Manufacturing Production Manager

Manufacturing Production Manager Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication

Location : Huntington Beach, CA Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Manufacturing Production Manager to oversee daily production operations for a precision sheet metal fabrication job shop serving aerospace and commercial customers.

The Production Manager will be responsible for planning and scheduling production, coordinating workflow across multiple work centers, supervising production personnel, optimizing labor and machine utilization, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring jobs are completed safely, on time, within budget, and to required quality standards .

This is a hands-on leadership position requiring strong knowledge of precision sheet metal fabrication processes, production scheduling, and shop-floor management. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working directly with operators and supervisors to keep production moving efficiently and resolve issues before they impact delivery schedules.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day production activities and ensure the shop floor operates efficiently.

• Develop, manage, and adjust daily production schedules based on customer priorities, job requirements, available labor, and machine capacity.

• Move jobs between work centers to maintain a continuous and efficient workflow.

• Coordinate production across multiple operations, including:

  • Laser machining/cutting

  • Deburring

  • Shearing

  • Press brake forming

  • Welding

  • Hardware installation

  • Finishing

• Reassign operators between machines and departments as production priorities change.

• Monitor job progress and identify potential delays, capacity constraints, and bottlenecks before they affect delivery schedules.

• Take immediate corrective action to resolve production issues and keep jobs on schedule.

• Review work orders, blueprints, job travelers, and other manufacturing documentation to ensure production requirements are understood and followed.

• Ensure materials, tooling, equipment, and labor are available to support production schedules.

• Monitor machine and labor utilization and identify opportunities to improve productivity.

• Supervise, coach, and develop production personnel while maintaining accountability for performance and attendance.

• Promote a safe, organized, and productive work environment.

• Ensure production activities comply with established quality requirements, company procedures, and applicable aerospace standards.

• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, Sales, Purchasing, and other departments to resolve production issues and meet customer requirements.

• Monitor production performance metrics, including productivity, efficiency, quality, throughput, and on-time delivery.

• Identify opportunities for process improvements, waste reduction, improved workflow, and increased production efficiency.

• Assist with resolving employee and production-related conflicts in a professional and effective manner.

• Maintain accurate production records and use computer systems for reporting, scheduling, communication, and production tracking.

• Ensure completed jobs are properly processed and ready for shipment according to customer requirements and established schedules.

Required Qualifications

• Previous experience in production management, manufacturing supervision, or a similar leadership role within a metal fabrication or manufacturing environment.

• Strong hands-on knowledge of precision sheet metal fabrication processes.

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, and manufacturing specifications .

• Experience scheduling and coordinating work across multiple machines and production departments.

• Demonstrated experience managing production personnel and coordinating daily shop-floor activities.

• Experience with several or all of the following:

  • Laser machining/cutting

  • Deburring

  • Shearing

  • Press brake operations

  • Welding

  • Hardware installation

  • Finishing

• Strong understanding of production planning, scheduling, workflow management, and capacity planning.

• Ability to identify production bottlenecks and implement solutions before they impact delivery.

• Strong organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills.

• Excellent communication, leadership, and conflict-resolution skills.

• Ability to work effectively with diverse teams and collaborate across multiple departments.

• Comfortable using computers for production reporting, communication, scheduling, and documentation.

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Qualifications

• AS9100 and aerospace manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

• Experience working in a precision sheet metal fabrication job shop serving aerospace customers.

• Previous experience managing production in an aerospace or similarly regulated manufacturing environment.

• Experience with quality control systems and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Familiarity with manufacturing ERP/MRP or production-management systems.

• Associate or bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field is a plus.

• Fluent bilingual English/Spanish communication skills strongly preferred.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on Production Manager who understands both the technical and people-management sides of manufacturing. They should be comfortable walking the production floor, communicating directly with operators, adjusting priorities, solving problems in real time, and making decisions that keep production moving.

The successful candidate will be able to balance quality, productivity, labor, machine capacity, customer priorities, and delivery schedules while maintaining a safe and organized work environment.

Key Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by the ability to:

• Keep production schedules on track.

• Improve on-time delivery.

• Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks.

• Optimize machine and labor utilization.

• Maintain required quality standards.

• Reduce production delays and downtime.

• Effectively manage and develop production personnel.

• Improve overall shop-floor efficiency and workflow.