Operations Manager - Open Die Forging

Job Description

Job Description

The Operations Manager will have direct accountability for all aspects of daily forging production — leading press operators, furnace operators, and finishing personnel across all shifts. This is a floor-level leadership role. The right candidate is equally comfortable in a production meeting and standing next to a press watching metal move. A working knowledge of aluminum alloys and forging metallurgy is essential to earning the respect of the team and making sound production decisions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Daily Production Leadership

•     Own daily forging production — scheduling, throughput, on-time delivery, and shift-to-shift communication

•     Be a visible, hands-on presence on the production floor across all shifts — not a desk-bound role

•     Direct and develop press operators, furnace operators, manipulator operators, and finishing personnel

•     Coordinate production priorities with scheduling, sales, and customer service to meet delivery commitments

•     Identify and eliminate bottlenecks — work through problems in real time rather than waiting for someone else to solve them

Metallurgy & Process Knowledge

•     Apply working knowledge of aluminum alloy systems — 2000, 6000, and 7000 series — to support production decision-making on heat, reduction, and finishing requirements

•     Understand open die forging process fundamentals — ingot breakdown, billet preparation, heating practices, forging sequences, and dimensional control

•     Partner with engineering and quality on non-conformances, material anomalies, and process deviations

•     Support heat treat operations — understanding how T4, T6, and T73/T74 tempers affect the forging workflow and customer requirements

Quality & Safety

•     Ensure all forgings meet dimensional, visual, and metallurgical requirements before advancing to the next operation

•     Drive a safety-first culture on the floor — enforce PPE compliance, LOTO procedures, and safe work practices

•     Participate in root cause analysis for quality escapes, customer complaints, and production incidents

•     Support NADCAP, AS9100, and customer audit readiness as applicable

Team Development & Leadership

•     Hire, train, evaluate, and develop production personnel — build bench strength and cross-training capability

•     Hold supervisors and team leads accountable to production targets, quality standards, and safety requirements

•     Foster a positive, high-performance shop floor culture built on mutual respect and clear expectations

•     Work closely with maintenance to minimize press downtime and keep equipment running reliably

Continuous Improvement

•     Track and report production KPIs — throughput, scrap, OEE, on-time delivery, and labor efficiency

•     Identify and lead improvement projects to increase capacity, reduce waste, and lower cost

•     Collaborate with engineering on new part launches, process qualifications, and customer program support

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

•     5+ years of production leadership experience in forging, foundry, or heavy metals manufacturing — open die forging experience strongly preferred

•     Working knowledge of aluminum alloys and basic forging metallurgy — able to speak credibly about alloy selection, heat treat tempers, and how material properties affect the forging process

•     Hands-on leadership style — candidates who manage from behind a desk will not be the right fit for this environment

•     Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop a production workforce across multiple shifts

•     Strong communication skills — able to work effectively with operators on the floor, engineering, quality, and senior management

Preferred

•     Direct open die forging experience — aluminum, titanium, or specialty alloy forging operations

•     Aerospace or defense forging supply chain experience — familiarity with AS9100, NADCAP, and OEM customer requirements

•     Experience with hydraulic press operations and large manipulator systems

•     Heat treat process familiarity — solution heat treat, quench, and aging of aluminum aerospace alloys

•     CMMS experience for maintenance coordination and press downtime tracking

United Employment Group, Inc. is a search and placement firm specializing in Concrete Products and Construction, Metals, Refrigeration, Engineering/Surveying and Plastic Industries.

Company Description

United Employment Group, Inc. is a search and placement firm specializing in Concrete Products and Construction, Metals, Refrigeration, Engineering/Surveying and Plastic Industries.