Operations Manager

Kelco Industries is a market leader in cost‑effective, high‑performance, custom engineered components for a wide variety of industries. We invest in the latest technologies and top talent, and because we are privately held, we answer only to our customers – so we can make fast decisions that move our business and our customers forward.

Kelco is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. We further are committed to considering all qualified individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodation as needed throughout the hiring process.

Kelco offers a competitive benefits package, including Health, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life insurance.

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading and improving the performance of our manufacturing plant with multiple product divisions by providing leadership across all plant operations with a strong emphasis on Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, accountability, and team development. Responsibilities include improving safety, quality, delivery, productivity, labor efficiency, and customer responsiveness while helping to build a culture of ownership and problem solving throughout Kelco.

• Promote a strong culture of safety and ensure compliance with Kelco safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Reinforce safe behaviors, addressing hazards, and supporting corrective actions as needed.
• Partner with respective teams to investigate incidents, identify root causes, and implement preventive safety measures.

• Lead plant operations across multiple product divisions to support safe, efficient, and reliable performance.
• Provide direction to leaders to ensure alignment of staffing needs, quality expectations, and customer requirements.
• Promotes a culture of concierge customer service to both internal and external customers ensuring that commitments are proactively communicated.
• Balances resources across divisions and help resolve operational constraints and workflow issues.
• Maintain a visible presence on the plant floor to reinforce expectations, support leaders, and remove barriers to performance.

• Promotes Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement across Kelco.
• Drive improvements in flow, labor utilization, material movement, standard work, visual management, and daily accountability.
• Uses visual management to engage the entire team in driving daily improvements in safety, quality, and delivery.
• Lead Lean initiatives such as 5S, Kaizen, root cause problem solving, Gemba walks, and daily management systems.
• Use data and direct observation to identify waste, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, and responsiveness.
• Build problem‑solving capability and accountability within the plant leaders.

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and team leads to improve leadership effectiveness, communication, and accountability.
• Establish and monitor key plant metrics such as safety, output, schedule attainment, labor efficiency, scrap, downtime, overtime, and on‑time delivery.
• Ensure production boards, KPI tracking, and visual management tools are used effectively to manage performance and accelerate issues.
• Leads team in developing plans for future changes in demand and new business.
• Support hiring, onboarding, performance management, and employee development in partnership with HR and Leadership.

• Reinforce consistent execution of quality standards, work instructions, and customer requirements.
• Support plant performance goals through improved productivity, waste reduction, stronger execution, and effective use of plant resources.
• Monitor operational results and drive improvements in quality, delivery, labor efficiency, scrap, downtime, and overall plant performance.

• Safety Leadership – Demonstrated commitment to workplace safety, including the ability to identify hazards, reinforce safe work practices, and support corrective…