Production Manager

Job Title: Production Manager Department: Operations

Reports To: Plant Manager FLSA Status: Exempt

Shift: Nights 11PM-7AM M-F Salary: $78,000-$95,000

*Base pay is based on job-related skills, experience, credentials, role scope, and location. Candidates outside the posted range are encouraged to apply, as qualifications and market factors may influence consideration.

Job Summary:

The Production Manager provides operational leadership across one or more production departments or shifts, with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, labor efficiency, and team development. This role bridges frontline supervision and senior manufacturing leadership by translating strategic direction into daily execution. The Production Manager ensures print manufacturing operations meet customer specifications, postal requirements, and delivery commitments while driving continuous improvement and developing supervisory talent.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors, ensuring consistent application of company policies, performance expectations, and leadership standards.

• Support hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and corrective action processes for production teams in partnership with Human Resources.

• Actively develop supervisory talent through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

• Ensure all employee performance reviews are completed accurately and on schedule.

• Champion a culture of safety, ensuring compliance with all safety programs, training, and regulatory requirements across assigned departments or shifts.

• Ensure production teams consistently follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to deliver high-quality, error-free printed products.

• Monitor quality metrics and customer specifications, including postal requirements, and address issues proactively.

• Oversee daily production execution to ensure schedules, customer mail dates, and service-level commitments are met.

• Partner with Scheduling and Planning to balance capacity, labor, and production priorities.

• Review daily and prior-shift performance metrics, including labor efficiency, throughput, downtime, and quality, and implement corrective actions as needed.

• Provide direction to supervisors on labor planning, staffing levels, and overtime management to control costs while meeting production demands.

• Lead and support Lean manufacturing initiatives, including 6S, Managing Daily Improvement (MDI), Quick Changeover (QCO), and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

• Ensure regular 6S audits, production floor walks, and continuity audits are completed and sustained.

• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, equipment utilization, setup times, and material flow to increase efficiency and reduce waste.

• Ensure proper use, care, and basic maintenance of production equipment in coordination with maintenance teams.

• Verify timely and accurate completion of work orders and preventative maintenance activities.

• Ensure accurate reporting of labor, time, materials, and production data across assigned areas.

• Serve as a key operational partner to Sales, Estimating, Customer Service, Planning, and Maintenance, providing guidance on specifications, capacity, and production constraints.

• Communicate customer-impacting issues to appropriate stakeholders and support timely resolution.

• Facilitate and participate in Cost Center meetings, reviewing performance, labor, quality, and improvement initiatives with leadership and teams.

• Perform additional duties as assigned to support operational excellence and business objectives.

Skills Abilities Required:

• Strong leadership and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced print manufacturing environment.

• Proven ability to analyze operational data, identify trends, and implement effective solutions.

• Excellent written, verbal, and listening communication skills across all organizational levels.

• Ability to coach, mentor, and hold supervisors accountable to performance standards.

• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills.

• High level of computer proficiency, including production systems, labor tracking, and reporting tools.

• Proficiency/fluent with English language, both written and verbal.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, graphic arts, operations management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Five (5) to eight (8) years of progressive print manufacturing experience, including supervisory or management responsibility.

• Demonstrated knowledge of print production processes, including press, bindery/finishing, materials, and workflow.

• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles, including 6S, QCO, TPM, and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Familiarity with postal regulations, mail sortation, and quality requirements preferred.

Benefits

• Medical

• Dental

• Vision

• 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance

• 100% Employer Paid Short Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance

• Other Voluntary Employee Benefits i.e. (Accident & Critical Illness)

• 401K & Profit Sharing with Employer Match

• Vacation/Holiday

• Sick and Safe time (where applicable by state)

Work Environment and Physical Demands

The work environmental characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job operates in a Manufacturing environment. While performing the duties of this job inside the manufacturing facility, the employee is frequently exposed to normal to moderate working conditions for a manufacturing facility with a noise level that is usually moderate to loud. The role routinely uses printing equipment and machines.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee may be required to stand for long periods of time as well as use hands or fingers to reach or handle, and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee will regularly lift 70lbs or more at a time. All vision abilities are required to encompass close-up work. Employees must be able to tolerate and endure extended seasonal hours and maintain alertness to meet deadlines.

Occasionally while performing duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to machinery and moving parts, airborne particles including paper dust and hazardous materials or fumes, which may require the use of PPE. The employee may be exposed to adverse weather conditions, extended seasonal hours, high precarious places, and confined spaces. The nose level in some of the work environments may require the use of hearing protection.

About the Company

Nahan was founded 60 plus years ago by a local family in the heart of Minnesota. It is a deeply human company from how we work with each other, how we serve our clients, to how we reach customers. We provide full service direct marketing with award winning results. Innovation and insight inform everything we do. Our success is rooted in putting people first, doing the right thing for our clients and associates and delivering the highest levels of quality. In a world where personalization and customization are valued above all, we make messages feel personal while keeping the process simple. We’re here to listen to, create and deliver results to our clients. Our winning track record is based on proof, not promises. We consistently deliver big wins, better performance and continual growth for marketers. We’re Nahan-real people making real connections.

Disclaimer

This job description is not a complete description of responsibility but reflects the general qualifications, duties and/or responsibilities necessary to perform this position. All candidates who receive a written offer of employment will be required to successfully complete and pass a background check, a physical test, as well as test for commonly abused controlled substances in accordance with the Company’s Drug Free Workplace Policy. Nahan reserves the right to revise the job description as a circumstance warrant. Nahan is an at-will employer, which means that either the employee or the company may terminate the relationship at any time, with or without notice, and with or without cause.

Base pay is based on job-related skills, experience, credentials, role scope, and location. Candidates outside the posted range are encouraged to apply, as qualifications and market factors may influence compensation.

Nahan is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or any other characteristic projected by law.