Senior Operations Manager 3Q8

Job Title: Senior Operations Manager Reports To: General Manager Location: Frederick CO Position Summary The Senior Operations Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day manufacturing operations of Aqua-Hot while maintaining direct oversight of master planning, production scheduling, capacity planning, and execution against customer demand. This position serves as a key operational leader within the business, connecting customer demand, sales forecasts, material availability, labor capacity, manufacturing execution, quality, and financial objectives. The Senior Operations Manager will lead the manufacturing team, drive accountability to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity goals, and continuously improve the processes and systems necessary to support Aqua-Hot's growth. The role combines the planning and scheduling responsibilities historically associated with the Master Planner/Scheduler with expanded manufacturing leadership and operational responsibilities, providing a developmental path toward broader Operations leadership. The Master Planner/Scheduler role specifically includes translating customer orders and sales forecasts into achievable manufacturing schedules, maintaining the Master Production Schedule and work orders, supporting S&OP, and developing manufacturing and revenue performance metrics. Essential duties and responsibilities Manufacturing & Operations Leadership · Lead and manage day-to-day manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives. · Evaluate operational performance and identify actions necessary to improve productivity, efficiency, throughput, and execution. · Promote strong communication and coordination between Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Customer Service, Sales, and Finance. · Support execution of the strategic business priorities established by the General Manager. · Help build a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.

Master Planning & Production Scheduling · Own the Master Production Schedule and ensure production plans appropriately balance customer demand, available capacity, labor, and material availability. · Translate customer orders and sales forecasts into achievable manufacturing schedules that support on-time delivery and level loading of the manufacturing facility. · Analyze demand, capacity constraints, material availability, and changing business requirements and adjust production schedules accordingly. · Issue, track, and maintain manufacturing work orders. · Establish appropriate production priorities and communicate schedule changes throughout the organization. · Work closely with Sales and Customer Service to establish realistic customer delivery commitments. · Identify capacity or material constraints before they impact production and coordinate corrective actions with the appropriate functions.

Sales & Operations Planning · Lead and maintain the Sales, Inventory Operations Planning (SIOP) process. · Facilitate the monthly SIOP meeting and ensure alignment between demand, production capacity, materials, inventory, and revenue expectations. · Work with Sales and leadership to understand forecast changes and their impact on production requirements. · Identify supply, capacity, labor, and scheduling risks and develop recovery plans when necessary. · Provide leadership with visibility to expected production output, customer shipments, and revenue performance.

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement · Establish, maintain, and regularly communicate operational KPIs. · Monitor performance against established objectives and develop corrective actions when results are below expectations. · Drive continuous improvement activities focused on productivity, quality, material flow, lead time, waste reduction, inventory, and overall operational efficiency. · Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and implement sustainable process improvements. · Support Lean manufacturing principles and promote practical problem-solving throughout the organization. · Monitor critical quality and process parameters to help maintain product quality and prevent process drift.

Financial & Business Performance · Understand and manage the operational factors that impact revenue, labor efficiency, material performance, inventory, and manufacturing costs. · Support annual operating plans, budgets, and operational forecasts. · Monitor production and shipment performance against monthly revenue objectives. · Work with Finance and the General Manager to identify opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining safety, quality, delivery, and customer satisfaction.

Leadership Expectations

The Senior Operations Manager is expected to:

· Be a visible and engaged leader in the business. · Lead by example and reinforce a culture of safety, quality, accountability, urgency, and respect. · Make timely, fact-based decisions while appropriately escalating significant risks. · Communicate openly with the General Manager regarding operational performance, constraints, risks, and improvement opportunities. · Think beyond individual departments and make decisions based on what is best for Aqua-Hot as a whole.

Position Requirements and Qualifications · Strong knowledge of production planning, master scheduling, capacity, supply and demand planning, and material planning. · Strong working knowledge of MRP and ERP systems. · Demonstrated ability to establish and manage operational KPIs. · Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing and continuous-improvement principles. · Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. · Ability to effectively plan, prioritize, execute, follow up, and adjust to changing business conditions. · Strong leadership and employee-development capabilities. · Strong written and verbal communication skills. · Ability to work effectively across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Sales, Customer Service, and Finance. · Strong Microsoft Excel and general business-system skills.

Education and Experience · Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered. · 5+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, operations, production planning, scheduling, supply chain, or related disciplines preferred.