Manufacturing Manager

Job Description

Masking Department Manager

Location: Oxnard, CA
Position Type: Full-Time

Job Purpose

The Masking Department Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, technical direction, productivity, quality, safety, staffing, and daily operations of the Masking Department. This role ensures parts are masked according to customer specifications, engineering drawings, job travelers, work instructions, and applicable quality requirements while promoting efficient use of labor, materials, and equipment. The Manager leads employee development and continuous improvement in quality, productivity, and workflow.

Duties and Responsibilities

Department Management & Production

• Manage daily operations, production schedules, staffing, workload, priorities, and departmental workflow to meet customer requirements and delivery commitments.
• Supervise, train, coach, and evaluate employees, including participation in interviewing, selection, onboarding, and performance management.
• Coordinate production requirements with Operations, Planning, Quality, and other departments.
• Monitor productivity, attendance, overtime, backlog, and labor utilization.

Technical Masking & Process Control

• Ensure accurate masking according to customer specifications, engineering drawings, job travelers, and work instructions.
• Develop, review, and maintain masking methods, templates, job cards, and work instructions.
• Create or oversee masking templates using Adobe Illustrator or similar approved software.
• Evaluate masking materials, tapes, plugs, caps, fixtures, tooling, and techniques.
• Troubleshoot complex masking issues and identify opportunities to reduce masking time, material usage, rework, scrap, and process variation.

Quality, Safety & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure compliance with customer requirements, the Quality Management System (QMS), and applicable quality standards.
• Report damaged parts, incorrect masking, defects, and potential nonconformances.
• Support defect investigations, corrective actions, customer complaints, and internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits.
• Monitor productivity, efficiency, quality, rework, and throughput while implementing process improvements.
• Enforce safety policies, PPE requirements, housekeeping standards, and safe work practices.

Training, Equipment & Materials

• Ensure employees receive initial, ongoing, and cross-training as needed.
• Evaluate employee skills and provide technical instruction and development.
• Maintain adequate masking supplies, materials, tools, and consumables.
• Coordinate equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, service, and repairs.
• Ensure parts and materials are properly handled, stored, and protected.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe department, including required records, templates, job cards, and training documentation.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; an associate's or bachelor's degree in manufacturing, engineering technology, operations, business, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of four (4) years of experience in masking, metal finishing, aerospace manufacturing, or a closely related production environment.
• Prior supervisory or management experience in a manufacturing or production environment required.
• Aerospace or other highly regulated manufacturing experience preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of masking materials, methods, templates, tooling, and production techniques.
• Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, job travelers, specifications, and work instructions preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership, employee-management, coaching, and training skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, schedule, and manage multiple production requirements.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to improve productivity, quality, workflow, and cost efficiency.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator or similar template-development software.
• Strong organizational, documentation, and recordkeeping skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Operations, Quality, Planning, EH&S, Human Resources, and other departments.
• Ability to work overtime, weekends, and adjusted schedules as required.

Key Accountabilities

• Accurate and consistent masking of customer parts.
• Achievement of production schedules and departmental priorities.
• Department productivity, throughput, labor utilization,…