Production Manager

Company Description

Somerset Hardwood Flooring a Bauwerk Group North America company, is a privately owned hardwood flooring manufacturer specializing in premium hardwood flooring products. With a firm commitment to customers and environmental responsibility, Somerset proudly manufactures all its flooring in the USA, supporting local jobs and communities. The company operates factories strategically located in Somerset, KY, using high-quality Appalachian hardwood sourced from North America. Somerset takes pride in delivering sustainable and high-quality products to its customers.

Job Title: Production Manager

Department: Operations

Reports To: Plant Manager / VP of Operations

Location: Manufacturing Facility

Position Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for leading high-volume wood flooring manufacturing operations across multiple departments. This role oversees large, cross-functional production teams and ensures that safety, quality, productivity, cost control, and delivery objectives are achieved.

The Production Manager drives operational efficiency, labor performance, throughput optimization, and continuous improvement while maintaining alignment with financial targets, margin objectives, and customer commitments.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

·      Lead daily production activities across multiple departments.

·      Ensure production schedules are executed in alignment with scheduling and planning.

·      Monitor throughput, downtime, yield, scrap, and labor efficiency.

·      Identify and eliminate bottlenecks within the production process.

·      Ensure compliance with quality standards and product specifications.

People Leadership & Workforce Management

·      Directly manage supervisors and indirectly oversee large hourly workforce teams.

·      Drive accountability for attendance, productivity, and performance standards.

·      Coach and develop front-line supervisors and team leads.

·      Lead workforce planning to align labor hours with production demand.

·      Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and succession planning efforts.

·      Maintain strong employee engagement while enforcing performance standards.

Financial & Cost Management

·      Manage labor costs and overtime.

·      Drive improvements in yield and material utilization to protect gross margin.

·      Monitor cost per square foot and productivity metrics.

·      Collaborate with Finance on variance analysis and cost control initiatives.

·      Support inventory management initiatives to reduce slow-moving and aged inventory.

Safety & Compliance

·      Ensure adherence to OSHA regulations and internal safety standards.

·      Promote a culture of safety accountability.

·      Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.

·      Ensure compliance with environmental and operational regulations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

·      Partner with Sales, Planning, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and Finance to ensure production aligns with business priorities.

·      Participate in S&OP and production planning meetings.

·      Align production output with margin strategy and inventory targets.

·      Communicate operational constraints proactively.

Continuous Improvement

·      Lead Lean manufacturing initiatives.

·      Reduce downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

·      Implement process improvements to increase efficiency and reduce waste.

·      Drive measurable year-over-year productivity improvements.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

·      Production volume vs. plan

·      Labor cost per unit

·      Overtime percentage

·      Gross margin impact (yield & waste control)

·      Downtime reduction

·      Safety incident rate

·      On-time order fulfillment

·      Employee turnover within departments

Required Qualifications

·      5–10 years of manufacturing leadership experience (wood products preferred).

·      Proven experience managing large teams (50 employees preferred).

·      Strong knowledge of wood flooring production processes (sawing, grading, finishing, milling).

·      Experience with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.

·      Strong financial acumen and ability to manage cost drivers.

·      Demonstrated ability to lead through change.

Core Competencies

·      Operational discipline

·      Leadership presence

·      Data-driven decision-making

·      Conflict resolution

·      Cross-functional collaboration

·      Strategic execution

HR Contact

please email Regina.Braswell@SomersetFloors.com with inquiries and interest