, everything else is just complaining.
• Time Management/prioritization – senior team members take on a lot of work and can be asked to be in two places at once. Prioritizing can be a daily challenge. Communicate your issues and come to the table with a proposed solution.

The Production Manager will be most successful in this role when they have the following “traditional” skills:

• A BS in Mechanical, Electrical or Mechatronics engineering degree or 10 years equivalent relevant control system engineering experience.
• The Production Manager is responsible for supervising the design and manufacturing teams to build UL508A compliant general use industrial control panels.
• General Knowledge of automation and control system hardware e.g., PLC/HMI/VFD/Safety Devices/Sensors and systems integration in industrial applications using various Allen-Bradley, GE, and Siemens platforms.
• Supports project sales calls, kick-offs, and closeouts.
• Attends weekly/monthly project management meetings and participates in strategic planning.
• Generate control panel cost estimates, production schedules, and create project proposals.
• Works closely with internal purchasing team members to manage inventory, procure required materials, and negotiate special pricing agreements with outside vendors.
• Read electrical and pneumatic schematics and have working knowledge of AutoCAD and/or ePlan to develop panel layout drawings, bill of materials, and panel schematics.
• Have general knowledge of networking and communication protocols, such as (but not limited to) EtherNet, AS-i, Modbus, IO-Link, ControlNet and DeviceNet.
• Understand project requirements e.g., completing projects within budget, on-time, and fulfilling all scope requirements.
• Supports facilities, building maintenance, and internal equipment repairs.
• Maintains annual design software licenses and renewals.
• Manages production team day to day schedules and time off requests.
• Strong team building, communication, leadership, and people management skills.
• Strong knowledge of relevant safety and quality control standards.
• Flexibility when required to work outside of normal business hours as required by client’s needs.
• General knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
• Must possess a valid driver’s license with a clean DMV record.

And finally…

• The successful candidate will receive a competitive salary offer, including medical and dental benefits, 401K with company contributions and vacation/holiday pay.