Production Manager

About the job Production Manager


PRODUCTION MANAGER

Steel Fabrication

High-Growth Manufacturer | Seymour, IN (relocating to Franklin, IN)
The Opportunity
A well-capitalized, high-growth steel fabrication business is hiring a Production Manager to lead the shop through its most important phase of growth: a move from a 30,000 sq ft facility to a purpose-built 100,000 sq ft facility, with workforce projected to triple over the growth horizon.

The business today runs $25M in revenue with a lean team of 22 and a tech-forward operation. The role reports directly to the company President, who owns P&L, commercial strategy, and external reporting. This position owns production.
Why This Role is Different

• Own the shop. You run production - the President runs the rest. Clear lane, real authority.
• Build, don't just run. New facility, new capacity, new headcount, new systems. You get to shape the operation, not just inherit it.
• Capital behind you. Equipment, technology, hiring, and facility investment are funded - not fighting for scraps.
• Tech-forward operation. The shop already runs on Tekla PowerFab with custom production dashboards. You won't be convincing anyone that data matters - you'll be using it to run the floor.
• Phantom equity participation. Real long-term upside tied to a successful exit of the business.

What You'll Own

• End-to-end production - scheduling, throughput, quality, safety, shipping, and outside processor coordination across Drill, Weld, Fit-up, Paint, and Final Inspection.
• The shop team - working through the lead shop foreman today and developing the next layer of station leads and supervisors as the team grows.
• On-time delivery - moving pieces from Not Started queue through WIP, At Coater, Ready to Ship, and Shipped on schedule and on spec.
• Facility transition - leading the operational side of the move from the existing 30K sq ft facility to the new 100K sq ft footprint with minimal disruption to customers.
• Workforce scale-up - hiring, onboarding, and training the people needed to grow the team without breaking the culture or the quality.
• Systems and data - using and expanding the existing Tekla PowerFab production dashboards to run the floor. Planned-vs-actual dates enforced, dormant jobs eliminated, data used daily.
• Safety and compliance - owning safety performance as headcount grows. Non-negotiable.

First 12-18 Month Priorities

• Stabilize and elevate throughput at the current facility. Pieces and tons per week up, stale WIP down, on-time delivery up.
• Lead the operational planning and execution of the facility transition - layout, workflow, equipment placement, move sequencing, and go-live.
• Develop the shop foreman and emerging leaders into the next layer of production leadership.
• Build the hiring and training infrastructure needed to scale the workforce.
• Tighten outside processor handoffs (galvanizers, blasters, coaters) so pieces don't sit.
• Partner with the President on capacity planning - what capex, what hires, what commitments the commercial team can confidently make.

What We're Looking For
Required

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in a fabrication or heavy manufacturing environment, with at least 3 years running production as a Production Manager, Shop Manager, Operations Manager, or strong #2 to a GM.
• Steel fabrication experience strongly preferred. Candidates from heavy manufacturing (structural, industrial, heavy equipment, etc.) will be considered if they can speak fluently to production flow, routing, and shop-floor economics.
• Financial literacy - you understand where margin is made and lost on the shop floor, even if you haven't owned the full P&L yet. You run production with a cost lens.
• Experience through a growth period - meaningful headcount increase, facility expansion or relocation, or significant capacity change. You know what breaks when a shop scales.
• Genuine technical and computer savvy. Comfortable in ERP and production systems, able to use and direct the build of reporting and dashboards, and you view technology as leverage - not overhead.
• Working knowledge of best-in-class fabrication workflows - scheduling, pull systems, station balancing, WIP management, outside processor coordination, and shipping logistics.
• Strong people leadership. You set clear expectations, develop your team, hold the line on accountability, and build a culture that wants to perform.
• Safety-first mindset and track record.

Strongly Preferred

• Tekla PowerFab experience - hands-on use of PowerFab for production status, scheduling, shipping, and reporting is a significant differentiator. Candidates who can speak to PowerFab exports, pipeline stages, and how to drive decisions from the data will stand out.
• Experience through a facility move, greenfield build-out, or shop layout redesign.
• Experience building or improving operational dashboards and KPI reporting.
• AWS welding/fabrication code familiarity; exposure to AISC-certified environments.
• Lean, Six Sigma, TPS, or equivalent continuous improvement training and application.

The Person

• You run toward problems. Stale WIP, missed ship dates, and broken handoffs don't sit long on your watch.
• You're equally comfortable in steel-toes on the shop floor and in Excel or a BI tool building the case for change.
• You think in systems - how a piece moves from Not Started to Shipped, where it gets stuck, and what data would tell you sooner.
• You're direct, you communicate clearly, and you want the shop to be right more than you want to be right.
• You want to build something and grow with it. This is a role for a hungry operator, not a landing strip for someone coasting to retirement.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $100,000 - $130,000 based on experience, with room to grow based on performance and scope expansion.
• Performance-based annual bonus tied to operational results.
• Full benefits package including health, dental, vision, and retirement.
• Relocation support will be discussed for the right candidate, including the transition from Seymour to Franklin.
• Direct reporting line to the company President.

How to Apply
This search is being conducted confidentially through Top Talent. Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a resume and a brief note on why this role is of interest. All inquiries will be held in confidence.

The hiring company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.