Production Manager

Production Manager

Position Overview: As our Production Manager, you will lead high-volume CNC machining, parts cleaning, and assembly operations within a greenfield startup facility designed to produce 50,000 precision machines per year. Reporting directly to the CEO/COO, you will play a critical leadership role in building the production system from the ground up establishing the workforce, defining operating rhythms, commissioning the equipment, and driving the facility from initial startup to full-rate production. You will hold full operational ownership for daily manufacturing output, quality, cost, safety, and reliability performance while serving as the primary production voice to executive leadership. This role is ideal for a driven manufacturing leader who thrives in fast-paced, highly technical, and ambiguous startup environments.

Location: On-site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Your Day to Day as a Production Manager:

• Lead facility commissioning including equipment installation, tooling readiness, process qualification, and production verification across CNC machining, cleaning, and assembly operations.
• Develop a complete manufacturing ramp plan with milestones, resources, risk mitigation, and execution strategies aligned to launch timelines.
• Establish standard operating procedures, work instructions, control plans, and quality systems prior to first production.
• Build and operate the 2-shift production schedule and coordinate 3-shift maintenance operations to maximize equipment availability.
• Stand up ERP/MES systems and shop-floor data infrastructure to support real-time production visibility.
• Own daily, weekly, and monthly manufacturing output performance against the 50,000 units/year plan.
• Oversee CNC machining, parts cleaning, and assembly departments to ensure balanced capacity and smooth material flow.
• Establish and review KPIs including OEE, throughput, scrap/rework, cycle time, and first-pass yield.
• Drive capacity planning, production scheduling, and material coordination with Supply Chain to meet build requirements.
• Champion 5S, visual management, standardized work, and a highly disciplined operational culture.
• Direct maintenance operations, ensuring PM compliance, uptime performance, MTTR, and MTBF targets are achieved.
• Govern preventive maintenance programs and maintenance inventory strategies.
• Lead rapid response actions to downtime events with formal root cause and corrective action follow-up.
• Maintain in-process inspection protocols, SPC, MSA/Gage R&R, corrective action workflows, and quality checkpoints throughout machining, cleaning, and assembly processes.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma improvement efforts, conducting Kaizen events and eliminating operational waste.
• Ensure readiness for required certifications (ISO 9001, IATF 16949 or equivalent).
• Build the manufacturing workforce including supervisors, technicians, operators, and maintenance staff across all shifts.
• Implement onboarding, training, cross-training, and performance management cadences.
• Foster a safety-first, high-accountability culture with strong leadership presence on the production floor.
• Identify and develop high-potential employees and create succession plans for key roles.
• Serve as the ultimate safety authority; ensure compliance with OSHA, BWXT safety standards, LOTO, machine guarding, PPE, and chemical handling protocols.
• Lead accident investigations, environmental compliance efforts, and systemic corrective actions.
• Own the manufacturing budget including labor, consumables, tooling, MRO, and overhead.
• Build annual operating budgets, rolling forecasts, and capital requests in partnership with Finance.
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities through process optimization, scrap reduction, and labor efficiency improvements.
• Provide manufacturing cost inputs for product costing and business cases.
• Represent production on the executive leadership team, communicating performance, risks, and opportunities.
• Partner with Engineering on DFM reviews, change management, and NPI readiness.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain on material flow, vendor qualification, and supplier quality.
• Provide production capacity and lead-time support to Sales and Customer Service.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field.
• Minimum 1215 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success launching a new manufacturing facility or production line from startup through full-rate production.
• Hands-on expertise with CNC machining environments turning, milling, multi-axis machining, tooling, fixturing, and machine capability.
• Experience leading parts cleaning operations (aqueous, solvent, ultrasonic) and associated waste-handling requirements.
• Background managing high-volume mechanical or electromechanical assembly operations (?25,000 units/year).
• Experience managing preventive/predictive maintenance organizations.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a manufacturing startup or rapid-scaling environment.
• Background in aerospace, defense, automotive, medical devices, or advanced industrial machinery.
• Experience implementing ERP/MES systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Plex, or equivalent.
• Experience with capital equipment procurement, process validation, and facility layout planning.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt certification.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Flexible schedules and paid time off (as applicable for leadership roles).
• Professional development, mentorship, and continuing education support.
• A collaborative, inclusive workplace that values diverse perspectives.
• Opportunities to directly support high-impact national security and nuclear manufacturing missions.
• Continuous learning and long-term career advancement opportunities across BWXT.

Pay: $131,480 - $207,000