Operations Manager

Who We Are:
Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.

Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!

Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!

Who We Want:

Under the general direction of the Plant Manager, the Operations Manager plans, organizes and controls the manufacturing functions of the plant to assemble quality products efficiently, on time, and profitably. Maintains outside contact with other company locations, customers, and suppliers, as necessary.

What You'll Do:

• Leads all assembly operations in the plant and coordinates the work of production departments through familiarity with all assembly processes; continual awareness of customer shipping requirements, work schedules and quality levels; staffing required to meet these schedules, ratio of indirect to direct labor, overall cost of doing business with a mind toward profit and loss, to produce parts on schedule; ensuring that quality is maintained, and costs are held to a minimum.

• Analyzes and determines material, equipment, and staffing requirements through daily meeting with subordinates, as well as daily contact with various department heads; to determine how to overcome production problems and follow-up to ascertain those problems have been corrected or to determine the next best course of action; to bring about close cooperation between his/her and other departments.

• Responsible for the overall quality of the product produced. Has the authority and responsibility to identify quality problems and take appropriate action including halting production, determining root cause, initiating corrective action to prevent reoccurrence, as well as participating in audits and other preventative measures.

• Motivates and directs the training of all production personnel through the ability to select competent individuals; trains and develops everyone by taking advantage of his/her strengths and improving weaknesses; evaluates and communicates to each subordinate his/her progress to attain customer satisfaction with a high degree of morale and sense of accomplishment on the part of those producing the product.

When and Where:
This will be a 1st Shift position located at our Plant in Holland, MI.
Occasionally, this may require you to arrive early, stay late, or work on weekends, outside of our regular hours, to ensure we successfully meet customer needs, deadlines, or urgent requests.

What You Need to Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, engineering, or related field

• 4+ years’ experience leading the operation of a multi-shift production facility

• Proven leadership experience required

• Knowledgeable of safety, quality, productivity, inventory and stewardship processes

• Computer literacy required, including MS Office (Excel) and ERP/MRP experience

• Ability to create accountability and to lead by example

• Strong team building, decision-making and people management skills

• Union relations / experience in a union (UAW) environment strongly preferred

• Experience with Plex Systems ERP strongly preferred.

• Previous experience in automotive industry preferred.

• Has high standards of performance for self.

• Takes responsibility for actions, results, and mistakes.

• Is thorough, accurate, and reliable when performing and completing job tasks; demonstrates honesty and integrity in all aspects of work.

• Takes positive action to objectively resolve conflict by listening, staying focused on issue to find resolution, and monitoring progress.

• Maintains positive relationships by constructively resolving conflicts.

• Uses feedback from others to continuously improve performance and work relationships.

• Moves within own and/or other work areas (flexes) to support plant flow.

• Works with sense of urgency to meet needs of customers.

• Has necessary experience, skills, and knowledge to perform all aspects of job; rotates through all job responsibilities.

• Maintains knowledge and skills to perform job effectively.

• Has ability to focus on benefits of change and see it as positive; approaches change or newness in constructive/objective manner; views change as learning opportunity.

• Looks for good in others; works collaboratively with others; shares information and knowledge.

• Is at work when scheduled and ensures coverage when absent; takes timely breaks/lunches; uses time wisely.

What We Offer:
We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off.

Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specific role. The details shared in this job description are intended to give you a general idea, but duties and responsibilities may evolve over time, with or without notice. And of course, we’re happy to provide reasonable accommodations to help individuals with disabilities succeed in their role.