Operations Manager chez Pella Corporation

Operations Manager Responsibilities/Accountabilities includes the following but not limited to:

• Responsible for ensuring that all customer expectations regarding order fulfillment are met:

  • Ensure adequate and efficient staffing strategies

  • Drive accuracy and urgency within the order fulfillment group

  • Encourage utilization and continuous improvement of order fulfillment processes, systems, and metrics

• Responsible for the direct supervision of exempt and/or non-exempt team members as assigned. This includes, but is not limited to, selection, training, performance evaluation and development, skills assessment, discipline and discharge, payroll reporting and staffing

• Review financial statements on a regular basis to analyze trends and identify opportunities

• Considers strategic opportunities and shares information with staff to develop decision making ability and growth

• Respond to and/or delegate escalated customer inquiries (i.e. missing items, wrong items, delivery questions, product issues, etc.) and ensures resolution

• Develop and regularly communicate operational objectives and strategies to various stakeholders (i.e. sales staff, order fulfillment team, Subsidiary branches and Pella Corporation)

• Must develop an expert level understanding of all Pella products and their applications

• Drive the accuracy and efficient management of inventory levels and recommend ways to improve our return on assets managed; oversee quarterly physical inventory process

• Serve as a key management sponsor of company Safety Program (participate in meetings, recommend policies and procedures, enforce safety policies and procedures, conduct safety audit tours, review accident analysis and trends; accident statistics and reports)

• Provide leadership for all company efforts toward continuous improvement (including kaizens)

• Drive the development of measurement tools to accurately gauge opportunities for improvement and the success of continuous improvement efforts

Operational Efficiency

• Responsible for planning and maintaining department budgets (expense and capital) 

• Ensures efficiency, cost measurement and analysis, strategic cost planning, and overall profitability

• Identifies opportunities to drive operational efficiency; Implements and/or delegates necessary action to realize benefits

• Regularly reviews growth objectives, analyzes facility utilization (or potential utilization) and implements strategies to support appropriate facility usage

• Recommends control procedures to prevent product or customer shortages, to prevent material waste, or to prevent order fulfillment delays 

• Negotiates all new lease or purchasing agreements for company delivery and/or service vehicles

• Has ultimate responsibility for vehicle fleet safety, particularly DOT compliance

Pella Proprietary Systems

• Expected to become a branch knowledge leader and resource on the usage of systems in the order fulfillment process 

• Maintains the integrity of system information, develops processes for usage, trains employees, develops understanding of systems integration, and maintains consistency of systems usage within order fulfillment department

• Researches systems capabilities to leverage and/or optimize their functionality

Supervisory

• Responsible for hiring and training; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining behaviors; addressing and resolving concerns and facilitating professional development 

• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws

• Responsible for establishing customer service driven performance criteria, conducting regular performance evaluations and any necessary disciplinary proceedings within the department

• Responsible for the overall, efficiency, quantity and quality of work performed in all order fulfillment processes.  This includes ensuring all key positions have adequate back-up and providing resources for all individuals to perform their functions
• Provides truthful and timely feedback to all employees
• Remains alert to changing signals in employee engagement

 General Management and Integration

• Acts as a liaison in creating proactive communication between all departments. This includes working closely with human resources, sales, finance, and service to identify and resolve potential process and training issues.  Maintains open lines of communication and seeks input of others to ensure constantly improving levels of customer satisfaction 

• Acts as a point of contact for and cooperates with requests from Pella Corporation

• Participates in Subsidiary planning and communication regarding operational objectives and/or opportunities to drive consistency

• Exhibits superior communication skills and the ability to maintain professionalism in times of great adversity and pressure

• Displays strong problem resolution skills and the aptitude to overcome substantial obstacles to satisfy customers’ needs

• Enforces company and department policies when applicable

• Fosters integration throughout the entire organization

• Work with other members of management to instill and promote the Pella Way in all facets of the business

Other General Responsibilities

• As necessary, research, create, authorize, implement and update documents such as policies, procedures, forms and standard work

• Attend appropriate professional seminars and workshops and review reading materials and professional journals to keep current with changing business trends

• Ensure the availability of statistical information/reports (i.e., pre-finish metrics, shop assembly production, load/unload production, weekly and monthly shipments, etc.) for management and Pella Corporation

• Attend and sometimes facilitate company or department meetings/training sessions, product training sessions, etc.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Must be able to develop a strong understanding of all Pella products and their applications

• Must have outstanding problem-solving skills and the ability to demonstrate a high level of responsiveness towards urgent customer issues

• Must exhibit superior communication skills and the ability to maintain professionalism in times of great adversity and pressure

• Works collaboratively and creates a sense of trust and reliability with internal team and customers 

• Demonstrates a strong work ethic and flexibility towards the needs of the business 

• Leverage the expertise of other internal team members as appropriate

• Champions change and innovation within the organization

• Focused on details and follow through

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, smart devices, and the ability to learn proprietary software programs and applications

Operations Manager Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university; or five to ten years related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Language and Communication Skills

Excellent verbal and written English language skills are required as well as good public relations, public speaking, instructional/teaching, and customer service skills.  Ability to read, interpret, understand and explain documents such as company policies and benefits.  Ability to effectively present information to others, gather information from others, and respond appropriately to questions from employees, managers, co-workers, agents, customers, and the general public.  Must be able to listen, assess and diagnose hidden meanings, and empathize. Must be able to resolve conflict in the best interests of the business and our customers.  Must display excellent phone and email etiquette, and the ability to communicate in a professional manner.  Must be able to make eye contact and present appropriate persona for the situation when interacting with fellow employees or waiting on a customer/visitor in person on a regular and consistent basis. 

Professional Skills

Must be a team player and exhibit a strong desire to learn and promote self-growth.  Must be pro-active, have a good attitude, be self-disciplined, and self-motivated. Must be a "take-charge" person with a demonstrated ability to follow projects through to completion. Attention to administrative detail is required.  Must be articulate, able to give clear instructions, demonstrate organizational skills, and meet reasonable deadlines. Must be able to maintain strict confidence with regards to sensitive and protected personnel/confidential information.  Must be able to gain trust, respect, and confidence of employees and managers. Must be able to hold firm when necessary, provide constructive feedback, and compromise when called for.  Must present in a clean and neat physical appearance and strictly abide by company dress code serving as a role model for other employees, customer and visitors.

Mathematical and Reasoning Skills

Must have ability to understand and communicate basic math associated with operational costs and/or revenue. Must have the ability to interpret financial reports and commonly used company performance reporting methods. 

Must have ability to solve practical problems without close supervision. Must be able to determine appropriate resolution in dealing with employee concerns and questions and set appropriate boundaries.  Must possess good thought processes, problem-solving skills, and investigative theory. Must be able to use sound judgment and make objective decisions in the company's best interest at all times. Must be able to demonstrate ability to synthesize people and events, problem solve, and engage individuals in effective conversation.

Physical Demands

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 to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel, especially with use of the phone and computer. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms and talk or hear especially in use of the telephone and meetings.  The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee may occasionally lift and or move up to 25 lbs.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus to read written company forms, correspondence, policies, brochures, state/local/federal employment law manuals, and other documents and reading materials as well as the computer.

Must be available to work outside a "normal" work week (overtime) as necessary, including evenings and weekends. 

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Primary work location will be the designated at the time of hire.  The employee will be required to enter the company's warehouse located at same address or other locations on a regular basis.  There may be occasions whereby work locations will include Trade shows or other showroom locations.  There may also be occasions when the employee will be expected/able to perform duties at home such as reading professional and/or research materials, making and accepting phone calls, composition of forms, correspondence, reports, etc. on the computer.  The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate in Administrative office and moderate in the warehouse.

About Pella Corporation

As the #1 most-preferred national window and door brand by homeowners across the country, Pella Corporation leads the industry in innovation and design. Founded in 1925, today the Pella Family of Brands encompasses a robust product offering sold and installed through various channels. We are a growing, privately owned company with 20 manufacturing locations and over 10,000 team members in the U.S. and Canada. Pella is consistently recognized as a great place to work by Newsweek, Forbes and Glassdoor, having most recently been named to America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity by Newsweek in 2024, as well as Forbes' 2024 Best Employers for Women and Best-In-State Employer in Iowa. We have also received numerous accolades for innovation and design, including Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2024 and Most Innovative Manufacturers for 2022 and 2023.

At Pella, our team cares deeply, learns continuously and achieves results that go beyond. We encourage creative thinking that seeks out and includes diverse perspectives. And we empower you to do the work you’re most proud of — that’s why we offer individualized talent development plans, cross-functional experiences and opportunities for career advancement through personal and professional development.

With talent just like you, we are imagining, building and fighting for a brighter future for generations to come. Ready to find a career that sparks your passion?