Site Manufacturing Operations Manager

Overview

Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) was founded in 1964 by three electric cooperatives with a mission to deliver reliable transformers to rural communities often overlooked by larger manufacturers. Headquartered in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the company quickly established itself as an innovator—becoming the first U.S. plant exclusively designed to produce single-phase pad-mounted transformers.

Over the decades, ERMCO has expanded its capabilities and footprint through facility growth, strategic acquisitions, and continued investment in innovation. ERMCO designs and manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of liquid-filled distribution transformers, including single-phase and three-phase pad-mounted and pole-mounted transformers, supported by a full range of components such as amorphous and silicon steel transformer cores, fuses, bushings, disconnect switches, and circuit breakers.

Today, nearly 3,500 employees across eight sites in North America support the company’s role as a leader in powering energy grids to meet evolving customer demand. ERMCO is positioned to be the industry’s Most Valued Partner.

Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc. (ERMCO) is expanding into the Greater Phoenix market with a new 566,121-square-foot manufacturing facility in Waddell. The site will strengthen ERMCO’s Three-Phase transformer production and create new opportunities to advance automated manufacturing capabilities. This marks ERMCO’s first expansion west of the Mississippi River. Operational readiness is underway, with the first transformer set to be manufactured in 2027.

ERMCO is offering long-term career opportunities across engineering, skilled trades, and operations. Team members at this facility will help build scalable processes, embed best practices, and drive alignment across the enterprise—playing a key role in shaping how work is done at ERMCO both locally and company wide.

The Site Manufacturing Operations Manager plays a critical leadership role in ERMCO’s new Phoenix, AZ facility. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this role provides oversight and leadership across all areas of plant operations, including fabrication, core manufacturing, assembly, testing, and production support functions. This leader will be responsible for all three shifts and will guide Area Managers, Supervisors, and production teams to ensure safety, quality, and productivity targets are consistently met.

Because this is a new plant startup, the Site Manufacturing Operations Manager will be heavily involved in establishing production processes, building teams, implementing training, and aligning workflows with the established operations at ERMCO’s Dyersburg, TN facility. Significant travel to Dyersburg will be required for onboarding, knowledge transfer, and alignment of manufacturing standards.

A successful candidate brings deep manufacturing leadership experience, an engineering or technical background, strong change-management capabilities, and proven success in high-growth or startup environments.

This position is located in Waddell, AZ. Relocation assistance will be provided.

• Lead daily production activities across all shifts, ensuring adherence to schedules, quality standards, and safety expectations.
• Facilitate daily SQDC meetings, driving discussion and accountability for Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.
• Promote a safe, positive, and productive work environment while modeling ERMCO’s cultural values.

• Lead, mentor, and develop Area Managers and Department Supervisors, strengthening leadership bench strength.
• Drive associate engagement by championing enthusiasm, ownership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, coaching, and corrective actions.

• Travel extensively to the Dyersburg, TN facility for onboarding, process alignment, and training.
• Collaborate with Dyersburg leadership to transfer best practices, operational standards, and manufacturing methods.
• Ass…