Operations Manager Trainee

The Leadership Development Program (LDP) is designed to identify and develop early-career professionals with the character, drive, and leadership potential to become the next generation of Operations Managers at Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions. This is not a support role — it is a fast-track, full-immersion training experience built for individuals who are ready to lead from day one. Who You Are Strategic thinker and self-directed, thrives in ambiguous environments, and is naturally drawn to teaching others, enforcing standards, and making decisions under pressure. What You Will Be Doing Shadow and support the Regional Vice President and Operations Managers in daily branch operations including production, maintenance, quality, safety, and shipping/receiving. Learn full P&L accountability for a branch location; understand how financial decisions translate to operational outcomes. Assist in implementing cost-effective systems of control over capital expenditures, labor allocation, overtime, and operating costs. Own a region-specific project driving key metric improvement and measured results. Communicate Trulite’s strategic vision clearly to branch management teams. Communicate regularly with senior management and support functions. Assess plant-level operational inefficiencies and develop actionable proposals that drive measurable improvement. Learn and apply Trulite Production System (TPS) principles; train plant staff on TPS methodology, department-specific applications, and the benefits of standardization. Monitor production floor flow; identify and help resolve bottlenecks across all fabrication departments. Support 5S implementation across plant floors: ensure WIP, finished product, and finished goods areas are properly organized, labeled, and maintained. Develop working knowledge of glass fabrication processes — including cutting, breakout procedures, furnace operations, Osprey systems, and IG line management. Partner with the corporate IT team to support reporting improvements; train branch managers on existing tools and help develop new reports that increase operational visibility. Focus on labor productivity and capacity planning as primary support functions. Provide active leadership, coaching, and direction to production supervisors, maintenance managers, and plant leadership throughout program rotations. Model and reinforce Trulite’s culture of diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect at every level of the organization. Lead by example in enforcing company policies, procedures, and operational standards. Identify development opportunities for team members; actively mentor and build a succession pipeline. Address employee complaints, resolve workplace conflicts, and drive positive team engagement. Maintain full OSHA compliance; champion a zero-incident safety culture within every facility assigned. Perform all other job-related duties as requested. Skills You Bring Bachelor’s degree preferred in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or related field. 3–5 years of experience; this is an early-career program designed for high-potential emerging leaders. Any operations, manufacturing, industrial, or plant-floor experience is a strong plus — internships and co-ops included. Demonstrated leadership experience in any context: academic, athletic, military, community, or professional. Understanding of — or strong desire to learn — financial statements, P&L management, and data-driven business decision-making. Background with manufacturing methods, process improvement programs (Lean, 5S, TPS), or continuous improvement frameworks. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills; equally comfortable presenting to executives and coaching front-line employees. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); advanced Excel preferred. Must have strong leadership, mentoring, and employee development instincts. Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus. Must be willing and able to relocate to a Trulite plant within the hiring region upon program completion. Travel required and flexible on shift or weekend work. Why Trulite Trulite offers the most comprehensive benefit coverage in the industry. We give our employees immediate access to health, dental, vision and life insurance benefits, as well as provide short/long-term disability coverage to protect you financially if non-occupational injury occurs. We are pleased to offer a comprehensive wellness initiative and a progressive financial training program. Stay with us for a year and your 401k employer match is 100% vested and immediately becomes part of your ever improving financial plan. This is also true for those who select and contribute to their Health Savings Account. We match on both employee and family coverage to help cover out-of-pocket expenses and if unused continues to grow until needed. The employer match for your HSA, if you choose to participate, is also vested immediately at 100% improving your financial health. Trulite bears most of the cost of your benefits. We structured these benefits because we care not only about your physical well-being but your financial health and welfare too. Let us show you why Trulite values you as an employee and how we will help you achieve financial independence. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. #J-18808-Ljbffr