Production Manager

Production Manager

The Production Manager is responsible for leading the successful planning, development, startup, and operational launch of a new manufacturing production line for Medium Power Transformers. During the initial project phase (approximately 12 months), this position will partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Planning, Quality, EH&S, and Operations leadership to establish all manufacturing systems, workforce capability, production processes, and operational infrastructure necessary for successful production launch. The Production Manager will lead manufacturing readiness activities including production flow development, staffing strategy, supervisor selection and development, workforce hiring and training, tooling acquisition, material flow implementation, pull system production design, and operational standardization. Following production launch, the Production Manager will assume full responsibility for production execution, safety, quality, delivery, productivity, employee engagement, and support continuous improvement for the assigned production operation.

Principle Duties And Responsibilities

Manufacturing Startup & Operational Readiness

Lead all manufacturing readiness activities required to successfully launch a new production line.

Develop and implement the operational startup plan from equipment installation through production ramp-up.

Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to establish production processes, workstation layouts, standardized work, visual management systems, and manufacturing documentation.

Develop the production organization required to support the expanded manufacturing operation, including organizational structure, staffing plans, supervisory assignments, and labor deployment.

Lead hiring, onboarding, and development of Production Supervisors and direct production employees to support startup schedules.

Coordinate development and execution of production training plans to ensure workforce readiness prior to production launch.

Establish manufacturing operating procedures, leader standard work, escalation processes, and daily management systems.

Develop production readiness metrics and milestone tracking to ensure successful launch.

Production System Development

Design and implement production pull systems supporting the expanded manufacturing line.

Define Work-in-Process (WIP) levels, kanban inventories, buffer locations, replenishment strategies, and material presentation standards.

Establish production flow, takt time, cycle time expectations, line balancing, bottleneck management, and throughput targets.

Deploy visual management systems including production boards, tier meetings, performance dashboards, and daily accountability processes.

Partner with Planning and Supply Chain to integrate the new production line into existing scheduling and material planning systems.

Modify existing production management systems and operational processes to incorporate the expanded manufacturing capacity.

Manufacturing Infrastructure

Identify, specify, procure, and commission all production support equipment, small tools, fixtures, ergonomic devices, and operator resources required for production readiness.

Ensure tooling, consumables, gauges, and production support assets are available prior to launch.

Coordinate production area organization utilizing Lean Manufacturing principles including 6S, visual workplace, contamination control, and point-of-use storage.

Support equipment acceptance activities and manufacturing validation prior to production release.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Responsible for all activities that occur in product production. Comprehensive knowledge of company products, general management policies and objectives, and specific understanding of all production related operations performed within the factory. Coordination of the plant activities requires working with intangibles, such as changing priorities and volume of production, as well as working with all levels of staff groups. Decisions require sound judgement and the ability to deal with ambiguity on long range problems. Act as a role model and as an agent of the Company. An excellent team player with strong people skills; able to build relationships at all levels of the organization. Performance management, coaching, feedback, encouraging and empathic communication skills. Basic team-building and fundamental leadership skills. Effective communication skills, including verbal (logical and organized), written, listening and presentation. Responsible for all aspects of their respective departments and therefore must be able to be mobile around the manufacturing areas. Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent startup activities. Ability to lead organizational change in a rapidly expanding manufacturing environment. Expertise in manufacturing system design, production flow optimization, and operational readiness planning. Strong cross-functional leadership skills with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Manufacturing support organizations. Experience building high-performing manufacturing teams from recruitment through operational maturity. Demonstrated ability to establish standardized work, visual management, and Lean Daily Management systems.

Education And Experience

Required Education / Experience 5-7 years of experience in a manufacturing environment including supervisory experience. High School Diploma or equivalent Preferred Education / Experience: Bachelor's degree in related field Experience leading startup, expansion, or commissioning of new manufacturing operations or production lines. Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing systems in a greenfield or expansion environment. Experience designing pull production systems including Kanban, WIP management, supermarket design, and material flow. Experience hiring, developing, and leading large hourly manufacturing workforces. Experience implementing production management systems including tier accountability, visual management, leader standard work, and KPI management. Experience with ERP implementation or expansion into new manufacturing operations. Knowledge of industrial safety, production ergonomics, and manufacturing startup risk assessment.

Additional Information

Key Working Relationships Engineering organization, including mechanical, electrical, manufacturing and applications engineering groups Operations management, including plant supervision, quality, planning, etc. Physical Demands Must be able to stand for extended periods of time Working Conditions Shop floor and office environment, located on large manufacturing campus. Prolec-GE Waukesha, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, or any other reason prohibited by applicable law.