Production / Operations Manager

AprilAire is an industry leading provider of healthy air solutions who is committed to our mission; everyone deserves healthy air. You will join a team of professionals who are passionate, customer focused, adaptable, and leading the way for new HVAC technologies and innovative thinking. We are proud to be in over 7 million homes and look forward to our continued success. Give your career a breath of fresh air today and consider joining our team!

Reporting to the Director-Operations/Plant Manager, this position plays a key role in the production, financials, people leadership, safety and continuous improvement of the Madison plant. AprilAire and RP Filter fabric and metal products are made at the Madison Plant. Many of the 130 manufacturing employees located here began as temporary employees and stayed - the average tenure for Madison Plant employees is 9 years! 

Production:

• Lead, manage, inspire and motivate the supervisory team and production staff.
• Coordinate production activities with other departments to ensure manufacturing objectives are accomplished in a safe, timely, cost-effective manner. Implement changes to prevent and/or react to work interruptions.
• Responsible for ensuring daily line-management process and on-going production plans, all SOP’s, quality standards and checks.
• Work closely with buyers and supply chain to ensure production is uninterrupted and work closely with Process Engineering to periodically review capacity planning models.

Organizational Health:

• Carry out monthly labor planning for the direct and indirect production staff, ensure labor and overhead costs are within approved budgeted levels. Monitor and work with HR to maintain appropriate labor staffing.
• Participate in interview and selection process for new production or general staff.
• Develop and implement robust training and onboarding procedures.
• Lead, develop and build a high-performing plant supervision team that is capable of managing growth, innovation and transformation.
• Participate in, provide information for and coordinate company programs in such areas as employee relations, discipline, vacation schedules, job evaluation, employee performance appraisal, labor relations, and grievances.
• Operate in a way that supports the company values of innovation, being a good neighbor, passion, achievement and fun.  

Financial Acumen:

• Responsible for achieving financial targets including departmental variance and overhead spend.
• Analyze monthly financial statements to identify primary drivers of labor/material variance and overhead spend.
• Identify and lead variance reduction projects in labor, materials and overhead to assure the department is hitting budgeted targets. This includes working cross functionally with engineering, finance, and plant management. 

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for improvement in safety, quality, process, product flow, visual management, 5S, material usage, information flow and drive to resolution/implementation
• Continuously improve housekeeping and promote continuous improvement in 5S in all areas to help meet goals and objectives of the department.
• Develop plans for the maximum utilization of materials, machines, and employees.
• Review production costs and product quality; modify production and inventory control programs to maintain and enhance profitable operation of division.

Safety

• Collaborate with the EHS manager on employee training, policies, procures and regulatory reporting. Enforce safety and work rules and company housekeeping standards.
• Participate w/ plant Safety team to conduct root cause analysis, plant safety audits and resolve safety actions. Take a pro-active approach to reduce all safety risks.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Management, Supervisory Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Five to ten years of management/supervision experience in a manufacturing environment. Experience in a union environment is preferred
• Demonstrated leadership ability.
• Worked in union environment.
• Knowledge of and experience with integrated manufacturing systems.
• Strong computer and software skills.
• Solid interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.  Communication skills will be necessary in one-to-one situations as well as large group settings.
• Ability to effectively present information and engage in problem solving with large groups and respond to questions from managers, customers, vendors, or other employees within the organization.
• Exceptional problem-solving ability.
• Strong sense of urgency.