Senior Production Manager

Position Summary

The Senior Production Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Production Department. This position works closely with the Operations Manager and regularly collaborates with other key stakeholders to coordinate the facility’s production operations.

Essential Responsibilities

Operations

• Responsible for management of the production schedule, including daily production planning with the production staff; monitoring and updating the production schedule; ensuring completion of the production cycle and on-time delivery; and participating in daily production capacity meetings.
• Recognizing bottlenecks in the production process and problem solving.
• Load level production staff when necessary to meet job deadlines.
• Make appropriate workflow adjustments in order to complete the daily production schedule.
• Ensure regular workflow and quality audits are performed to ensure internal and external customer requirements are being met.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by leading and supporting innovation and continuously analyzing production workflows with a focus on maximizing productivity, efficiency, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Ensure compliance and capture business metrics by utilizing the order entry system.
• Assist the Operations Manager with the facility’s budget, maintain a capital asset list, and prepare capital project paperwork.
• Prepare monthly inventory reports and monthly/quarterly WIP reports.
• Perform job costing research and corrections concerning billing of all production departments.
• Ensure overall compliance with equipment, department, and plant standard operating procedures.
• Manage vendor relations for production areas.
• Administer and update contracts for various vendors.
  
  

Customer Focus

• Collaborate with Sales team to assist with client management.
• Serve as point of contact for customer issues and provide technical expertise.
• Communicate customer issues and devise ways of improving the customer experience, including resolving problems and complaints.
• Work with all cross functional teams to enhance the quality of service to customers with special attention to on-time delivery and product quality.
  
  

Workforce Management

• Provide general communication to plant personnel.
• Provide leadership and coaching to direct reports and conduct regular performance development meetings to help foster a high performing team.
• Foster a culture of trust and alignment using the organization’s core values.
• Promote a culture that encourages continuous improvement, top performance, and high morale.
• Act as a change agent for all local and corporate initiatives.
• Champion for and participate in process improvements and changes in staffing, technology, workflows, and procedures.
• Manage a large group of people working varied shifts across multiple departments.
  
  

Miscellaneous

• Maintain a safe and healthy work environment by establishing, following, and enforcing standards and procedures and complying with legal regulations.
• Lead and/or collaborate with senior leadership and key stakeholders on the development and execution of special projects and corporate initiatives as needed.
• Ensures that the organization’s safety policies and practices are followed and that department work areas meet all safety standards and policies.
• Support the site in providing and monitoring policies, training, and resources to create a clean and safe work environment.
• Assist with additional responsibilities as directed by management.
  
  

Education, Experience, & Certification

• Associate’s degree preferred
• 10+ years of experience in the packaging, prepress, and/or graphic arts industry in a production environment
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.). and good working knowledge of either PC or Mac IOS
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to read and comprehend job orders and technical prepress specs.
• Manage multiple projects and effectively prioritize tasks, responsibilities, and goals; use goals to guide actions and create detailed action plans; organize and schedule people and tasks; and utilize resources effectively to meet goals.
• Gather information and actively identify the cause of problems in equipment or work processes in a timely manner and recommend and/or implement a course of action to remedy the situation.
• Present issues, ideas, concepts, and information effectively and clearly through verbal and written communication; actively listen; maintain an open-minded and non-judgmental attitude; communicate comfortably with various audiences; and respond effectively to questions.
• Relate and compare data from different sources, identify issues, secure relevant information, and identify relationships.
• Have a firm understanding of how the company and industry work and how to shift and build a business for the future.
• Demonstrate critical thinking and sound executive judgement, including strategic thinking and challenging the status quo.
• Define and resolve situations or problems by analyzing issues involved, weighing options, and evaluating alternatives; maintain an objective attitude; approach situations and problems systematically; and use observation, experience, reflection, and/or reasoning to drive business forward.
• Show concern for all aspects of the job; accurately check processes and tasks; and maintain a general watchfulness.
• Adapt and change course of action when appropriate; effectively transition from task to task; deal well with unresolved situations, frequent change, delays, or unexpected events; and maintain objectives amidst shifting priorities.
• Proven success at managing a production schedule and meeting deadlines.
• Proactively develop client relationships by making efforts to listen and understand the client.
• Anticipate and provide solutions to client needs, giving high priority to client satisfaction.
• Ability to work alone without immediate supervision or other source of direction for extended periods of time.
• Provide leadership by managing change, solving problems, and making decisions as well as managing politics, influencing staff, and external customers.
• Interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in their intentions and those of the organization.
• Demonstrated success at managing a team and building a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration.
• Willing to take direction and apply feedback to improve personal and team performance.
• Willing to take on additional responsibilities as needed.
  
  

Physical Requirements

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. The following physical requirements are commonly performed in this job. There are times, on occasion, when the employee may be asked or expected to perform duties with physical requirements that are different from those listed here. It is the employee’s duty to notify the management of any physical limitations or inability to perform a certain task.

• Vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Use hands to reach, grasp, handle, and feel.
• Effectively communicate.
• Regularly required to sit. Sometimes required to stand and walk.
• Regularly required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
  
  

Travel Requirements

Travel within North America is required on an occasional basis.

NOTE: The information contained in this document describes the general nature, purpose, responsibilities, duties, skills, abilities, and workload of employees in the job described. However, it in no way constitutes a complete list of those that may be required. In addition, this does not constitute an employment contract and may be changed at any time.