Production Manager

About Vet Powered:
Vet Powered, LLC, named Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year in the United States, is a rapidly growing San Diego based corporation specializing in manufacturing, welding, fabrication, machinery repair and customized training under private and U.S. Government contracts. Vet Powered employs a highly trained workforce that uses the latest in cutting edge CNC equipment. Vet Powered is dedicated to bringing advanced manufacturing back to America.

Key

Job Functions:

At Vet Powered, the Production Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of all production operations, including machining (turning, milling, laser, waterjet, 3D printing, inspection) and welding and fabrication (punching, shearing, welding, bending). The Production Manager ensures all work is safe, planned, scheduled, tracked, documented, performed correctly, and profitable, and that every job ships on time.

The ideal candidate brings a hands-on machining background and can step in to support quoting and bill of material development when needed, along with an engineering foundation that strengthens quality, process planning, and AS9100 compliance. This role works closely with the Head of Manufacturing, quoting, purchasing, quality, programming, and leadership to keep the shop running smoothly and predictably.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Production Planning, Scheduling, and Execution

• Own the production schedule for the machine shop and weld/fab shop; plan, prioritize, track, and deliver all jobs on time.

• Lead daily production meetings and report status of personnel, jobs, capacity, and equipment to leadership.

• Review purchase orders and customer drawings for accuracy and correct revisions before production starts; communicate issues that affect cost or lead time to leadership and the customer.

• Ensure travelers are created with all planned operations, work instructions, inspection steps, and shipping requirements before jobs are released.

• Plan workflow, routing, machine assignments, and space requirements to maximize throughput and minimize setups, scrap, and tooling costs.

• Ensure production personnel enter hours and work performed in the ERP system daily, and provide quoted vs. actual data on any job in production.

Team Leadership and Safety

• Ensure the safety of all production personnel, staff, OJT students, and guests.

• Train, supervise, counsel, and mentor machinists, programmers, operators, and fabrication staff; complete annual performance reviews.

• Foster a safe, clean, and well-organized 6S-based workplace.

• Recruit, interview, and provide hiring recommendations for production positions.

Quoting and BOM Support

• Apply hands-on machining knowledge to support quoting, including reviewing drawings for manufacturability, estimating setups, cycle times, tooling, and fixturing.

• Assist in developing and verifying bills of material for quoted and awarded jobs, including raw material, hardware, outside processing, tooling, and inspection requirements.

• Support lessons learned reviews comparing quoted vs. actual hours, materials, and costs to improve future quotes.

• Document and communicate no-bid rationale (capacity, equipment, materials, or process limitations) when applicable.

Quality, Compliance, and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure production follows established Quality Management System procedures and supports maintaining AS9100 Rev D certification, including annual audit responsibilities.

• Apply engineering fundamentals to resolve technical questions related to drawings, specifications, GD&T, tolerances, and customer requirements.

• Ensure inspections, measurements, and verification of incoming materials and outgoing products are performed and documented; ensure nonconforming product is tagged, documented, and dispositioned.

• Drive down NCRs, scrap, and rework through root cause analysis and corrective action.

• Provide KPIs to leadership, including on-time delivery, quoted vs. actual hours and costs, quality metrics, and capacity.

• Recommend improvements to profitability, efficiency, quality, and tracking, including personnel, equipment, tooling, and fixture investments with…