Production Manager bei TrafFix Devices, Inc.

Description

At TrafFix Devices, Inc., safety isn’t just our mission, it’s our promise. As a global leader in roadway safety solutions, we engineer and manufacture life-saving products from crash cushions to barricades that protect motorists, workers, and pedestrians around the world.

We are seeking a dynamic Production Manager to lead operations at our San Clemente facility. This role requires a proven leader with strong management skills, a continuous improvement mindset, and the ability to drive transformation on the production floor. By streamlining workflows, empowering teams, and ensuring uncompromising quality and safety, the Production Manager will play a pivotal role in advancing operational excellence and fulfilling our mission of protecting lives.

Job Summary:

The Production Manager is responsible for leading all production and assembly operations at the San Clemente facility, including light assembly and the manufacturing of Scorpion Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMA). This role ensures that products are produced efficiently, safely, on time, and to the high standards of quality TrafFix is known for.

Key responsibilities include planning and scheduling production, coordinating priorities across multiple areas, and driving the timely completion of customer orders. The Production Manager will identify process gaps, standardize workflows, and implement continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen productivity, reduce inefficiencies, and control labor costs. Additional duties include managing and motivating teams, ensuring safety compliance, maintaining equipment, managing inventory, and fostering cross-department collaboration to achieve business goals.

This position requires a hands-on leader with strong organizational and problem-solving skills who can balance strategic oversight with daily operational demands. The ideal candidate will excel at optimizing resources, building accountability, and cultivating a culture of safety, efficiency, and operational excellence.

Essential Functions:

• Oversee and coordinate all production activities within the light assembly and TMA assembly areas, ensuring on-time achievement of production goals.
• Develop and direct production schedules, aligning demand with resource availability, workforce capacity, and warehouse constraints.
• Monitor and manage inventory to ensure consistent material availability while minimizing shortages and excess.
• Identify and resolve inefficiencies in workflows, equipment utilization, and material usage; implement corrective and preventive actions to sustain improvements.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to enhance efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
• Ensure strict compliance with safety protocols, quality standards, and company policies across all production areas.
• Provide strong leadership to production teams by setting clear expectations, coaching, and fostering a culture of accountability and performance.
• Track, analyze, and report on production performance metrics, including output, downtime, labor utilization, and operational costs, with actionable recommendations.
• Support staffing needs by participating in recruitment, training, development, and performance management of production personnel.
• Collaborate closely with the Production Planner to ensure accurate job scheduling, execution, and completion.
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for production performance, including quality control, budget adherence, and cost management.
• Partner with executive leadership to align production objectives with company goals, ensuring operational excellence and long-term scalability.

Requirements

General Functions:

• Lead and support direct reports and front-line employees by sharing knowledge, resources, and experience to achieve production goals on time, while fostering respect, open communication, and teamwork.
• Drive engagement by equipping supervisors and leads with the tools, training, and information needed to act with autonomy, while providing regular feedback to ensure strong execution.
• Build collaborative relationships across teams and departments to improve coordination, strengthen execution, and create operational synergies.
• Develop and communicate clear strategies and objectives that align departmental and individual performance with overall company goals.
• Recruit, hire, and retain qualified talent, ensuring departmental needs are met while fostering a challenging and growth-oriented environment.
• Develop employees by identifying strengths and opportunities, providing coaching and resources for improvement, and supporting long-term career growth.
• Adapt quickly to organizational changes, ensuring the team remains aligned with the company’s mission, vision, and evolving priorities.
• Create a culture of accountability and ownership, balancing recognition and rewards with coaching and corrective action to drive results.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the COO to support overall company objectives.
• Skills and Abilities:
• Trust and Team Building: Demonstrates the ability to inspire, motivate, and lead by example, fostering strong, cohesive teams that consistently deliver superior results.
• Change Leadership: Effectively guides teams through organizational transitions by promoting adaptability, supporting adoption of new processes and systems, and ensuring alignment with company goals.
• Clear Communication: Communicates ideas, expectations, and goals clearly and professionally across all levels of the organization to influence, inspire, and drive action.
• Emotional Intelligence: Recognizes personal strengths and areas for growth while fostering positive relationships. Skilled in managing stress, resolving conflict, and coaching others to achieve their best.
• Goal Orientation: Aligns departmental initiatives with organizational objectives, strategically prioritizing actions to achieve short- and long-term business goals.
• Leadership and Performance Management: Provides direction, sets expectations, and drives accountability while creating a supportive environment that promotes employee development, engagement, and high performance.
• Organizational and Planning Skills: Manages multiple projects and priorities with precision, ensuring timely completion of objectives and seamless coordination across departments.
• Process Improvement: Continuously evaluates workflows to enhance efficiency, maximize resource utilization, and reduce waste, applying Lean or similar methodologies.
• Decision-Making and Critical Thinking: Analyzes complex problems, considers diverse perspectives, and implements sound, data-driven solutions that align with company strategy and stakeholder needs.
• Initiative and Proactivity: Consistently identifies opportunities and takes action without waiting for direction, demonstrating resourcefulness, accountability, and a strong drive to achieve results independently while contributing to organizational success.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years of progressive managerial experience in manufacturing environment.
• Strong leadership and personnel management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with production management software and systems.
• English/Spanish bilingual skills strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical dexterity: The employee must be able to use a computer and other office equipment, including phones, printers, and scanners. Up to 50% of the employee’s time will be spent sitting at a desk using a computer, with the other 50% spent overseeing production work and attending meetings. 
• Vision: The vision requirements for this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Exposure to elements: The employee will occasionally enter a warehouse production environment and may be exposed to varying temperatures and inclement weather conditions. There will also be frequent exposure to dirt and dust while in the warehouse.
• Noise level: The employee will mainly work in an office environment and have minimal noise exposure. However, when in the production environment, the employee will be exposed to moderate noise levels, due to the constant use of forklifts and production machinery.

Note: The company is committed to providing a safe work environment and will provide necessary equipment and training to perform the physical demands of the job.

EEO Statement:

The Company provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.