Plant Production Operations Leader

A day in the life

When the plant floor lights up at start-of-shift, you’re already two steps ahead—verifying staffing against volume, walking the lines for safety compliance, and aligning today’s plan with customer delivery dates. Mid-morning, you’re leading a coordinator huddle to surface issues and set expectations. By afternoon, you’ve driven root-cause actions on rework, defects, and scrap; tuned line rate to plan; and prepped the floor so the next shift can launch clean. All day, you balance PQTC goals—productivity, quality, timing, and cost—while keeping every teammate safe, informed, and motivated.

Role overview

As the Plant Production Operations Leader at Great Dane, you will guide and direct all production activities, supervise production teams, and define strategies that meet customer schedules, line rate, manufacturing quality, and cost targets—without compromising safety or engagement.

What you’ll tackle

• Champion safety: ensure personal and team compliance with all safety rules and requirements.
• Build the plan: create plantwide direct-labor staffing aligned to production volume; stage materials and tooling to enable a smooth start of the next shift.
• Eliminate waste: manage rework, defects, and scrap; implement root-cause corrective actions.
• Drive PQTC: actively pursue and achieve PQTC production goals while keeping a customer-first mindset.
• Lead Lean: support and drive Lean Manufacturing activities on the shop floor.
• Lead people well: fulfill supervisory responsibilities in line with company policies and applicable laws—hire, train, plan, assign, appraise, reward, discipline, and resolve issues.
• Run the rhythm: guide daily and weekly plant activities; conduct daily coordinator meetings to address current and upcoming issues.
• Develop teams: supervise, coach, counsel, and evaluate direct reports; recommend selection, retention, training, promotions, and salary levels; motivate team members across the organization.
• Be present and visible: provide support to indirect subordinates; ensure safety, production, and quality standards are met; investigate and respond to employee suggestions, concerns, and complaints.
• Collaborate to deliver: work with plant management peers and your teams to resolve issues and address safety, employee, tooling, and quality concerns while maintaining the production schedule.
• Engineer flow: define processes, create efficient workflows, set measures, and pursue continuous improvement opportunities.
• Stay compliant: assist with plant compliance to mandated regulations and Great Dane rules and regulations.
• Ensure fairness: review proposed major disciplinary actions for completeness, fairness, consistency, and company interest.
• Own special initiatives: coordinate special projects as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university recommended; or 3–5 years of related experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Progressive leadership experience in a manufacturing environment, with familiarity across welding, fabrication, and assembly line operations.
• Extensive experience with Lean Manufacturing is desired.

Skills

• Proficient with Microsoft Office, with strong Excel capability (navigation and formula creation).
• Strong understanding of effective safety culture.
• Problem-solving in environments with limited standardization and many concrete variables.
• Clear communication: present information and field questions from managers, clients, customers, and the public.
• Technical literacy: read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

Travel: As needed.

About Great Dane

Since 1900, Great Dane has led in transportation solutions—engineering durable, high-quality trailers and truck bodies while delivering services that help customers and employees succeed. Our relationships last because our products do.

Why join us

We’re a leading manufacturer of dry-freight vans, refrigerated trailers, and flatbeds, operating 10 manufacturing facilities and 20 service centers across the United States. Our culture of “Champions” is grounded in safety, leadership, integrity, quality, and passion. Expect opportunities to learn, grow, succeed, and collaborate.

Proficiencies you bring

• Leadership / People Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Supervisory Experience
• Production Optimization
• Lean Manufacturing Principles
• Coaching and Mentoring Experience
• Operational Metrics & KPI Management
• Operational Risk Management
• Workplace Safety & EHS Management
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)