Manager, Manufacturing

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

The Manager, Manufacturing owns safety, quality, delivery and cost performance for an assigned manufacturing cell or operating area. This position turns business and factory priorities into an executable operating plan, leads through cell-based teams and support resources, and builds predictable performance through disciplined daily management, standard work and continuous improvement. The individual in this position develops manufacturing talent, partners across functions and balances current customer commitments with future capacity, technology and capability needs.

What You Will Do at Graco

Operating Performance and Results Ownership

• Own safety, quality, delivery and cost results for the assigned operation and take timely corrective action when performance is off plan.
• Develop and execute annual operating, staffing, capacity and budget plans aligned with factory and business priorities.
• Use data and performance routines to identify trends, manage constraints and make fact-based tradeoffs across service, productivity, cost and inventory.
• Establish a tiered daily management system with clear accountability, escalation and recovery routines that create stable operations and sustained follow-through.

Manufacturing Operating System and Continuous Improvement

• Lead production operations, including capacity and constraint management, equipment reliability coordination, inventory and WIP control, labor productivity, process control, and budget performance.
• Create, sustain and improve standard work, daily management routines and visual performance systems.
• Ensure consistent application of operating systems and compliance with safety, environmental, quality and company requirements.
• Establishes and sustains the manufacturing operating system through leader standard work, visual management, process discipline, and daily accountability.
• Champions improvement initiatives that strengthen operational performance, increase productivity, and improve quality, delivery, and cost outcomes.

Cross-Functional Execution and Readiness

• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Planning, Sourcing, Maintenance, Finance, Human Resources and other functions to achieve shared business outcomes.
• Lead manufacturing readiness for new product introductions, tooling changes, process upgrades and capital investments.
• Ensure manufacturing requirements, capacity, material flow and operating risks are represented in upstream decisions.
• Drive cross-functional alignment by clearly communicating operational priorities, risks, tradeoffs, and recovery plans to factory and business partners.

Team Leadership and Financial Management

• Lead, mentor, manage, and staff a team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and promoting a culture of excellence.
• Drive team performance by setting clear goals, providing ongoing feedback, and facilitating professional growth opportunities.
• Manage employee performance and conduct through regular feedback, recognition, coaching, corrective action, while applying work rules consistently and in alignment with company policies and labor requirements.
• Establish, manage, and be accountable for the annual cell budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and alignment with organizational strategic objectives.
• Build staffing, cross-training and succession plans for critical manufacturing roles and skills.
• Translate operating and capital budgets, workforce plans and productivity commitments into clear priorities and resource decisions.

What You Will Bring to Graco

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of progressive manufacturing, production, operations or related experience, including production leadership, process improvement, capacity planning and capital-equipment exposure.
• 2+ years of leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading front-line manufacturing teams and delivering results across safety, quality, delivery and cost.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing, productivity and operational performance.
• Strong systems thinking, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional leadership skills
• Ability to coach leaders, communicate tradeoffs and sustain accountability through change.

Accelerators

• MBA, Master’s degree or advanced technical degree.
• Lean, Six Sigma or related continuous improvement certification.
• Experience in an engineered-products or multi-process manufacturing environment.
• Experience with manufacturing information systems, ERP/MRP, data visualization or operational analytics.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent and unrestricted basis. This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship now or in the future (e.g., H-1B, TN, E-3, O-1, L-1, or employment-based permanent residence sponsorship). Candidates working under temporary employment authorization, including F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, or similar programs, are not eligible for this position.

At Graco, you truly make a difference. Your unique talents contribute to our organizational growth and future. Not only do you make a difference, but Graco’s culture empowers employees to create their own career path. Whether you choose to advance within your current department or explore new opportunities in different divisions, you have the ability to build your future. Our managers are here to provide support and guidance as you continue to grow within your career.

Graco has excellent opportunities available to individuals who want to be part of a fast-moving, growing company that is committed to quality, innovation and solving fluid handling problems for our customers. Graco is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by Fortune Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022. Graco offers attractive compensation, benefits and career development opportunities. Graco’s comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, stock purchase plan, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more.

Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment and eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit

The base pay range for this position is listed below, exclusive of fringe benefits or other compensation. If you are hired, your final base hourly rate will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, competencies, education, and/or experience. In addition to those factors, we will also consider internal equity of our current employees. Please keep in mind that the range provided is the full base salary range for the role. Hiring at or near the maximum of the range would not be typical to allow for future and continued salary growth.