Manufacturing Operations Manager – 2nd Shift

Schedule: Second Shift, Monday–Friday, approximately 3:00 PM–11:00 PM, with flexibility for overtime and occasional weekends based on production needs

Location: Ypsilanti, MI

Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried

Underground Printing is looking for an experienced Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead our second‑shift production operation.

This role is ideal for a leader who enjoys being closely connected to the day‑to‑day operation, building strong teams, solving problems, and driving results in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment. The Manufacturing Operations Manager maintains a strong presence across the production floor while providing leadership and direction to supervisors, leads, and production teams.

This position is responsible for approximately 50–60 team members working across multiple production and fulfillment departments
, including Screen print, Embroidery, DTG, Heat Press, Fulfillment, and Shipping.

The Manufacturing Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring second‑shift operations are effectively staffed, organized, and aligned with production schedules and customer commitments. This includes setting priorities, coordinating resources, identifying and resolving obstacles, developing leaders, and ensuring strong communication between shifts.

Success in this role requires someone who can balance people leadership with operational execution and take ownership of the overall performance of the shift.

• Lead all second‑shift manufacturing and production operations.
• Provide leadership and direction to supervisors, leads, and production team members across multiple departments.
• Ensure the shift starts with clear production priorities, staffing plans, and expectations.
• Monitor production performance throughout the shift and make real‑time adjustments to labor, workflow, equipment, and priorities.
• Drive performance in productivity, labor efficiency, quality, safety, and on‑time completion.
• Maintain an active presence throughout production operations to understand challenges, support leaders, and ensure priorities remain on track.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability related to performance, attendance, quality, safety, and workplace standards.
• Identify production bottlenecks and coordinate solutions to keep work moving.
• Coordinate with Fulfillment and Shipping to ensure time‑sensitive customer orders and carrier commitments are completed.
• Lead effective shift handoffs so production priorities, equipment concerns, quality issues, and incomplete work are clearly communicated.
• Investigate recurring operational issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and reinforce standard work, training, SOPs, 5S, and continuous improvement practices.
• Partner with Maintenance and Operations leadership to address equipment issues and improve reliability.
• Coach and develop supervisors and leads to strengthen leadership, communication, decision‑making, and accountability.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, reduce waste, increase efficiency, and strengthen the overall employee and customer experience.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated success leading teams in a fast‑paced manufacturing, production, warehouse, distribution, or fulfillment environment.

We're looking for someone who can manage competing priorities, changing production needs, equipment challenges, staffing issues, and customer deadlines while keeping the operation organized and moving forward.

Preferred qualifications include:

• 5+ years of progressive manufacturing, production, warehouse, fulfillment, or operations leadership experience.
• Experience leading a sizable hourly workforce, preferably including supervisors or team leads.
• Experience managing…