Manufacturing Manager

Dragon Jacket is seeking a technically‑minded Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations and help scale production capacity as the company grows.

This role combines production leadership, manufacturing engineering, quality management, and continuous improvement. The Production Manager is responsible for ensuring products are manufactured safely, efficiently, and in accordance with engineering requirements while driving improvements in throughput, quality, and profitability.

The ideal candidate has an engineering background and enjoys working in a hands‑on manufacturing environment where they can lead people, solve technical problems, and improve processes.

• Lead daily production activities across foam fabrication, coating, assembly, packaging, and shipping.
• Develop and manage production schedules to meet customer commitments.
• Coordinate labor and equipment resources to maximize throughput.
• Monitor production metrics and implement corrective actions when needed.

• Interpret engineering drawings, bills of material, and manufacturing specifications.
• Develop and improve manufacturing processes, fixtures, tooling, and work instructions.
• Lead root cause investigations related to quality, production bottlenecks, and equipment issues.
• Support new product development and transition from design to manufacturing.
• Identify opportunities to reduce labor hours, improve yields, and lower production costs.

• Maintain product quality standards and manufacturing consistency.
• Implement inspection procedures and quality controls.
• Investigate non‑conformances and drive corrective actions.
• Support customer submittals and technical documentation as needed.
• Lead, train, and develop production personnel.
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and ownership.
• Participate in hiring and workforce planning.
• Inventory & Supply Chain Coordination
  • Coordinate raw material requirements with purchasing.
  • Monitor inventory levels and material utilization.
  • Ensure inventory accuracy and proper material traceability.
  • Reduce scrap and material waste.

• Promote a safe and organized manufacturing environment.
• Ensure compliance with company safety policies and OSHA requirements.
• Lead safety training and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience reading engineering drawings and technical documentation.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Proficiency with Excel and manufacturing reporting systems.

• Experience with polyurethane foam, composites, coatings, plastics, insulation products, or fabricated assemblies.
• Experience with CNC manufacturing equipment.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience.
• ERP/MRP experience.

• Gain working knowledge of Dragon Jacket products and manufacturing processes.
• Establish production reporting and KPI tracking.
• Improve inventory accuracy.
• Develop standardized work instructions for critical processes.

• Reduce manufacturing labor hours per assembly.
• Improve inventory accuracy to >98%.
• Reduce scrap and rework costs.
• Increase manufacturing throughput without proportional increases in labor.