Production Manager

Company Description:

Willbanks Metals, Inc. (WMI) is a leading steel service center based in the Southwest United States with over 50 years of experience. Recognized for its diverse offerings, WMI excels in steel distribution and fabrication, delivering unmatched service and integrity to customers, employees, and suppliers. As a family-owned and operated business, WMI prides itself on respect, reliability, and building strong relationships. The company is a trusted partner for end users and steel distributors, fulfilling large-scale steel needs that others cannot accommodate. Located in Fort Worth, TX, WMI thrives on providing solutions with efficiency and dedication to excellence.

Role Description:

This is a full-time, on-site role for a Production Manager located in Fort Worth, TX. The Production Manager is responsible for leading the cut-to-length / Decoil department to achieve safe, efficient, and reliable production performance while meeting customer requirements, quality standards, and operating targets.

This role requires a strategic and hands-on leader who can translate business priorities into daily execution, develop a capable team, and communicate with credibility at both the shop-floor level and with senior leadership, including the Vice President of Operations.

Qualifications:

• Lead day-to-day operations for the cut-to-length / Decoil department with clear ownership for safety, quality, throughput, productivity, and on-time execution.
• Manage production at the ground level while maintaining a forward-looking view of staffing, capacity, material flow, and scheduling needs.
• Monitor department performance using production, downtime, labor, and quality metrics and take timely action to correct gaps.
• Develop and manage department staffing plans, shift coverage, and labor allocation to align resources with production demand.
• Build schedules that utilize employees according to their skills and strengths while maintaining flexibility for changing priorities.
• Partner with operations leadership to forecast labor requirements, identify staffing risks, and support hiring, onboarding, and cross-training plans.
• Coach, develop, and hold employees accountable for performance, attendance, safety, and operational standards.
• Create a culture of ownership, urgency, teamwork, and continuous improvement across the department.
• Identify high-potential talent, address performance issues promptly, and strengthen bench depth through training and role development.
• Identify production bottlenecks, workflow constraints, and labor inefficiencies; communicate practical solutions and drive execution through resolution.
• Collaborate with maintenance, quality, and upstream/downstream partners to improve uptime, material flow, and schedule adherence.
• Apply structured problem-solving and root-cause thinking to improve productivity, reduce waste, and stabilize performance.
• Communicate department performance, operational risks, staffing needs, and improvement priorities clearly and professionally to the Vice President of Operations and other leaders.
• Translate high-level business direction into measurable actions for frontline teams and supervisors.
• Provide timely updates, recommendations, and escalation on issues affecting safety, output, service, or labor performance.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years of production management, manufacturing supervision, or operations leadership experience in a metals processing, steel service center, cut-to-length, slitting, decoiling, or similar industrial environment.
• Proven experience leading production teams with accountability for labor planning, scheduling, throughput, safety, and quality.
• Strong working knowledge of cut-to-length / decoiling operations, material handling, coil processing, and production flow management.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with frontline employees, peers, and executive leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills with the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, production reporting tools, and operational KPI management.
• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in operations, engineering, business, or a related field preferred.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience in a steel service center or high-volume metals manufacturing operation with direct exposure to cut-to-length, decoiling, slitting, or related processing lines.
• Experience implementing lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, or productivity improvement initiatives.
• Background in workforce planning, training, and cross-functional coordination with maintenance, quality, shipping, and warehouse teams.
• Bilingual communication capability is a plus, based on workforce needs.
• Leadership Capabilities:
• Strategic mindset with the ability to connect department execution to broader business priorities.
• Hands-on leadership style with a strong presence on the floor and a willingness to engage directly in problem-solving.
• Sound judgment and composure under pressure, with the ability to make timely, practical decisions.
• Strong communicator who can influence at multiple levels, from hourly employees to senior executives.
• Commitment to safety, accountability, talent development, and operational excellence.
• Work Environment and Physical Requirements:
• Work is performed in both office and manufacturing floor environments and requires regular presence in the production area.
• Ability to stand, walk, observe operations, and move throughout the facility for extended periods.
• Ability to work around industrial equipment, moving material, and noise while following all safety procedures and PPE requirements.
• Ability to occasionally lift or move items consistent with plant leadership responsibilities.

Success Profile:

• Builds a stable, capable team that is scheduled and deployed effectively against production demand.
• Improves labor utilization and throughput while maintaining high standards for safety and quality.
• Identifies bottlenecks early, communicates solutions clearly, and drives disciplined follow-through.
• Earns credibility with the workforce and provides high-level operational partnership to the Vice President of Operations.