Production Manager

Description

The Production Manager leads daily production for Fortem’s Drone Hangar and net product lines in the new manufacturing building. This role directly supervises production technicians and is accountable for safe operations, schedule attainment, product quality, team development, and efficient use of labor and materials.

Reporting to the Director of Manufacturing, the Production Manager translates approved production plans into daily work assignments, monitors results, and resolves issues within the assigned production area. This leader develops technician skills and reinforces consistent operating practices as production volume and workforce size increase.

The Production Manager is accountable for achieving assigned production, quality, labor, and safety targets; maintaining accurate production status; and promptly escalating risks that could affect delivery commitments or require decisions outside the manager’s authority.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning & Execution

• Execute approved production schedules for Drone Hangars and nets; assign daily and weekly work, allocate available labor, and monitor progress against output targets.
• Adjust work assignments within approved priorities to address bottlenecks and production interruptions; escalate constraints requiring additional resources or changes to delivery commitments to the Director.
• Coordinate with inventory, warehouse, and material planning personnel to confirm material, kit, tool, and equipment readiness and resolve shortages affecting production.
• Review near-term production requirements and readiness daily, identify risks to schedule attainment early, and communicate recovery plans and support needs to the Director.

People Leadership & Development

• Directly supervise production technicians; set expectations, provide coaching, manage performance, and reinforce accountability for safety, quality, and output.
• Implement training and cross-training plans to build proficiency and staffing flexibility; verify employees are qualified for assigned work.
• Coordinate shared staffing needs with other production managers and refer competing resource priorities to the Director.
• Establish clear daily expectations for each technician and work team, regularly review individual and team performance, and address attendance, conduct, training, and performance issues promptly.
• Build a flexible, multi-skilled team through documented training and cross-training, while ensuring technicians perform only work for which they are trained and authorized.

Quality & Process Compliance

• Ensure technicians follow current work instructions, drawings, bills of materials, inspection requirements, and approved manufacturing processes.
• Work with Quality Assurance and Engineering to contain defects, investigate causes, and implement approved corrective actions that reduce scrap and rework.
• Ensure accurate, timely recording of labor, material consumption, work-order status, and required product traceability in manufacturing systems.
• Do not allow production pressure to bypass required inspections, approvals, configuration controls, or traceability requirements; promptly escalate any documentation or process discrepancy that could affect product conformity.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Track and report schedule attainment, throughput, labor productivity, quality, scrap, and rework; communicate variances and corrective actions to the Director.
• Improve workstation organization, local material flow, and work methods within approved standards; coordinate process changes with Engineering and Quality Assurance as required.
• Use daily performance data to identify missed targets and recurring constraints, assign corrective actions within the production area, and verify that improvements are sustained.
• Maintain visibility into work in progress, labor utilization, and production completion estimates; ensure reported status reflects actual shop-floor conditions and ERP records.

Safety & Workplace Organization

• Enforce safe work practices and housekeeping standards; address hazards and equipment concerns promptly and stop unsafe work when necessary.
• Conduct routine floor checks to reinforce safety, 5S, equipment readiness, and adherence to standard work; ensure hazards and near misses are reported and addressed through the appropriate process.

Requirements

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, or technical assembly operations, including at least 2 years directly supervising production personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to execute production schedules, assign work, and meet output and quality expectations.
• Experience coaching technicians, managing performance, and developing employee skills in a hands-on manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of work instructions, drawings, bills of materials, and work orders.
• Experience resolving production constraints involving labor, materials, equipment, or quality.
• Familiarity with inventory transactions, production reporting, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) or manufacturing tracking systems.
• Strong communication, organization, and practical problem-solving skills; able to coordinate effectively with Engineering, Quality Assurance, and material support teams.
• Demonstrated ability to lead daily shop-floor execution, hold technicians accountable to defined standards, and escalate issues with clear facts, impacts, and recommended actions.

Preferred Skills

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, engineering, operations, or a related field.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, unmanned aircraft systems, electromechanical assembly, or related technical manufacturing environments.
• Experience supervising mechanical assembly, fabricated products, or textile and net assembly operations.
• Experience supporting a new production area, facility expansion, or significant production growth.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, 5S, standard work, visual management, and root-cause problem-solving.
• Experience in a controlled manufacturing environment with configuration management and product traceability requirements.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable manufacturing leadership certification.

ABOUT US

Fortem Technologies is the global leader in airspace security, delivering advanced solutions that protect against today’s autonomous aerial threats while ensuring the safety of tomorrow’s advanced air mobility. Fortem’s AI-powered SkyDome® Family of Systems combines TrueView™ sensors, command-and-control software, and autonomous DroneHunter® interceptors to defend military, government, and commercial operations worldwide from hostile or unauthorized drones. Fortem is the only company authorized to deploy a drone-on-drone kinetic interceptor in U.S. airspace, and its technology has been validated in operational deployments across Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia.

Headquartered in Lindon, Utah, Fortem is privately held and backed by Lockheed Martin, DCVC, Toshiba, AE Industrial Partners, AIM13, Signia Venture Partners, and others.

Fortem Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We believe that diversity drives innovation and makes us stronger.