Value Stream Manager II - Cut, Bend, Weld & Paint

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Value Stream Manager II – Cut, Bend, Weld & Paint

Department: Operations

Location: Cudahy, WI

Job Type: Full-Time

Reports To: Director of Operations

Position Summary

The Value Stream Manager II is responsible for the safety, quality, delivery, cost, and overall performance of the Cut, Bend, Weld, and Paint manufacturing departments. This position leads daily production activities and develops the people, processes, and systems needed to support the efficient manufacture of electrical distribution products.

The Value Stream Manager II works closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Planning, and other production leaders to resolve operational issues, improve manufacturing flow, and ensure customer requirements are met. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a strong presence on the manufacturing floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Safety and Compliance
• Promote a safety-first culture and ensure employees follow all safety policies, procedures, and work instructions.
• Conduct routine safety observations and address unsafe conditions or behaviors promptly.
• Ensure proper use of personal protective equipment and safe operation of fabrication, welding, and paint equipment.
• Support incident investigations, corrective actions, and required employee safety training.
• Maintain clean, organized, and compliant work areas using 5S principles.

Production Leadership

• Direct daily operations across the cutting, bending, welding, and painting processes.
• Translate production schedules and priorities into clear daily assignments for employees.
• Monitor production progress, labor utilization, equipment capacity, and workflow throughout each shift.
• Adjust staffing and production priorities to respond to changing customer and operational needs.
• Ensure jobs move efficiently between work centers and downstream operations.
• Identify and escalate material, equipment, quality, engineering, or staffing constraints that could affect delivery.
• Maintain accurate production, labor, and status information within company systems.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, team leads, welders, fabricators, painters, and other production employees.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold employees accountable for safety, quality, productivity, attendance, and workplace conduct.
• Conduct regular employee check-ins and provide timely, constructive feedback.
• Partner with Human Resources on hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and employee relations matters.
• Identify skill gaps and develop cross-training plans to improve workforce flexibility.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, urgency, and continuous improvement.

Quality and Process Control

• Ensure fabricated and painted components meet drawings, specifications, customer requirements, and internal quality standards.
• Confirm employees are working from current drawings, job travelers, work instructions, and production documentation.
• Support the investigation and resolution of nonconforming material, rework, scrap, and customer quality concerns.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Monitor weld quality, dimensional accuracy, surface preparation, paint application, and finished-product quality.
• Ensure processes and documentation support applicable quality-system requirements.

Continuous Improvement

• Analyze production data to identify opportunities involving throughput, labor efficiency, quality, capacity, and cost.
• Lead improvement efforts related to workflow, standard work, visual management, changeover reduction, workplace organization, and material movement.
• Reduce waste, rework, scrap, bottlenecks, and unnecessary handling throughout the value stream.
• Support the implementation of new equipment, tooling, automation, and manufacturing processes.
• Develop and monitor measurable action plans to address recurring operational issues.
• Encourage employees to identify problems and participate in practical process improvements.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with Planning and Supply Chain to ensure materials and production priorities are aligned.
• Work with Engineering to address drawing questions, manufacturability concerns, and engineering changes.
• Coordinate with Quality to resolve inspection issues and prevent recurring defects.
• Work with Maintenance to prioritize equipment repairs and preventive maintenance needs.
• Communicate production risks, resource needs, and performance results to operations leadership.
• Support new-product introduction and the transition of new or revised products into production.

Performance Expectations

Success in this role will be measured through performance in the following areas:

• Employee safety and compliance
• Product quality and first-pass yield
• On-time delivery and schedule attainment
• Labor efficiency and productivity
• Scrap, rework, and operating costs
• Employee training and cross-functional capability
• Equipment utilization and production capacity
• Continuous-improvement results
• Employee engagement and accountability

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Operations Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field; equivalent manufacturing leadership experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of progressive manufacturing experience.
• Three or more years of experience leading employees, supervisors, or production teams.
• Experience in metal fabrication, welding, paint, electrical equipment, engineered-to-order manufacturing, or a similar environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee performance.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, bills of material, production schedules, and work instructions.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, standard work, 5S, and continuous-improvement methods.
• Experience using ERP, production-management, and Microsoft Office systems.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, organization, and decision-making skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience manufacturing switchgear, electrical distribution equipment, enclosures, or other engineered products.
• Familiarity with CNC cutting and forming equipment, welding processes, surface preparation, powder coating, or industrial paint operations.
• Experience in a high-mix, low-volume or engineered-to-order manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 or a comparable quality-management system.
• Lean, Six Sigma, welding, or other relevant technical certification.
• Experience developing production metrics, capacity plans, and labor forecasts.

Physical and Work Environment Requirements

• Ability to work regularly on the manufacturing floor around fabrication, welding, material-handling, and paint operations.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and move throughout production areas.
• Ability to occasionally lift or move materials weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment.
• Ability to work additional hours as operational needs require.
• Regular exposure to manufacturing noise, moving equipment, welding activity, dust, fumes, and varying temperatures.