Operations Manager

Position Overview

The Operations Manager serves as the senior operational leader for the Augusta facility and is accountable for manufacturing execution, workforce development, operational performance, and customer fulfillment.

This position is responsible for translating business objectives into daily operational execution while ensuring safe operations, premium product quality, reliable customer delivery, inventory accuracy, workforce engagement, equipment readiness, and cost-effective performance.

Success in this role requires strong leadership, strategic thinking, excellent communication skills, and the ability to build alignment across both direct-report and matrix-supported functions.

What you'll do

Operational Leadership

• Lead all manufacturing operations to achieve performance targets across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, and Growth.
• Create a culture of accountability, ownership, teamwork, and operational excellence.
• Establish clear priorities, expectations, and performance standards across the organization.
• Drive disciplined execution and ensure alignment across all operational functions.
• Act as a key member of the plant leadership team and strategic partner to executive leadership.

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, develop, and mentor high-performing teams.
• Create an environment focused on engagement, accountability, respect, and continuous learning.
• Coach supervisors and managers to strengthen leadership effectiveness.
• Develop succession plans for key operational positions.
• Partner with Human Resources to improve retention, attendance, onboarding, training effectiveness, and employee development.
• Foster a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute.

Safety Leadership

• Champion a safety-first culture through visible leadership and active employee engagement.
• Ensure compliance with all company safety policies and regulatory requirements.
• Drive proactive hazard identification, near-miss reporting, and risk reduction initiatives.
• Lead investigations and corrective actions to eliminate recurring safety concerns.
• Maintain a workplace where safety is a core value and shared responsibility.

Manufacturing and Production Leadership

• Lead daily production execution to achieve customer delivery requirements while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
• Ensure efficient labor utilization, schedule attainment, and workflow management.
• Remove barriers that impact production flow, staffing, material availability, quality, or equipment performance.
• Improve productivity and operational efficiency through Lean manufacturing principles.
• Balance customer expectations, operational requirements, and workforce capabilities.

Warehouse, Inventory, and Material Management

• Lead Warehouse and Inventory Control operations to ensure inventory accuracy and material availability.
• Improve material flow and inventory management processes throughout the facility.
• Ensure accurate cycle counts and inventory reconciliation activities.
• Drive accountability for warehouse organization, efficiency, and operational discipline.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Planning functions to proactively address material shortages and inventory risks.
• Improve inventory performance while supporting customer service and operational goals.

Planning and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborate with Planning teams to align production schedules with customer demand and operational capacity.
• Identify capacity constraints and develop proactive recovery plans.
• Facilitate effective communication between Manufacturing, Planning, Supply Chain, and Customer Service.
• Ensure operational priorities are clearly understood and supported across the organization.
• Drive cross-functional problem solving to protect customer commitments.

Quality Leadership

• Promote a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility.
• Reduce defects, rework, customer complaints, and costs associated with poor quality.
• Ensure effective root-cause analysis and corrective-action implementation.
• Strengthen process controls that protect product quality and customer satisfaction.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve consistency and operational excellence.
• Maintenance and Engineering Partnership
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering teams to maximize equipment reliability and uptime.
• Support preventive maintenance and continuous equipment improvement efforts.
• Identify operational constraints and work collaboratively to implement sustainable solutions.
• Participate in capital project planning and facility improvement initiatives.
• Ensure operational readiness for new equipment, process changes, and product introductions.

Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives including:

• 5S
• Standard Work
• Kaizen Events
• Root Cause Analysis
• Waste Elimination
• Visual Management
• Process Control

• Establish a culture focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Utilize data and metrics to identify opportunities and drive measurable results.
• Implement sustainable solutions that improve efficiency, quality, delivery, and employee engagement.

Daily Management System Leadership

• Lead Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 accountability meetings.
• Ensure consistent use of visual management systems.
• Drive action-item accountability and corrective-action closure.
• Implement Leader Standard Work across operational leadership roles.
• Utilize KPIs to guide decision-making and performance improvement efforts.

Capacity Planning and Business Growth

• Develop annual and multi-year operational capacity plans.
• Evaluate future labor, equipment, facility, and inventory requirements.
• Identify bottlenecks and resource constraints that may limit growth.
• Support strategic planning and business expansion initiatives.
• Ensure operational readiness to support new products, increased volume, and changing customer requirements.

Financial and Business Performance

• Manage operational performance to achieve budget objectives.
• Improve labor productivity and manufacturing efficiency.
• Control overtime and operational expenses.
• Optimize inventory performance and working capital utilization.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities that preserve quality and customer service.
• Support informed decision-making through data analysis and performance reporting.

Performance Measures

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Safety
  • Incident Rate
  • Near-Miss Reporting
  • Corrective Action Closure
  • Safety Audit Performance

 

• People
  • Employee Retention
  • Attendance Performance
  • Training Completion
  • Leadership Development
  • Employee Engagement

 

• Quality
  • Internal Rework Rate
  • Scrap Reduction
  • Customer Complaints
  • Units on Hold
  • Corrective Action Effectiveness
• Delivery
  • Schedule Attainment
  • On-Time Delivery
  • Backlog Reduction
  • Material Readiness
  • Production Throughput

 

• Cost
  • Labor Productivity
  • Inventory Accuracy
  • Inventory Turns
  • Overtime Control
  • Cost of Poor Quality

 

• Growth
  • Capacity Utilization
  • Continuous Improvement Savings
  • New Product Launch Readiness
  • Scalability and Operational Readiness

Who you are

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-functional manufacturing operations.
• Experience managing supervisors, managers, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience utilizing KPIs and operational metrics to drive business performance.
• Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ERP/MRP systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in custom, made-to-order, or high-mix manufacturing environments.
• Experience within textiles, soft goods, cut and sew industries.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Project Management, or Operational Excellence certification.
• Experience leading facility expansions, major improvement initiatives, or transformation projects.
• Strong knowledge of inventory management and warehouse operations.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is:

• A servant leader who builds trust and develops people.
• A strategic thinker who can translate vision into action.
• A hands-on leader who is highly visible on the manufacturing floor.
• A problem-solver who uses data and facts to drive decisions.
• An effective communicator who aligns teams around common goals.
• A change agent who thrives in continuous improvement environments.
• A customer-focused leader committed to delivering exceptional results.
• A coach and mentor who enjoys developing future leaders.

What's in it for you?

• Annual base salary range: $100K - $120K
• Bonus target range: 10%-20%%
• Generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, disability
• A company culture that prioritizes internal development and professional growth
• Time off with pay 
• 401(k) plan with a degree of employer matching
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness programs and product discounts

Please note, all offers presented to candidates are carefully crafted to ensure market competitiveness, equity, and reflect the individual candidate’s education, experience, skills and potential.
Hunter Douglas is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with applicable employment laws. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled are encouraged to apply.

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