Manufacturing Program Operations Manager

Who You Are:

You are a hands-on manufacturing leader who thinks like a program owner. You’re comfortable on the floor and in cross-functional discussions about risk, investment, and growth. You enjoy organizing people, processes, and resources to turn a developing R&D concept into a stable, scalable operation. You use data, detail, and disciplined follow-through to drive continuous improvement, and you are confident in holding both operations and R&D teams accountable to shared goals.

The Role:

The Manufacturing Program Operations Manager is responsible for both the day-to-day operations of the manufacturing cell and the ongoing development and scaling of the program that supports it. This role manages the Programming Manager (and, through that role, the operators), coordinates with R&D through a structured ticket/issue system, and partners with Design Engineering, Sales, Finance, Quality, and other Operations leaders.

This position is accountable for hitting operational and financial benchmarks that demonstrate program viability and inform decisions about facility expansion, new equipment purchases, and continued investment.

Work Environment:

PartsBadger is a relaxed, casual work environment in Cedarburg, WI. Our facility blends office and production space and is designed for idea generation and collaborative work. In this role, you can expect frequent interaction with the Sales, Finance, Design Engineering, Programming, Production, QC, and Shipping departments, as well as coordination with R&D and international teams.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities: 

• Oversee daily manufacturing operations in the cell, including work prioritization, scheduling, and monitoring active jobs.
• Provide direct leadership to the shop operations team, ensuring clear expectations, safe practices, and efficient execution.
• Coordinate with Design Engineers and Programming to ensure jobs are manufacturable and that any issues are identified and resolved quickly.
• Collaborate with Sales and Operations teams to confirm capacity and lead-time assumptions for incoming work.
• Collaborate with programming, shop operations, and shipping to maintain smooth handoffs and readiness for manufacturing, ensuring jobs are completed accurately and in a timely manner.
• Ensure machines, tools, fixtures, and materials are available and ready to support planned work, minimizing downtime.
• Communicate status, risks, constraints, and plan changes clearly and proactively to Sales, Operations, and other stakeholders.
• Track and report key operational metrics such as throughput, on-time delivery, scrap/rework, revenue, quality, margin, and utilization.
• Use a ticket-based system to log, prioritize, and follow up on operational issues and improvement requests with the R&D/development team.

Program & Strategic Responsibilities: 

• Manage and develop members of the shop operations team through regular 1:1 feedback sessions and performance reviews. 
• Set clear goals and expectations based on job descriptions and company objectives, monitor progress, and coach for growth. 
• Hire, onboard, and train new shop personnel, and coordinate cross-training to build team flexibility. 
• Own the operational tasks of the program’s journey from R&D-style pilot to stable, repeatable, multi-cell operation.
• Maintain a structured, ticket-based workflow with the R&D and development teams to address bugs, feature requests, process gaps, and efficiency opportunities.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying bottlenecks, waste, and failure points and leading cross-functional efforts to resolve them.
• Work with Finance and Operations leadership to define and monitor key financial and operational benchmarks (e.g., revenue, cost per part, margin, throughput, utilization) that indicate program viability.
• Build and maintain the operational business case for expansion, providing precise data and analyses to support decisions on a larger building, new machines, and other capital investments.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, work instructions, and visual management systems that capture program successes and make them repeatable.
• Plan for and support scaling from one cell to multiple cells, including staffing, training, layout, equipment, and process replication.
• Coordinate resources and priorities across R&D and Operations to sequence and deliver program improvements for maximum impact.
• Maintain a high level of attention to detail across every process, creating urgency and accountability that moves the program forward.
• Build strong working relationships with other departments (Design Engineering, Sales, Finance, Quality, Shipping, Overseas Production, etc.) to increase efficiency and reduce friction as the program grows.

Required Qualifications:

• Leadership experience in a manufacturing or machining environment, including responsibility for leading other leads or managers and/or a production team.
• Working knowledge of CNC machining processes, materials, tooling, and basic quality expectations.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings and communicate requirements clearly
• Strong organizational and time management skills; able to manage multiple jobs, priorities, and stakeholders at once.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills with shop personnel, peers, leadership, and external partners.
• Proficient with everyday digital tools (email, spreadsheets, and basic scheduling/ERP or job-tracking systems)
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with technical and non-technical teams, including R&D and Finance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience launching, stabilizing, or scaling a shop operation, product line, or pilot project into steady production.
• Prior responsibility for operational metrics such as throughput, on-time delivery, scrap/rework, or utilization.
• Familiarity with continuous improvement principles.
• Experience coordinating with external suppliers for materials, tooling, or outsourced operations.
• Exposure to quality systems and inspection practices.
• 2- or 4-year degree in a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

PartsBadger Perks

• Free Lunches Daily (Monday-Friday)
• Complimentary Fully Stocked Snack Bar
• IRA with a 3% Match
• Health and Dental Plans
• Professional Development Plans Available

Opportunity for Advancement:

This position is structured to grow as the program and overall operations grow. As the cell scales to multiple cells and higher volumes, there will be opportunities to expand into broader production leadership, continuous improvement, or senior operations roles based on performance and results.

Does This Sound Like The Place For You?

Are you ready to challenge yourself, help turn a developing program into a scalable manufacturing engine, and work across teams to drive real impact? If you are hard-working, versatile, accountable, and a team player, apply today!