Manufacturing Manager – Structural Foam/Injection Molding

Manufacturing Manager -- Structural Foam/Injection Molding Employer: Vantage Plastics Facility: Bay City, Michigan Position: Manufacturing Manager ### Position Summary Vantage Plastics is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Manager to lead production operations within its structural foam and injection molding departments at the Bay City facility. This position oversees safety, quality, productivity, staffing, continuous improvement, and cost control while ensuring customer delivery requirements are met. The Manufacturing Manager is responsible for developing supervisors and production teams, driving operational excellence, and collaborating with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, and Human Resources to achieve company objectives. ### Duties and Responsibilities Leadership and Team Development - Provide leadership and direction to production supervisors, team leads, and manufacturing personnel. - Foster a culture focused on safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. - Coach and develop supervisors through regular feedback and performance evaluations. - Lead daily production meetings and communicate plant priorities. Production Operations - Oversee all structural foam and injection molding operations. - Ensure production schedules are met while maintaining quality and efficiency standards. - Monitor machine utilization, labor efficiency, scrap, downtime, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). - Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks. - Ensure proper startup, shutdown, and production changeover procedures are followed. Safety, Quality, and Continuous Improvement - Ensure compliance with MIOSHA regulations and company safety policies. - Partner with the Quality Department to reduce defects and improve customer satisfaction. - Support corrective and preventive action activities. - Drive reduction of scrap and rework. - Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives. - Control overtime while maintaining customer delivery requirements. ### Education and Experience - Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Management, or a related field preferred. - Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience will be considered. - Seven to ten years of manufacturing leadership experience. - Minimum of five years managing supervisors in a plastics manufacturing environment. - Experience with structural foam and/or injection molding required. - Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives. - Experience managing multiple shifts preferred. ### Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - Strong understanding of structural foam molding and injection molding processes. - Knowledge of molds, tooling, robotics, automation, and auxiliary equipment. - Ability to interpret production metrics and financial reports. - Strong leadership and employee development skills. - Excellent communication and conflict resolution abilities. - Strong organizational and decision-making skills. - Proficiency with Microsoft Office and ERP/MRP systems. - Knowledge of ISO/IATF quality systems is a plus. ### Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) The position is responsible for monitoring manufacturing performance, including machine utilization, labor efficiency, scrap, downtime, OEE, prod