Title: Operations Manager
Location: Cranbury, NJ
Shift(s):
Internal/External posting:
AI Applicant Screening used:
Salary Range:
POSITION SCOPE:
The Operations Manager is responsible for the overall execution and performance of all operational functions at the Cranbury facility, including Production, Shipping, Receiving, Warehouse, Inventory Control, Maintenance, Safety, and Staffing. The role partners with Quality and Project Management to ensure customer requirements are effectively communicated, planned, and executed throughout the operation.
Quality maintains ownership of the Quality Management System, customer specifications, audits, and regulatory compliance. The Operations Manager is accountable for the execution of quality standards throughout operations and ensuring finished goods consistently meet customer expectations.
The Operations Manager is accountable for achieving production, labor, and shipping schedules; meeting customer commitments; driving labor and operational performance; managing departmental financial results; leading continuous improvement initiatives; maintaining quality standards; and ensuring a safe, efficient, and productive work environment.
This position serves as the primary operational bridge between Project Management and Operations to ensure seamless execution of customer programs and operational priorities.
REPORTS TO:
Site Director
ESSENTIAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Communication
- Serve as the primary operational liaison between Project Management and Operations.
- Communicate customer priorities, schedule changes, production constraints, shipping commitments, and operational risks across all departments.
- Lead daily production, staffing, shipping, and operational meetings to ensure alignment with customer demand and business priorities.
- Prepare and present operational performance metrics, staffing plans, production status, shipping performance, and customer updates to senior leadership and customers.
- Collaborate with Quality, Project Management, Maintenance, and other business leaders to ensure seamless communication and execution across departments.
Coordination and Supervision
- Directly oversee Production, Shipping, Receiving, Warehouse, Inventory Control, Maintenance, Safety, and temporary labor operations.
- Ensure all operational departments work collaboratively to safely execute production and shipping plans.
- Establish, monitor, and continuously improve operational KPIs including:
- Safety
- Quality
- Labor Productivity
- Schedule Attainment
- On-Time Shipment Performance
- Customer Service
- Inventory Accuracy
- Equipment Utilization
- Financial Performance
- Drive cross-functional accountability to support customer service objectives and operational excellence.
Schedule Execution
- Own execution of the daily production, labor, and shipping schedules to ensure customer commitments are consistently achieved.
- Coordinate receiving activities to ensure material availability and uninterrupted production operations.
- Develop labor plans and allocate resources to support changing customer demands and operational priorities.
- Identify and proactively resolve production, staffing, material, equipment, or scheduling constraints.
- Balance labor and equipment resources across departments to maximize throughput while maintaining safety, quality, and customer service.
Production and Operational Excellence
- Drive operational efficiency, productivity, and continuous improvement initiatives throughout the facility.
- Own the site’s Continuous Improvement initiatives, including Lean methodologies, waste elimination, process standardization, and productivity improvements.
- Develop and implement performance metrics that improve operational effectiveness, labor utilization, quality, equipment performance, and customer service.
- Lead process improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, waste elimination, throughput improvement, and operational efficiency.
- Ensure operational teams consistently follow approved work instructions, standard operating procedures, and customer requirements.
Warehouse and Logistics
- Oversee all shipping, receiving, warehouse, and inventory control activities.
- Ensure inventory accuracy through effective controls and cycle count processes.
- Manage warehouse organization, material flow, space utilization, and dock operations.
- Coordinate carrier scheduling and transportation activities to meet customer service requirements.
- Ensure efficient movement of raw materials and finished goods throughout the facility.
- Drive on-time shipping performance and schedule attainment.
Maintenance and Asset Management
- Direct the Maintenance team to ensure equipment reliability and operational readiness.
- Oversee preventive maintenance programs and maintenance planning activities.
- Ensure rapid response to equipment failures to minimize downtime.
- Coordinate maintenance activities around production requirements to reduce operational disruptions.
- Drive initiatives focused on improving equipment utilization, equipment reliability, and asset longevity.
- Support capital equipment projects and equipment improvements that increase operational efficiency.
Quality Ownership
While the Quality Department maintains ownership of the Quality Management System, customer specifications, audits, regulatory compliance, and quality systems, the Operations Manager is accountable for executing quality requirements throughout daily operations.
- Ensure finished goods consistently meet customer quality expectations.
- Be accountable for the quality of finished goods produced through effective supervision, employee training, process discipline, and adherence to approved work instructions and standard operating procedures.
- Drive adherence to production controls, customer specifications, and quality requirements.
- Partner with Quality to investigate, resolve, and prevent quality concerns.
- Implement corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives that reduce defects and improve customer satisfaction.
- Ensure only conforming product is produced and shipped to customers.
Financial Management
- Prepare, manage, and control operational budgets.
- Monitor labor productivity and labor utilization.
- Manage overtime spending and staffing efficiency.
- Oversee warehouse, shipping, and maintenance expenditures.
- Drive equipment utilization and cost reduction initiatives.
- Own departmental spending while identifying opportunities to improve profitability without compromising safety, quality, or customer service.
- Develop operational strategies that improve profitability while supporting customer commitments.
- Maintain accountability for overall budget performance and operational financial results.
Personnel Management
- Lead recruitment, staffing, placement, and workforce planning activities.
- Develop supervisors and operational leaders across all operational departments.
- Build organizational capability through coaching, mentoring, training, and succession planning.
- Drive accountability, employee engagement, teamwork, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Manage performance, provide ongoing feedback, and develop future operational leadership talent.
- Foster a culture of accountability, operational excellence, teamwork, safety, employee development, and continuous improvement.
Operational Accountability
The Operations Manager is accountable for the successful execution of all daily operational activities.
While Quality and Project Management maintain functional ownership of their respective disciplines, the Operations Manager is responsible for directing and coordinating execution across all operational departments to ensure customer expectations, production schedules, labor plans, shipping commitments, safety, productivity, inventory accuracy, and finished goods quality are consistently achieved.
QUALIFICATIONS:
· BA or BS Degree, MBA a plus.
· Hand assembly service parts distribution environment experience highly preferred.
· Minimum 5+ years’ experience within contract packaging and supply chain environment; with strong reasoning, analytical and problem-solving skills.
· Solid understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles and concepts
· Supervisory experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
· Creative problem-solving skills,
· Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
· Detail oriented and the ability to handle multiple tasks and priorities.
· Excellent time management and team building skills.
· Excellent interpersonal skills must maintain a positive attitude and the ability to motivate team members.
· Possess strong and effective leadership skills, with a proven track record of success in motivating others; provide feedback and develop personnel.
· Dynamic personality style with the ability and willingness to promote appropriate change and improvement.
· PC proficient MS Office Products (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint)
· WMS experience a plus
SAFETY:
- Adhere to company safety policies and procedures
- Wear required PPE (personal protective equipment) where needed
- Immediately report any unsafe conditions or other safety-related issues
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
While the work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job, they are in no way all-inclusive. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
· While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in a manufacturing setting.
· The employee often works at a work bench or on various pieces of equipment.
· The noise level in the work environment is typically minimal.