Assistant Production Manager - 3rd Shift

Job Description

Job Description

Applied Laboratories is seeking a proven manufacturing leader to join our operations team as an Assistant Production Manager – 3rd Shift . This position serves as the primary operational leader for the assigned shift and functions as the second-in-command to the Production Manager. The role provides hands-on leadership for daily manufacturing operations while driving accountability, workforce development, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across supervisors, leads, departments, and shifts.

This opportunity is ideal for a high-potential Production Supervisor ready to advance into operations management or a current manufacturing manager seeking a leadership role with significant influence and growth potential .

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead overall third-shift production operations, including staffing, production flow, troubleshooting, and execution of daily manufacturing objectives.
• Serve as the primary operational leader for the assigned shift and act as the Production Manager's designated second-in-command.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop Production Supervisors, Production Leads, and frontline leaders.
• Drive accountability, consistency, and alignment across departments and shifts.
• Identify operational performance gaps and implement corrective actions related to safety, quality, productivity, staffing, training, attendance, and employee performance.
• Partner with the Production Manager on workforce planning, leadership development, succession planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support employee relations, performance management, coaching, corrective action, and leadership development efforts in partnership with Human Resources.
• Monitor key performance indicators including productivity, labor efficiency, downtime, scrap, quality performance, and staffing effectiveness.
• Lead problem-solving and root cause analysis efforts to improve operational performance.
• Coordinate with Planning, Quality, Maintenance, Warehouse, and other support functions to remove barriers and maintain production flow.
• Maintain a strong floor presence by providing real-time leadership, operational support, and issue resolution.
• Ensure compliance with GMPs, SOPs, batch record requirements, safety standards, quality requirements, and company policies.
• Support investigations, CAPA activities, corrective actions, and continuous improvement projects.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Proven manufacturing leadership experience with responsibility for supervising employees, teams, departments, or production operations.
• Experience coaching and developing supervisors, team leads, or frontline leaders strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success driving operational performance, accountability, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience with employee relations, performance management, workforce development, and leadership coaching.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, productivity improvement, safety practices, and quality systems.
• GMP, FDA-regulated manufacturing, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, consumer packaged goods, or similar regulated manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, conflict resolution, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to lead in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while balancing safety, quality, delivery, and productivity objectives.

Ideal Candidate

• An experienced Production Supervisor who has demonstrated the ability to lead through others and is ready for the next step into management.
• A current Production Manager, Operations Manager, or Manufacturing Manager seeking a new challenge and growth opportunity.
• A leader with a track record of improving performance, developing teams, solving operational problems, and driving accountability.
• Someone who enjoys being highly visible on the production floor and actively engaged with employees and operations.

Work Environment

This position works in a manufacturing environment and requires compliance with all safety, GMP, sanitation, and PPE requirements. Employees must be able to stand, walk, bend, reach, push, pull, and lift materials while working around manufacturing equipment, machinery, chemicals, cleaning agents, noise, and other typical production conditions.

Why Join Applied Laboratories?

Applied Laboratories is expanding production capacity to support increasing customer demand. This position offers the opportunity to play a key leadership role in a growing manufacturing organization while helping develop future leaders, improve operational performance, and support long-term business growth.

Applied Laboratories, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.