Stamping Manager

Description

General Position Summary

Futaba Indiana of America (FIA) is an   automotive manufacturing company located in Vincennes, Indiana. The Stamping   Manager is responsible for leading, planning, coordinating, and directing all   stamping department operations to achieve established safety, quality, cost,   delivery, productivity, and production targets.

This position provides strategic and   operational leadership for stamping production, including press line   scheduling, tooling and die performance, manpower planning, equipment   utilization, budgeting, and continuous improvement. The Stamping Manager   ensures alignment with FIA objectives, customer requirements, and Toyota   Production System (TPS) principles while developing leadership capability,   strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and driving sustainable   operational performance.

Essential Job Functions

Key Focus Areas

1. Department Leadership and Operational Management

· Provide overall leadership and direction for stamping department operations, ensuring production requirements, customer demands, and established performance targets are consistently achieved.

· Establish departmental priorities, production plans, and operational objectives in alignment with plant goals, customer requirements, and the overall production schedule.

· Oversee daily floor operations, press line utilization, manpower allocation, production sequencing, and resource planning to maximize efficiency and minimize operational disruptions.

· Establish, monitor, and communicate key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, scrap, downtime, and manpower efficiency.

· Analyze production performance, identify operational gaps, and implement corrective actions to address missed targets and prevent recurrence.

· Ensure adequate staffing, training, equipment availability, and operational readiness to support current production requirements and future business needs.

· Maintain a strong presence on the production floor to verify standard work, identify concerns, support problem-solving, and reinforce accountability.

2. Safety, Quality, and Environmental Compliance

· Maintain accountability for departmental safety performance and ensure compliance with FIA policies, applicable regulations, and established safety standards.

· Investigate safety incidents, identify root causes, implement countermeasures, and verify the effectiveness of corrective actions.

· Partner with Safety and Environmental leadership to maintain safe working conditions, improve safety awareness, and reduce workplace risks.

· Oversee the resolution and follow-up of quality issues, including Quality Issue Reports (QIRs), Quality Problem Reports (QPRs), customer concerns, and internal nonconformances.

· Collaborate with Quality leadership to implement corrective and preventive actions, reduce defects, and improve process capability.

· Ensure stamping processes, standard operating procedures, and work practices are maintained and followed.

· Ensure team members receive appropriate training and understand their responsibilities for safety, quality, and environmental compliance.

3. Production Planning, Tooling, and Technical Performance

· Direct and coordinate press line scheduling and production priorities in collaboration with Production Control, Logistics, Product Engineering, Product Preparation, Quality, and other supporting departments.

· Maintain a strong working knowledge of stamping operations, press equipment, tooling, die construction and function, die troubleshooting, and common stamping process issues.

· Oversee die trials, new tooling launches, process changes, and production readiness activities to ensure successful implementation and stable production.

· Coordinate with Tool and Die, Maintenance, Production Engineering, and other technical teams to resolve equipment failures, die issues, downtime, and recurring production concerns.

· Identify and address scrap generation, scrap flow and separation issues, material utilization concerns, and other process losses that negatively affect safety, quality, cost, or productivity.

· Ensure appropriate escalation and timely resolution of technical issues that may affect production schedules, customer commitments, or operational performance.

· Drive improvements in equipment reliability, tooling performance, cycle time, changeover effectiveness, and overall equipment utilization.

4. Financial Management and Cost Improvement

· Develop, manage, and monitor the annual stamping department budget, including labor, overtime, scrap, consumables, maintenance-related costs, and other applicable operating expenses.

· Establish and execute cost-reduction plans that support annual departmental targets and overall plant financial objectives.

· Evaluate production data, operating reports, labor utilization, scrap trends, downtime, and other performance indicators to identify opportunities for improved cost and efficiency.

· Review and justify capital equipment requests, process improvements, and other investments based on operational needs, safety, quality, productivity, and return on investment.

· Monitor actual performance against budget and implement corrective actions when costs or productivity deviate from established targets.

· Lead waste-reduction initiatives and promote efficient use of materials, equipment, labor, and other department resources.

5. People Leadership and Organizational Development

· Lead, develop, and evaluate the performance of the Stamping Assistant Manager, Supervisors, Team Leaders, and other assigned personnel.

· Establish clear performance expectations, departmental objectives, and individual accountability measures aligned with FIA's organizational goals.

· Ensure appropriate delegation of responsibilities while maintaining accountability for departmental results.

· Participate in interviewing, selection, onboarding, training, performance management, employee development, and succession planning for department personnel.

· Coach and mentor subordinate leaders in problem-solving, employee relations, production management, communication, and leadership effectiveness.

· Partner with Human Resources to address employee relations matters, attendance, performance concerns, policy compliance, workforce planning, and organizational development.

· Promote employee engagement, teamwork, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement.

· Ensure department leaders communicate consistently, address concerns appropriately, and apply company policies and procedures fairly and consistently.

· Support the development of a capable leadership pipeline and ensure critical departmental knowledge and responsibilities are appropriately shared.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication

· Establish and maintain effective communication and coordination with Production Engineering, Product Preparation, Production Control, Logistics, Quality, Safety and Environmental, Maintenance, Tool and Die, Human Resources, and other supporting departments.

· Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to resolve production constraints, improve material flow, support product launches, and meet customer delivery requirements.

· Communicate departmental performance, significant operational concerns, resource needs, and corrective action plans to plant leadership.

· Participate in production meetings, management reviews, improvement activities, and other required business meetings.

· Ensure timely escalation of risks or issues that may affect employee safety, product quality, customer delivery, production continuity, or financial performance.

· Support plant-wide initiatives and organizational objectives while maintaining alignment between departmental priorities and overall FIA goals.

7. Continuous Improvement and Strategic Planning

· Lead the implementation and sustainment of Kaizen activities, standardized work, and TPS principles throughout the stamping department.

· Develop and execute departmental improvement plans and Hoshin Planning objectives aligned with plant and organizational strategies.

· Establish measurable goals for reducing scrap, downtime, defects, overtime, and other operational losses while improving productivity and equipment effectiveness.

· Use data-driven problem-solving methods to identify root causes, implement countermeasures, and verify sustained results.

· Standardize successful improvements and ensure lessons learned are communicated and applied across applicable processes.

· Identify future operational needs, equipment limitations, workforce capability gaps, and improvement opportunities to support long-term business performance.

· Lead and support the implementation of new processes, equipment, technologies, and organizational changes affecting stamping operations.

8. Administrative and Reporting Responsibilities

· Review, analyze, and communicate production reports, departmental performance metrics, budget information, staffing requirements, and improvement results.

· Ensure operational records, procedures, reports, and other required documentation are accurate and maintained in accordance with company requirements.

· Develop and present recommendations to plant leadership regarding production performance, cost improvement, capital investments, staffing, and operational risks.

· Maintain confidentiality of sensitive company, employee, financial, and operational information.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

· Conduct or participate in departmental audits, including:

o 5S

o Safety

o Documentation

o Inventory

o Process compliance and JSOX

· Ensure departmental procedures and practices remain aligned with company policies and applicable requirements.

· Demonstrate an understanding of FIA's Environmental Policy and actively participate in programs that improve environmental performance.

· Identify and communicate potential environmental non-conformances and support appropriate corrective actions.

· Demonstrate an understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their potential impact on departmental activities.

· Develop improvement initiatives that support applicable company SDG objectives.

· Demonstrate an understanding of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) and participate appropriately during emergency situations.

· Provide consistent, professional communication with senior leadership, department employees, peers, customers, suppliers, and sister companies.

· Effectively communicate complex information in a clear, concise, and understandable manner.

· Conduct and participate in presentations to both small and large groups.

· Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence when managing employees, conflict, customer concerns, supplier issues, and crisis situations.

· Demonstrate confident and effective crisis-management skills, including the ability to make timely decisions under pressure.

· Establish clear expectations, ownership, accountability, and follow-through within the department.

· Develop employees through coaching, training, mentoring, and performance management.

· Foster teamwork and cross-functional collaboration while maintaining clear departmental accountability.

· Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by senior management.

9. Project Management & Problem Solving

• Lead and support medium- and large-scale projects      involving Production Control, Materials, Logistics, and cross-functional      operations.
• Lead complex problem-solving activities and      develop sustainable solutions.
• Establish short- and long-term action plans to      address operational risks and opportunities.
• Review and approve project schedules and      departmental priorities.
• Develop and utilize escalation plans when      required.
• Provide leadership and direction during critical      operational situations, customer issues, supplier disruptions,      emergencies, and other high-priority events.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement      and implement solutions that improve operational performance, cost,      quality, delivery, and customer satisfaction.

Requirements

Work   Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of management or      supervisory experience preferred.
• Automotive Tier 1 manufacturing or supply-chain      experience preferred.
• Experience with MRP/ERP systems required.

Core   Performance Expectations

• The Production Control & Materials Manager is      expected to:
• Protect customer delivery and production      continuity.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels and      material availability.
• Effectively balance customer demand, production      capacity, manpower, inventory, transportation, and cost.
• Develop and maintain a capable and accountable      department.
• Identify and resolve operational risks before      they become customer-impacting issues.
• Maintain appropriate escalation and communication      practices.
• Achieve established departmental KPIs and      business-plan objectives.
• Maintain budget discipline and financial      accountability.
• Develop sustainable processes and continuously      improve department performance.
• Ensure compliance with company policies,      environmental requirements, safety expectations, international trade      requirements, and applicable internal controls.
• Provide leadership that supports the company's      long-term operational and strategic objectives.

Certificates   / Licenses / Training Requirements

· Driver’s license

· Passport or ability to obtain a passport

· Bachelor's degree in Materials Management, Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.

· Relevant certifications, technical education, or equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Work   Environment & Physical Demands

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential job functions of this position. 

· This position requires flexibility to respond to changing business and customer requirements.

· The position may require extended or non-standard working hours based on business needs.

· The position may require on-call availability for critical operational, customer, supplier, transportation, or production issues.

· The position may require 24/7/365 responsiveness for significant operational emergencies or customer-impacting situations.

· Domestic and international travel may be required to support suppliers, customers, sister companies, projects, audits, or other business requirements.

· Travel requirements may include supplier visits, customer visits, sister-company locations, and other business-related destinations.

Essential Physical Tasks 

The physical tasks described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

· Lifting up to 10 pounds – must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.

· Physical Sight – Able to read and analyze data in hard copy and on a computer screen.

· Verbal & Written Communications – Able to efficiently present complex matters to audience with little technical knowledge and to executive management.

· Telephone Communications – Able to communicate verbally using a telephone.

· Multitasking – Able to manage multiple work projects simultaneously.