Manufacturing Operations Manager -MV Switchgear

Job Description

Job Description

Operations Manager – MV & LV Power Distribution Products

Location: Irvine, CA (Onsite)
Pay: $70,000- $90,000 annually
Job Type: Full-time

About the Company:

We are a global leader in the design and manufacturing of electrical components and power distribution products. As part of one of the world's largest manufacturers of relays and electrical equipment, we serve customers across industrial automation, energy, automotive, power distribution, and smart manufacturing industries.

We are seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead production operations and help drive operational excellence within our manufacturing facility.

Position Overview:

The Manufacturing Operations Manager is responsible for leading the daily operations of our manufacturing facility, ensuring the safe, efficient, and high-quality production of electrical equipment and power distribution products.

This role oversees production personnel, manufacturing processes, production scheduling, workflow optimization, quality, inventory flow, and continuous improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate has direct experience managing manufacturing operations involving industrial equipment, electrical assemblies, automated production machinery, metal fabrication, or similar heavy manufacturing environments.

Candidates must have direct experience managing manufacturing operations within an industrial manufacturing environment. Experience limited to warehouse operations, logistics, customer service operations, retail operations, healthcare, food manufacturing, medical devices, or consumer products will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Operations

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations to ensure production schedules, quality standards, and customer delivery commitments are achieved.
• Manage production teams, supervisors, and manufacturing personnel while fostering a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor and improve key manufacturing metrics including productivity, labor efficiency, scrap, downtime, throughput, equipment utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Coordinate production schedules with planning, purchasing, engineering, warehouse, and quality departments.
• Identify production bottlenecks and implement solutions that improve operational efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with all safety policies, OSHA regulations, and company operating procedures.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, and Continuous Improvement initiatives throughout the operation.
• Support new product introductions and ensure efficient transition into production.

Production & Equipment Management

• Oversee manufacturing operations involving automated production equipment, industrial machinery, electrical assembly processes, and metal fabrication.
• Coordinate equipment maintenance activities with maintenance personnel to maximize machine uptime and production efficiency.
• Monitor production capacity and recommend improvements to equipment, staffing, and workflow.
• Ensure manufacturing equipment is utilized safely and effectively.

Quality & Operational Excellence

• Partner with Quality to reduce defects, improve first-pass yield, and maintain manufacturing standards.
• Collaborate with Engineering to improve manufacturability and production efficiency.
• Maintain accurate production reporting, ERP data, and operational metrics.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures that improve consistency and efficiency.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Warehouse, Quality, and Customer Service to support manufacturing goals.
• Participate in forecasting, capacity planning, inventory management, and production planning.
• Assist senior leadership with operational strategy and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build and mentor high-performing manufacturing teams while supporting employee development and engagement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of Manufacturing Operations Management experience within a production environment.
• Experience managing manufacturing teams, supervisors, and production personnel.
• Strong understanding of production planning, manufacturing workflows, inventory management, and operational KPIs.
• Experience leading manufacturing operations involving automated machinery, electrical equipment, industrial products, or heavy manufacturing.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments.

Preferred Experience

Candidates with experience manufacturing the following products are highly preferred:

• Electrical power distribution equipment
• Switchgear
• Circuit breakers
• Industrial electrical equipment
• Industrial automation equipment
• Electrical assemblies
• Control panels
• Transformers
• Generators
• Heavy industrial equipment
• Aerospace components
• HVAC equipment
• Commercial appliances
• Metal fabrication with electrical assembly

Ideal Industry Backgrounds

We are particularly interested in candidates from companies involved in:

• Aerospace Manufacturing
• Electrical Equipment Manufacturing
• Industrial Automation
• Power Distribution Equipment
• Heavy Industrial Machinery
• Commercial HVAC Manufacturing
• Appliance Manufacturing
• Industrial Controls
• Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing