Production Operations Manager

Who We Are

Pelsue is an industry leader in manufacturing worker safety products and vehicles for the telephone, utility, and satellite communications industries. We recently moved to a new facility in Aurora, CO. Multiple production areas in the factory include a metal fabrication shop, trailer and van manufacturing flow lines, specialty vehicle build stations, safety product lines, and an in-house tent shop.

Who You Are

As a Manufacturing Operations Manager at Pelsue, you own day-to-day production execution and business performance for the 1–12 week SalesOperations Execution (S&OE) window. You deliver Safety, Quality, Delivery, and People. You lead Manufacturing Technicians and on-line leaders, coordinate supply readiness, and partner with Engineering and Sales to hit the plan-safely, on time, in spec. You focus on labor efficiency and set the cadence for disciplined execution.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PlanningExecution (1–12 Weeks)

• Own the finite build schedule for weeks 1–3; publish a risked plan for weeks 4–6 and a forecast for weeks 7–12.
• Balance labor, tools, test capacity, and material readiness and protect throughput.
• Run Tier 1–2 huddles daily; confirm today/tomorrow buildship plan; clear top blockers within 60 minutes.
• Publish a weekly S&OE brief (12-week view): plan, constraints, KPI trend, riskrecovery actions.
• Maintain a tier-board KPI cadence: daily SQDCP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People); weekly deep-dive on misses with owners and due dates.

Operational ExcellenceLean (Common-Sense Lean)

• Drive 2S (SortShine) every shift: clear, clean, and ready work areas; point-of-use tools and parts; simple visual controls.
• Write, version-control, and train Standard Work (WIs, checklists, visuals) for each station; keep it current and easy to follow.
• Run process audits against the written standards (short checklists at defined intervals); fix gaps quickly and update the standard.
• Use practical tools-A3/8D, 5-Why, Pareto, basic time studies, mistake-proofing (poka-yoke), and balanced work-to remove waste.
• Partner with ME/QE to improve routings/standard hours and reduce bid-to-actual variance.

Labor Efficiency Ownership

• Deliver 90% utilized labor by controlling labor hours per unit, scrap/rework cost, yield, and throughput.
• Own bid-to-actual hours variance; publish a weekly variance tree (rate/volume/mix, yield, rework, learning curve).
• Approve overtime, rework plans, and expedites within delegation; quantify labor utilization impact before/after changes.
• Drive cost-takeout: learning curves, takt balance, routings/standard hours, make/buy, supplier resets.

QualitySafety

• Achieve 95% First-Pass Yield (FPY); lead containment and corrective actions (A3/8D); maintain standard work and audits.
• Maintain control plans for Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) features; gate first-article and first-pass of new options with a simple build check plan.
• Enforce safety standard work; stop-work authority; close findings on time; maintain strong 6S discipline.
• Run process audits on key stations; close findings within 5 business days and reflect changes in the written process.

Project / Scope Transition (Quote-to-Floor)

• Translate awarded scope and Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) into manufacturable plans with Design for Manufacturability/Assembly (DFM/A), hazards assessed, and skills verified.
• Participate in risk reviews and production-hour estimating; own the handoff from quote to floor (BOM/WI readiness, first-article plan, control plan).
• Gate first-run builds with a concise check plan and visible KPI tracking (e.g., FPY, hours/unit).

People Leadership

• Directly lead Manufacturing Technicians; manage staffing, critical operations matrices, cross-training, and performance.
• Build a critical operations coverage plan (who can run what, by shift); set quarterly targets to de-risk bottlenecks.
• Coach to Pelsue values (Grace, Grit, Trust, Discipline, Versatility, Ownership); set clear expectations and provide timely feedback.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Supply Chain: Align Buyers/Planners on kitting and expedites; maintain a visible materials risk board tied to labor utilization.
• Engineering: Coordinate ECO readiness, Work Instruction (WI) updates, and cycle-time effects; approve minor routing updates with data.
• Sales/Customer: Govern promise dates; recommend swaps inside the 12-week window to protect utilization and On-Time Delivery (OTD); escalate scope changes.
• Customer/Supplier Partnering: Communicate proactively; convert escalations into structured action plans and statused KPIs.

Decision Rights

• Direct authority: Set/reset daily schedule; allocate labor; approve OT up to X hrs/tech/week; authorize material expedites up to $X; stop-build/stop-ship for safety/quality; update standard work with ME/QE sign-off.
• Guardrails: With ME/QE sign-off, approve minor routing updates backed by time studies and FPY data.
• With VP Ops approval: Headcount adds; capital; major supplier shifts; changes that increase standard hours or reduce FPY >X%; plan moves beyond 12 weeks; decisions that reduce labor utilization or impact OTD.

COMPETENCIES

• LeadershipExecution: Manufacturing leadership, constraint management, decisive escalation, disciplined follow-through.
• Operational Excellence: Common-sense Lean (2S, visual controls, standard work), waste elimination, sustainable process control.
• Analytical Thinking: Uses data to manage hours/unit, scrap/rework, FPY, schedule attainment, labor efficiency, and bid-to-actual variance.
• QualityProblem Solving: A3/8D, Pareto, root cause before change; standard work control.
• Customer/Partner Orientation: Turns ambiguity into clear production responses; communicates trade-offs crisply.

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

• Level 6: Directly leads Manufacturing Technicians; sets and enforces daily standards; mentors cross-functional team members; coordinates cross-functionally to hit plan.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Office plus regular presence on the manufacturing floor for troubleshooting and coordination (60%+ on the floor). Exposure to moderate noise and moving machinery.
• Everyone is empowered to stop work for safety/quality concerns; leaders respond quickly with containment and next steps.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Prolonged periods of standing, walking, and computer-based work.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. occasionally.

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

• Full-time, in-person.
• Typical schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (overtime as needed).
• This position is not eligible for remote work due to the nature of the job.

TRAVEL

• Minimal; occasional travel for customer visits, suppliers, or trade shows.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• 7–10 years leading a value stream/product line(s)/programs with measurable cost and delivery outcomes, including direct people leadership on the shop floor.
• Demonstrated use of Lean tools (A3/8D, Value Stream Mapping, time studies, mistake-proofing) and standard work control.
• Systems: Proficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central-and Microsoft Office; strong competency with visual management and standard work tools.

METRICS OWNED (posted on the tier board)

• Safety: Recordables = 0; audit closure 5 days; 6S score X%.
• Quality: FPY X%; MRB cycle time Z days; warranty W% of sales.
• Delivery: Schedule attainment X%; OTIF X%; past-due burn-down to plan.
• Cost/Contribution Margin: CM% plan; labor hrs/unit plan; scrap X% of COGS; rework X% of labor; bid-to-actual hours X% variance (with glidepath for new builds).
• Stability: Station-level schedule adherence X%; targeted changeover time (SMED) X minutes.
• Inventory/Cash: WIP days X; turns X; kitting accuracy X%.
• All areas marked with variables will be defined upon start of position.