Director of Manufacturing
Employment Resource Group
Wisconsin Rapids, WI · Posted October 19, 2026
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Operations jobs in the rankings
Rankings about operations jobs
- Best cities for operations jobs #1 New York (1,429 openings)
- Best cities for operations pay after cost of living #1 Reston ($177k)
- Most requested AI skills in operations jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (2.5%)
- AI tools named most often in operations jobs #1 Claude (0.28%)
- Employers with the most operations jobs #1 Amazon (1,480 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among industrial production managers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for industrial production managers: 1% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
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About the job
Titles matter less here than ideas, and good ones are welcome from anyone, whether they have been around for decades or a few weeks. Leadership is candid about where the business is headed and invests in the people who will take it there, with safety and genuine care for one another treated as non-negotiable. It is a humble, roll-up-your-sleeves culture that has grown significantly without losing its close-knit roots, and it rewards curiosity, honest feedback, and a commitment to keep learning.
Few roles let you define what manufacturing means for an organization, and this is one of them. Working within a project-driven business, you will bring true manufacturing discipline to the shop floor, shifting work from one-off execution toward repeatable, measurable processes while preserving the flexibility custom work demands. You will renew Lean practices, strengthen how data is captured, and build a focused leadership team around you. Deliver results, and a clear path to the senior leadership team is open to you.
Role Responsibilities
Lead, train, and evaluate the manufacturing leadership team, building a collaborative and high-performing work environment
Create and maintain manufacturing policies and procedures
Pinpoint opportunities for process improvement, automation, and optimization of manufacturing systems
Direct all manufacturing and logistics activity across multiple piping, sheet metal, and plumbing fabrication facilities
Build and carry out manufacturing strategies that support company objectives and drive gains in productivity, quality, and efficiency
Set the enterprise-wide manufacturing plan and schedule, and track performance against it
Establish key performance metrics to measure and improve productivity and quality
Lead continuous improvement initiatives
Oversee repair and preventive maintenance functions to keep equipment running efficiently
Recruit, train, and develop manufacturing and logistics staff
Ensure all manufacturing activities meet safety standards and regulatory requirements
Work with Supply Chain to align material requirements planning and material availability with production schedules
Own the use and optimization of the manufacturing MRP system, ensuring data accuracy, consistent adoption across facilities, and alignment with production planning
Coordinate with Design/VDC, Estimating, Project Management, and Sales to confirm manufacturing readiness and keep schedules aligned across departments
Build the annual Manufacturing Department budget, including the capital expenditure budget
Monitor results against budget and adjust as needed
Create a process for forecasting resource utilization and identifying constraints and inefficiencies
Develop and monitor budgets for direct-ship and custom product lines
Partner with the Quality Manager to reinforce and carry out quality standards and procedures across facilities
Hold manufacturing teams to established quality standards and escalate issues that affect production schedules or equipment
Support quality certification initiatives as needed
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related discipline
7+ years of manufacturing experience, ideally in custom fabrication
Proven MRP system ownership, including driving adoption, data integrity, and production planning alignment across multiple facilities
Manufacturing management experience
Project management skills
Strong command of Lean leadership, Lean concepts, Lean tools, and Lean planning
Six Sigma or comparable continuous improvement methodology
Sharp problem-solving and analytical abilities
Effective communication and presentation skills
This is an on-site leadership role.