Operations Manager

ITW (Illinois Tool Works Inc.) is a Fortune 200 company and is one of the world’s leading diversified manufacturers of specialized industrial equipment, automotive components, consumables, and related service businesses. ITW businesses serve local customers and markets around the globe, with operations in 55 countries and an employee base of more than 48,000 women and men who adhere to the highest ethical standards. These talented individuals, many of whom have specialized engineering or scientific expertise, contribute to our global leadership in innovation. We are proud of our broad portfolio of more than 17,000 granted and pending patents.

ITW Drawform & Sexton is a $200M USD Division within Illinois Tool Works’ Automotive Segment. It has an excellent reputation for delivering top results and exceeding customer expectations within the deep draw and aerosol can industries.

Responsible for management of the Manufacturing, Assembly, Material Handling, Quality and Maintenance within ITW Drawform’s facility in Holland, Michigan. The role will lead efforts to prepare, start up and optimize a three 8-hour shift manufacturing process throughout the plant while building alliances and gaining buy-in from existing team members. This person will apply modern & applicable automation & manufacturing systems to optimize production schedules, quality and cost objectives in a safe manner.

Essential Functions

• Maintain efficient safety program according to company standards. Uphold a safe work environment for all employees including a focus on 5 S and a injury/accident free work place
• Improve operational performance by identifying, prioritizing, and assisting in the implementation of improvement projects or system enhancements, which result in efficiency improvements, quality improvements, and/or cost savings
• Contribute operations information and recommendations to strategic plans and reviews; prepare and complete action plans; implement production, productivity, quality, and customer-service standards; resolve problems; complete audits; identify trends
• Collaborate closely with scheduling, planning, maintenance and engineering to ensure equipment and facility readiness
• Forecast requirements; prepare an annual budget; schedule expenditures; analyze variances; initiating corrective actions
• Analyze and improve organizational process and workflow, employee and space requirements, and equipment layout; implement changes to follow Model Factory concept
• Work closely with the inventory manager and team to perform analysis of our inventory and ensure we are utilizing our inventory effectively, purchasing the right equipment, maintaining solid inventory data
• Partner with plant manager, peers and human resources to ensure production needs are consistently met and that appropriate MRD inventory levels are maintained
• Responsible for product quality and communicating customer expectations to the team
• Develop and implement internal procedures and documentation to support the manufacturing operations
• Effectively manage the team by setting clear goals, monitoring KPIs, maintaining accountability and creating risk mitigation plans, as necessary
• Identify training and development needs of staff, and initiate appropriate programs
• Support business growth by implementing necessary changes to product/production to enter new markets or grow existing product volumes
• Challenge the status quo, embraces technology, puts forward creative ideas, champions and implements process improvements, gathers the ideas of others, demonstrates good judgment about ideas which will work
• Supports cultural improvements and programs that are sustainable and employee engagement driven
• Translation of strategy into organization structure and governance models; diagnose, design, deliver and deploy organization design initiatives
• Conduct regular audits of the organizational structure and recommends changes to make the organization more efficient

• 
  Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business or a related field and 4 to 6 years of relevant experience required
• Prior production supervision required
• Prior facility start-up or expansion highly desirable
• Automation highly desirable
• Metal stamping and washing desirable
• Leading teams through change
• Ability to read & analyze data, and use this information to make decisions
• Understanding of production/inventory control
• Ability to influence outcomes, utilizing effective communication skills across functions and at senior levels
• Excellent leadership skills, as evidenced by a track record of hiring, retaining, developing, and motivating top-tier Operations talent
• Sound administrative and managerial skills
• Conflict Management, analytical, and diplomacy skills
• Self-starter and a team player
• Continuous improvement techniques with manufacturing processes and capabilities
• Excellent problem-solving, written and verbal communication, and presentation/facilitation skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products and ERP systems
• Ability to influence others and gain buy in from highly tenured teams
• Comfortable with complex projects and challenging customers

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.