Salamander Designs is a U.S.-based premium furniture manufacturer serving commercial and residential markets. We are seeking a Manufacturing Operations Manager to support and strengthen day-to-day manufacturing performance. This role plays a critical support function across production, purchasing, and quality, ensuring our operations deliver consistent quality, predictable lead times, with a focus on continuous improvement. The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in production management and Lean manufacturing, thrives in a hands-on factory environment, and is motivated by process discipline, problem-solving, and collaboration. Key Responsibilities
Support daily production operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
Provide operational support to Production Supervisors and department managers to ensure consistent execution.
Lead Lean manufacturing initiatives including Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Kaizen events, standard work development, and waste reduction.
Partner with Scheduling to align customer demand with available capacity and constraints.
Improve production flow, work-in-process (WIP) control, and identification of bottlenecks.
Coordinate development and maintenance of SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation.
Support supplier purchasing and supplier quality activities, including Vendor Quality Audits (VQAs), return-to-vendor (RTV) processes, corrective actions, and inventory coordination.
Support preventive maintenance coordination and escalate equipment issues as needed.
Track, analyze, and report key performance indicators related to quality, delivery, and efficiency performance.
Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor's degree with a major in Production Management, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or Manufacturing Engineering.
Lean Manufacturing certification, or equivalent hands-on experience required.
3-5 years of experience in manufacturing operations, supplier quality, or purchasing support roles.
Working knowledge of Lean principles, supplier quality processes, and ERP systems.
Strong organizational, analytical, and cross-functional communication skills.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with a hands-on, problem-solving mindset.