PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Job Title: Production Assistant 

Department: Repair 

Reports To: Assistant Plant Manager 

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Position Overview:

The Production Assistant supports daily manufacturing operations by coordinating job orders, maintaining accurate production documentation, and facilitating communication between Engineering, Sales, and shop floor personnel. This role ensures that production activities run efficiently by managing priorities, assisting with technical drawings, and providing operational support to the team

Essential Duties: (Additional duties may be assigned as required.)

Production Coordination & Scheduling

• Prioritize work assignments and production orders based on current schedules, material availability, customer deadlines, and anticipated delays in the production queue.
• Monitor workflow progress and communicate schedule changes or bottlenecks to relevant departments.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Plant Manager to adjust workloads to meet daily and weekly goals.

Documentation & Order Processing

• Process job orders on the shop floor and ensure that all related documentation, logs, and spreadsheets are kept organized, accurate, and up to date.
• Maintain digital and physical records to support traceability, quality control, and compliance with internal procedures.
• Assist with preparing and distributing production paperwork to the appropriate departments.

Engineering & Technical Support

• Create or revise drawings in SolidWorks based on customer specifications, sales requests, or internal engineering needs.
• Review technical drawings and assist shop personnel with understanding prints, dimensions, tolerances, material requirements, and assembly details.
• Identify and communicate potential design or manufacturability issues to engineering staff.

Shop Floor Support 

• Provide day-to-day assistance to machine operators, welders, assemblers, and other shop personnel by responding to questions and ensuring they have accurate information to complete jobs.
• Coordinate with purchasing, engineering, and quality teams to resolve issues related to materials, dimensions, and missing information.
• Participate in continuous improvement efforts to optimize workflow, reduce waste, and improve productivity

Qualifications:
 To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed above, and below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Language Ability:
 Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to draft routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of an organization.

Math Ability:
 Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Excel, Word, Internet Explorer, AutoCAD, Solid Works, PDM, and Microsoft Outlook.

Equipment:

• Computer
• Printer
• Scanner 

Knowledge, Skills, and Other Abilities:

• Experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment preferred, cylinder or metal fabrication experience a plus.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks and ability to create and interpret technical drawings.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills; ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a dynamic production environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet tools.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to support cross-functional teams.
• High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

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

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to wear safety glasses and hard sole/close toed shoes with a low heel when walking through the manufacturing shop and/or repair shop whether as part of performing their job or just passing through. In addition, long hair must be tied back when around hazards of flame, machinery, or equipment. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to work near moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and vibration.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

Yates Industries, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer and provides employment and advancement opportunities to its employees without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, transgender status, weight, height, age, marital status, national origin, citizenship, disability, genetic makeup, military or veteran status, misdemeanor arrest record (not resulting in conviction) or any other protected characteristic as established by law. This policy of equal employment opportunity applies to all policies and procedures relating to recruitment and hiring, compensation, employee benefits, promotional opportunities, disciplinary decisions, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.