Production Manager

Production Manager – Fabrication Operations

Cookeville, TN | On-Site | Full-Time

A growing industrial manufacturer is seeking a hands-on Production Manager to lead a key fabrication area supporting material handling, cutting, grooving, and welded-system production. This leader will own daily execution across multiple shifts, develop supervisors, and drive measurable improvements in throughput, quality, labor efficiency, and schedule performance.

The ideal candidate is a visible, floor-oriented manufacturing leader who is comfortable holding people accountable, using KPIs to identify problems, and working cross-functionally to remove constraints. Experience in fabrication, metal processing, pipe/tube, welding, cutting, or similar industrial production environments is highly relevant.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily production execution across material handling, cutting, grooving, and related fabrication operations on first and second shift.
• Directly lead production supervisors and hourly employees, reinforcing clear expectations, standard work, safety, and accountability.
• Own and improve core operational metrics including throughput, first-pass yield, cycle time, downtime, labor efficiency, scrap/rework, WIP, and schedule adherence.
• Maintain a strong daily presence on the production floor to identify bottlenecks, observe process discipline, and ensure priorities are executed consistently.
• Establish effective shift handoffs so production priorities, issues, performance data, and accountability carry seamlessly between shifts.
• Partner with Planning, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to resolve production constraints, recurring quality issues, and material-flow challenges.
• Lead targeted continuous-improvement initiatives that reduce WIP, improve flow, level-load work across shifts, and create sustainable operating improvements.
• Support hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and leadership development for supervisors and production team members.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing, fabrication, or industrial operations experience.
• 3+ years of direct people leadership experience, ideally in a multi-shift production environment.
• Experience with cutting, machining, profiling, grooving, welding, material handling, or comparable metal fabrication processes.
• Proven ability to use operational KPIs to drive corrective actions and measurable performance improvement.
• Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or formal problem-solving experience is preferred.