Production Operations Manager

We are seeking an experienced Production Manager – Metal Finishing / Powder Coating to lead daily production operations for a growing metal finishing manufacturer in Villa Park. This Production Manager – Metal Finishing / Powder Coating will oversee workflow, people, quality, and on-time delivery in a fast-paced coating environment serving aerospace, defense, military, medical, and commercial customers. If you are a hands-on Production Manager – Metal Finishing / Powder Coating who understands finishing operations and enjoys building strong teams and improving processes, this is an opportunity to make an immediate impact.

Perks & Benefits

• $85,000–$110,000 salary based on experience
• Monday–Friday, 1st shift schedule with weekends off
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) and paid time off
• Join an established 40+ year company experiencing significant growth and facility expansion

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead daily liquid painting, powder coating, and metal finishing production to maintain quality, efficiency, and on-time delivery.
• Manage and develop painters, technicians, and production staff while balancing labor, schedules, capacity, and workflow.
• Monitor production performance, troubleshoot bottlenecks, and implement process improvements that increase productivity and consistency.
• Partner with Quality, Engineering, and Customer Service to meet customer specifications, NADCAP requirements, and production deadlines.
• Maintain safe, organized, OSHA-compliant operations while tracking production metrics, labor utilization, and resource needs.

Must Haves

• 5+ years of production or operations leadership within metal finishing, industrial coatings, liquid painting, powder coating, aerospace, or a closely related manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on knowledge of coating processes including surface preparation, masking, painting/coating, curing, and inspection.
• Proven experience leading production teams in a fast-paced, quality-driven manufacturing operation.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, specifications, work instructions, and customer requirements.
• Strong production planning, problem-solving, communication, and team leadership skills.

Nice to Haves

• Experience working within NADCAP-accredited manufacturing or finishing operations.
• Aerospace, defense, military, or other highly regulated manufacturing experience.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, continuous improvement, or process optimization.
• Experience with production metrics, capacity planning, labor utilization, and quoting.
• Background helping a growing manufacturing operation scale production, teams, or facilities.