Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Salary Range: $110,000-$115,000 /Year

Hoover & Strong founded in 1912, is a family-owned jewelry manufacturer and refiner. We cater to the jewelry industry by producing over 30,000 eco-friendly and responsibly sourced jewelry products, all made in the USA. Our products and services include jewelry, contract castings, findings, mill products, and eco-friendly metal refining.

A team of over 90 enthusiastic and dedicated coworkers have created a progressive, family-oriented work environment that encourages personal growth, the sharing of creative ideas and responsible practices. Our work ethic is strong, and we strive for excellence and innovation in everything that we do. Providing high-quality products and professional services is our passion and we do it all in a casual, non-corporate atmosphere with respect and appreciation for one another.

Make a difference in YOUR life and become a part of the Hoover Family!

What You Will Be Doing:

The Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing daily business operations to ensure efficiency, accuracy, productivity, and excellent customer service. The role also owns production planning, material readiness, and operational stocking decisions-ensuring the right quantity of high value materials and product are available in the right location and form without unnecessarily tying up working capital.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys being on the floor, developing people, solving problems, and finding better ways to produce and deliver quality products efficiently, reliably, and with less waste.

What You Day to Day Might Include

1. Production and Stocking Strategy (70%)

• Own production execution from released customer order through manufacturing completion and readiness for shipment, with on-time delivery, quality, and customer commitments as primary measures of success.
• Set daily production priorities, balance capacity and labor, and proactively resolve bottlenecks, rework, and scheduling conflicts.
• Coordinate with sales, customer service, purchasing, warehouse, and logistics teams to monitor order status, manage backorders, and meet customer expectations.
• Resolve order discrepancies and delays while improving order accuracy, processing efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• Determine appropriate operational stocking levels and replenishment triggers based on demand, production lead times, and service requirements; balance shortage risk against the cost of holding precious metals and other inventory.
• Decide which materials and products should be held as raw metal/material, stocked work-in-process (WIP), or finished goods, and where each should be positioned to support production and timely fulfillment.
• Monitor supplier performance, delivery schedules, and material availability while collaborating across departments to prevent shortages and minimize operational disruptions.
• Optimize material handling, storage, and utilization to improve workflow efficiency, maintain safety, and reduce costs and waste.
• Develop and improve operational procedures to increase efficiency, productivity, and consistency while reducing errors, waste, and operating costs.
• Establish and monitor KPIs, analyze operational data, and prepare performance reports to identify trends and support data-driven decisions.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, quality standards, safety requirements, and applicable regulations while optimizing resources and workflows.
• Track production throughput, on-time completion, backlog, scrap/rework, stockouts, and excess inventory to identify corrective actions.

2. Team Leadership and Development (30%)

• Lead and supervise operations personnel by establishing clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and priorities to achieve departmental goals.
• Lead and develop the production team while building a culture of safety, quality, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Provide training, coaching, and feedback while promoting teamwork, accountability, employee development, and a positive workplace culture.
• Manage staffing and resource allocation, address performance concerns, and ensure compliance with company policies, standard operating procedures, and safety requirements.

What We Are Looking For:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Management, Operations Management, or a related field.
• +7 years of manufacturing or production operations experience, including at least 3 years of direct people-management or production-supervision experience.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing shop-floor teams, meeting production schedules, and improving safety, quality, delivery, or productivity.
• Experience planning inventory and production material needs, setting stocking levels, and making raw-material versus WIP versus finished-goods stocking decisions.
• Proficiency in inventory management systems, ERP software, order management systems, and Microsoft Office applications
• Experience in metal-intensive manufacturing, working-capital-sensitive inventory management, and Lean/continuous improvement preferred.

Why You'll Like Working Here:

• Paid Time Off - 23 days (pro-rated first year)
• Eligibility for 401k, with Company Profit Sharing contributions
• Company contribution to your Medical and Dental plans
• Company paid Life Insurance
• Voluntary Vision and Supplemental Insurance Available
• Company paid Tuition Reimbursement for qualified courses
• Performance bonuses and Spot Awards
• Monthly luncheons, cookouts and other fun activities
• Days Only - No Shift Work

All applicants must complete the online application. We cannot accept resumes without the online application. Candidates must pass an extensive background check, credit, criminal and drug screen; in addition, all candidates must be willing to adhere to a metal-free dress code policy and no cell phones.

Hoover & Strong, Inc. is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We are an EEO M/F/D/V.