Production Manager

Job Title:

Production Manager

Location: Grundy Center, Iowa

Company: Heavy Equipment Manufacturing

Employment Type: Full-Time

Heavy Equipment Manufacturing designs and builds a full line of concrete paving equipment for both domestic and international markets. Based in Grundy Center, Iowa, we are a growing Midwest manufacturer with increasing sales. We value practical, simple design, strong relationships with our employees and customers, and building reliable equipment that works.

We are seeking a strong people-focused production leader who can bring structure, consistency, and continuous improvement to our growing manufacturing operation. This role oversees approximately 35 employees across welding, CNC machining, and assembly. The ideal candidate will establish predictable processes that ensure reliable quality, dependable lead times
, and a culture built on accountability and teamwork.

This position will also play a key role in driving automation initiatives
, optimizing cost price
, and preparing our operation for future scalability.

• Lead, coach, and develop production team leaders and shop-floor employees to build a high-performing, collaborative workforce.
• Implement structured daily management routines (standups, tier meetings, visual management) to create clear expectations and consistent communication.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

• Plan and oversee all phases of production to ensure reliable throughput and on-time delivery.
• Establish and maintain standard work, shop-floor organization, and visual controls to drive consistency and predictability.
• Monitor and manage key performance indicators (KPIs) such as OEE, first-pass yield, scrap, cycle time, capacity utilization, and on-time delivery performance.
• Proactively aligning staffing and production capacity with company growth.

• Ensure quality standards are met at every stage of manufacturing.
• Apply root-cause problem-solving tools and structure corrective actions to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Collaborate with engineering on design-for-manufacturing improvements.

• Identify opportunities for automation, robotics, and process digitalization to improve efficiency and repeatability.
• Develop and support ROI assessments and business cases for new equipment investments.
• Lead cost-reduction initiatives focused on material optimization, cycle-time reduction, and waste elimination.

• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized work environment.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements and internal safety practices.

• Proven experience managing production or manufacturing operations, ideally in heavy equipment, fabrication, or metalworking.
• Demonstrated strength in people leadership, coaching, and team development.
• Experience implementing structured operational systems (Lean, 5S, standard work, tier management, or similar).
• Strong understanding of welding, machining, and assembly processes.
• Experience with automation technologies or capital equipment implementation is a strong plus.
• Proven history of improving quality, delivery performance, and cost.
• Effective communicator and practical, hands-on leadership style.

• Stable, growing Midwest company with increasing sales.
• Opportunity to shape and modernize production operations.
• Direct impact on products sold worldwide.
• Close-knit environment with strong relationships across teams.
• Competitive compensation based on experience.

Accountability: We take ownership of our work and deliver on our commitments.

Reliability: We build equipment and relationships that crews can count on.

Customer-Focused: We listen, collaborate, and put people first.

Trustworthy: We act with honesty, loyalty, and respect.

Grounded: We remain humble, rooted in craftsmanship, and dedicated to quality.