Manufacturing Operations Manager Worcester, MA | Full-Time | On-Site About the Role: We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead and optimize all aspects of manufacturing operations within a precision industrial manufacturing environment. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence across production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, logistics, maintenance, and continuous improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader with extensive experience managing multi-department operations in a metal manufacturing environment. This individual will combine strong operational expertise with strategic leadership to improve productivity, enhance quality, increase profitability, and build a high-performing manufacturing organization. Responsibilities: • Lead all manufacturing operations, including production, scheduling, purchasing, inventory management, logistics, maintenance, and material flow. • Develop and execute operational strategies that improve productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, and on-time delivery. • Direct production planning activities to ensure manufacturing schedules align with customer demand and business objectives. • Monitor production performance and key operational metrics, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, labor utilization, scrap, and inventory performance. • Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives focused on waste reduction, process optimization, continuous improvement, and cost savings. • Lead cross-functional production review meetings to evaluate performance, address production constraints, and establish corrective actions. • Collaborate with Engineering to evaluate manufacturability of new products and support successful product launches. • Partner with Sales, Finance, and executive leadership to develop annual operating plans, production forecasts, and capacity planning strategies. • Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, company safety policies, environmental standards, and applicable manufacturing regulations. • Develop and implement standardized operating procedures, performance metrics, and operational best practices. • Lead recruiting, coaching, performance management, succession planning, and professional development for manufacturing personnel. • Establish and maintain employee skills matrices and apprenticeship or workforce development programs. • Oversee purchasing, inventory control, warehouse operations, and supply chain coordination to optimize material availability and inventory accuracy. • Partner with Quality to resolve nonconforming material issues, improve manufacturing quality, and maintain compliance with ISO quality standards. • Drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and operational improvements that support long-term business growth. • Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. • Minimum of 10 years of manufacturing operations experience, including 6 or more years in a manufacturing leadership role. • Proven experience leading operations within a metal manufacturing environment, including machining, metal stamping, bearings, precision components, or related manufacturing processes. • Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives. • Strong knowledge of production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory management, Kanban systems, and material flow. • Experience utilizing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and manufacturing performance metrics to drive operational improvements. • Knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SyteLine or similar manufacturing ERP platforms. • Experience managing purchasing, production planning, logistics, maintenance, and warehouse operations. • Working knowledge of ISO quality systems and manufacturing compliance standards. • Strong leadership, communication, coaching, and organizational skills. • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook. Desired Qualifications: • Experience within precision manufacturing, industrial components, bearings, metal stampings, machined components, or mechanical assemblies. • Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification. • Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). • Experience leading ERP implementations or manufacturing system improvements. • Strong understanding of supply chain optimization and inventory control methodologies. • Experience building high-performing manufacturing teams and developing future operational leaders. • MBA or advanced operations or engineering degree is a plus.