Senior Manager of Manufacturing Operations

Senior Manager of Manufacturing Operations

Position Summary

The Senior Manager of Manufacturing Operations is responsible for leading and optimizing daily manufacturing activities to achieve operational excellence across quality, productivity, cost, on-time delivery, and workplace safety. This role oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of manufacturing operations involving electronic, mechanical, and electromechanical subassemblies, assemblies, and system-level products within regulated market segments.

Operating in a low-to-medium-volume, high-mix manufacturing environment, the Senior Manager leads cross-functional teams, develops and implements scalable operational processes, and drives continuous improvement initiatives to support customer commitments and broader business objectives. This position plays a key role in workforce development, resource optimization, regulatory compliance, and the achievement of organizational performance goals.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manufacturing Operations Management

• Lead the development and execution of manufacturing strategies, production plans, and operational initiatives to achieve established goals for quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
• Oversee daily manufacturing operations in a low-to-medium-volume, high-mix environment to ensure production schedules and customer requirements are consistently met.
• Optimize the allocation and utilization of labor, equipment, materials, and production capacity to maintain efficient workflows and maximize throughput.
• Monitor production performance, identify operational constraints, and implement corrective actions to address schedule, capacity, and execution challenges.

2. Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop production supervisors and manufacturing personnel to build a high-performing, accountable, and engaged workforce.
• Establish clear performance expectations, conduct performance evaluations, and implement employee development and succession plans.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Promote effective communication, employee engagement, and alignment between individual performance and organizational objectives.

3. Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), and Kaizen methodologies.
• Apply process mapping, root cause analysis, problem-solving, process analysis, and implementation tools to improve manufacturing performance.
• Identify and eliminate waste, reduce cycle times, improve productivity, and optimize manufacturing processes.
• Analyze production data and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify trends, resolve inefficiencies, and drive data-informed operational decisions.
• Standardize best practices and implement sustainable process improvements across manufacturing operations.

4. Quality, Compliance, and Safety

• Ensure manufacturing operations comply with established quality management systems, applicable regulatory requirements, customer requirements, and relevant ISO and industry standards.
• Partner with Quality, Engineering, and Environmental Health and Safety teams to investigate nonconformances, implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), and prevent recurrence.
• Maintain a safe working environment by enforcing safety policies, promoting employee awareness, and conducting routine inspections and audits.
• Support internal and external audits, process validations, and other compliance activities as required.
• Drive a culture of quality ownership, risk mitigation, and proactive safety management throughout the manufacturing organization.

5. Resource, Budget, and Cost Management

• Manage manufacturing operating budgets, monitor expenditures, and implement cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality, safety, or delivery performance.
• Oversee production material requirements, inventory utilization, and coordination with procurement to minimize shortages, excess inventory, and operational disruptions.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Maintenance to maximize equipment availability, reliability, performance, and utilization.
• Evaluate manufacturing capacity, labor requirements, and resource constraints to support current production demands and future business growth.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Strategic Execution

• Partner with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Logistics, and other functional leaders to align manufacturing priorities with customer commitments and business objectives.
• Support new product introductions (NPI), manufacturing readiness, process development, and production process validation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve product manufacturability, production scalability, and overall operational performance.
• Communicate production status, operational risks, resource requirements, and KPI performance to senior leadership.
• Contribute to strategic planning and the implementation of initiatives that improve manufacturing capability, customer satisfaction, and business performance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be evaluated using established operational metrics, including:

• Delivery Performance: On-time delivery (OTD) and production schedule attainment.
• Productivity and Efficiency: Production throughput, labor efficiency, and capacity utilization.
• Quality Performance: First-pass yield (FPY), defect rates, and other applicable quality metrics.
• Cost Performance: Cost per unit, labor costs, and operational cost-reduction targets.
• Equipment Performance: Downtime, equipment availability, and utilization.
• Customer Satisfaction: Customer return rates and manufacturing-related customer complaints.
• People and Culture: Employee engagement, retention, and turnover rates.
• Safety Performance: Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), lost-time incidents, and other applicable safety metrics.

Qualifications and Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Seven to ten or more years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations within a low-to-medium-volume, high-mix production environment.
• At least three years of experience in a manufacturing leadership role with responsibility for production performance, team development, and operational results.
• Experience in the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) industry or manufacturing electronic, mechanical, and electromechanical subassemblies, assemblies, and system-level products is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in regulated manufacturing environments with established quality management systems and applicable industry standards is preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, production planning, capacity management, and shop-floor execution.
• Demonstrated leadership, team development, performance management, and employee engagement capabilities.
• Practical experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TQM, Kaizen, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Proficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret production data, monitor KPIs, and translate findings into actionable improvements.
• Excellent communication, organizational, decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, resolve operational challenges, and deliver results in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Regulatory and Work Environment Requirements

• ITAR Compliance: This position requires access to export-controlled technology and technical data. Applicants must qualify as a “U.S. Person” under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
• Work Environment: This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a regular presence on the manufacturing floor as well as in an office environment.
• Physical and Operational Engagement: The position requires active engagement with production teams, manufacturing processes, equipment, and cross-functional stakeholders to support daily operations and continuous improvement initiatives.

RightStaff was recognized by INC 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation. RightStaff's unique process and approach to staffing has enabled us to provide services that far exceed our competitors in the areas of resource qualification, delivery and performance measurement.

Voted Best Places to work in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. RightStaff is a nationwide IT solutions partner. We offer a full range of services, covering recruitment, project management, rollouts, project deployment, staffing, consulting services, and direct hire placement.

RightStaff is continuing to grow our service offerings every year, offers excellent compensation, and a great opportunity for career growth.