Production Manager (Greater Indianapolis)

Production Manager – Automotive Manufacturing

Location: Shelbyville, IN (Indianapolis Metro area)

Department: Production

Reports To: Plant Manager

Schedule: 24/7 Manufacturing Operation

Relocation: Relocation assistance may be available for the right candidate

About the Opportunity

Our client is a growing Tier I automotive supplier with a large, 24/7 manufacturing operation serving major automotive OEMs. Due to continued growth, they are seeking an experienced Production Manager III to lead fabrication operations and play a key role in the continued development of the plant.

This is a highly visible leadership position with responsibility for 3 direct reports and approximately 250 indirect employees across a large hourly and salaried workforce.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in automotive manufacturing, JIT production, high-volume operations, and team leadership . Experience in automotive glass or glass fabrication would be a major advantage .

Position Overview

The Production Manager will direct and coordinate production activities to ensure the highest levels of safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost performance .

This position will oversee fabrication operations, monitor material flow and production performance, address operational issues, and work closely with internal teams and customers to ensure production and delivery expectations are consistently met.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, plan and execute daily production and fabrication operations.
• Directly manage 3 salaried team members while providing leadership to approximately 250 hourly and salaried employees .
• Develop, monitor and maintain production KPIs and performance metrics.
• Ensure production targets for throughput, downtime, yield, scrap and overall productivity are achieved.
• Maintain a strong focus on safety, quality, housekeeping and operational discipline .
• Ensure employees are properly trained and understand production standards, processes and expectations.
• Monitor production flow, finished-goods demand and shipment requirements.
• Identify and escalate potential production, quality, material or delivery issues.
• Lead problem-solving activities and drive effective corrective actions.
• Promote continuous improvement and operational efficiency throughout the production areas.
• Build constructive relationships with employees at all levels and address performance and attendance issues appropriately.
• Work closely with internal departments, contractors and customers to ensure production requirements are being met.
• Support environmental, safety and company compliance requirements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement and customer focus.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned by the Plant Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing or a related technical field preferred.
• 3+ years of successful production/manufacturing management experience.
• Strong experience leading large manufacturing teams in a high-volume, 24/7 environment .
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with JIT manufacturing, material flow and customer delivery requirements .
• Demonstrated ability to lead hourly and salaried employees in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of an organization.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills.
• Demonstrated ability to drive results while maintaining high standards for safety and quality.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience with continuous improvement / Lean Manufacturing methodologies preferred.
• Experience working with unionized manufacturing environments is a plus.
• Experience managing outsourced or contract manufacturing relationships is a plus.

Preferred Experience

• Automotive Glass / Glass Fabrication
• Tier I automotive supplier experience
• JIT / sequenced manufacturing
• Large-scale production operations
• Union manufacturing environment
• Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma
• KPI development and performance management
• Continuous improvement and structured problem solving

What We're Looking For

The successful candidate will be a hands-on, accountable manufacturing leader who can manage through people, drive production performance and solve problems in a fast-paced environment .

This is an excellent opportunity for a Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Operations Manager, Production Superintendent or Assistant Plant Manager who is ready to take on significant operational responsibility within a growing automotive manufacturing operation.

Relocation candidates will be considered for the right individual.