Production Manager

Goodfellow Corporation is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations at our El Mirage, Arizona facility. This position is responsible for creating a safe, efficient, organized, and accountable manufacturing environment where employee safety, product quality, cost control, and on-time delivery are top priorities.

The Production Manager leads a team of approximately 20 employees, including production foremen, welders, fabricators, machine operators, and other manufacturing personnel. This position works closely with the Production Planner and Director of Engineering and Production to improve workflow, increase productivity, control costs, develop employees, and maintain a positive workplace culture.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on leader who can balance daily production demands with long-term process improvement and employee development.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Safety and Workplace Organization

• Partner with the Safety Manager to establish and maintain a safe working environment.
• Ensure employees follow all applicable company safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Identify workplace hazards and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Promote employee participation in safety initiatives and continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain housekeeping, workplace organization, and equipment-storage standards.
• Ensure employees receive the training, tools, personal protective equipment, and direction needed to perform their work safely.

Production Planning and Execution

• Develop, maintain, and communicate daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules.
• Coordinate closely with Production Planning to establish priorities and support on-time project completion.
• Manage production activities, staffing, equipment, and workflow to meet quality, cost, and delivery expectations.
• Monitor production progress and address scheduling conflicts, material shortages, equipment issues, and other barriers to completion.
• Provide regular and accurate production updates to Sales, Estimating, Engineering, Planning, Purchasing, Warehousing, and Transportation.
• Coordinate with logistics personnel to stage, load, and prepare completed projects for shipment.
• Balance multiple projects, deadlines, and operational priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Process Improvement and Quality

• Evaluate existing manufacturing workflows and implement improvements that increase safety, quality, productivity, and on-time completion.
• Develop, document, maintain, and enforce manufacturing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure employees are properly trained on applicable procedures, equipment, and quality expectations.
• Identify and implement quality-control and productivity improvements.
• Encourage feedback from production employees and communicate relevant information to Engineering and Planning.
• Ensure required Engineering Change Orders are identified, documented, and communicated.
• Monitor rework, waste, production delays, and other performance issues and implement corrective actions.
• Support accurate and practical job-costing practices by monitoring labor, materials, equipment use, and production performance.

Leadership and Employee Development

• Provide direct leadership and supervision to production foremen, welders, fabricators, machine operators, and other assigned employees.
• Establish clear performance, quality, productivity, attendance, and safety expectations.
• Hold employees and supervisors accountable for meeting established standards.
• Coach, train, and develop employees to improve performance and build internal capabilities.
• Conduct regular team meetings and maintain clear communication across shifts and departments.
• Partner with Human Resources to recruit, select, onboard, and retain qualified manufacturing employees.
• Develop and maintain structured onboarding and job-specific training programs for new employees.
• Address employee performance and workplace concerns promptly, professionally, and consistently.
• Promote a respectful, collaborative, and results-oriented workplace culture.

Equipment and Facility Support

• Oversee the proper use, maintenance, and repair of fabrication and production equipment.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance and equipment repairs to minimize downtime.
• Ensure equipment inspections, maintenance records, and repair documentation are completed as required.
• Help evaluate production equipment, tooling, and facility needs based on safety, capacity, quality, and operational requirements.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Maintain clear and consistent communication among Production, Engineering, Planning, Purchasing, Warehousing, Transportation, Sales, and Estimating.
• Work with Purchasing and Warehousing to identify material needs and prevent production delays.
• Participate in production meetings, project reviews, and operational-planning discussions.
• Escalate significant risks involving safety, quality, cost, staffing, materials, or delivery schedules to appropriate leadership.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Production Manager directly or indirectly supervises production employees, including foremen, welders, fabricators, machine operators, and other manufacturing personnel.

Supervisory responsibilities include workforce planning, training, coaching, performance management, scheduling, work assignment, employee development, and ensuring compliance with company policies and safety requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated production or manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience supervising manufacturing, fabrication, welding, or related shop personnel.
• Knowledge of manufacturing procedures, production workflows, equipment, and process improvement.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, fabrication drawings, and bills of materials.
• Experience developing and managing production schedules.
• Understanding of job costing, labor utilization, material usage, and production performance.
• Ability to identify operational problems, determine root causes, and implement practical solutions.
• Strong leadership, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and support multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and other standard business software.
• Experience using ERP, production-planning, or project-scheduling systems.
• Authorization to work in the United States. Goodfellow Corporation participates in E-Verify.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, engineering, operations management, business, or a related field.
• Relevant production or manufacturing experience may be considered in place of a degree.
• Experience in structural steel fabrication, welding, machining, heavy equipment, aggregate equipment, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading approximately 20 or more production employees.
• Experience developing SOPs, employee training programs, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, 5S, or similar operational-improvement practices.
• Experience coordinating work across Engineering, Planning, Purchasing, Warehousing, and Logistics.

Work Environment

This position works in both an office and an active manufacturing-shop environment. The employee may be exposed to moving equipment, machinery, welding operations, noise, dust, temperature changes, and other conditions commonly found in an industrial manufacturing facility.

Required personal protective equipment must be worn when entering designated production areas.

Physical Requirements

The employee must be able to regularly move throughout the office and manufacturing facility; communicate with employees; inspect work areas and equipment; and observe production activities.

The employee may occasionally be required to stand or walk for extended periods, bend, reach, climb stairs, or access different areas of the facility. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Travel Requirements

Minimal travel is anticipated for this position. Occasional travel may be required for training, meetings, vendor visits, or support at another Goodfellow location.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Goodfellow Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Goodfellow Corporation is committed to maintaining a respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees.

Other Duties

This job description is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of every activity, duty, or responsibility required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and business needs may change at any time, with or without notice.