Production Manager

Job Description:

Powder Coating Systems Production Manager

At Axalta, the strength of our company lies in our people, and our legacy is built on more than 150 years in the coatings industry. With over 12,000 employees globally and $4.5B annual revenue, singular focus on providing brilliant coatings sets us apart. Axalta Coating Systems is the only leading global coatings company dedicated solely to the development, manufacture and sale of liquid and powder coatings. We serve customers in the automotive, transportation, general industrial and architectural and decorative sectors. Our innovative products and services include paint, color matching tools, application technologies and customer training and business management systems.

Job Summary

The Production Manager oversees more than 140 Axalta employees and contractors who are members of the Production, Quality and Process Technology teams. This position is responsible for the manufacturing and packaging of high-quality finished goods, quick changeover and cycle times, as well as the constant improvement of manufacturing efficiencies. In addition, this position is responsible for developing and maintaining a safe work environment in compliance with all state and federal laws, maintaining plant manufacturing programs within budget, continuous improvement in the quality of our products, and directing and driving all company continuous improvement efforts in the 6 focus areas of Operational Excellence: Safety, Quality, Inventory, Delivery, Cost, and People.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the safe and quality manufacturing of production orders.
• Maintain and support a superior safety and housekeeping program, including all timely communication initiatives.
• Direct Supervisors and Area Leaders and others to assure safe, timely, cost-effective production and packaging operations.
• Develop and execute plant manufacturing budgets.
• Analyze workforce requirements.
• Responsible for ensuring that all training programs are conducted properly.
• Ensure that high quality products are produced through Plant Quality Systems Program.
• Conduct performance appraisals and provide coaching and guidance to all operations employees.
• Provide leadership for the successful day to day operation of the facility.
• Remove production constraints; allocate human and equipment resources and direct production employees to attain all established goals.
• Remove waste and constraints from the production process to improve efficiencies and enhance productivity.
• Provides oversight of the daily operations of activities related with safety, quality, maintenance, production, process technology, and weigh up.
• Manages the execution of daily and weekly production schedules.
• Leads critical projects related to continuous improvement programs.
• Serves as the Champion of Axalta Way Program across multiple functional areas at the Houston Site.
• Develops and manages the fixed cost budgets for Production.
• Generates Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) in order to measure departmental execution towards company goals.
• Collaborates with key departments (QC, R&D, Supply Chain, etc.) to ensure that orders are produced on time with high quality standards.
• Serves as a point of contact for escalated work issues and provides resolution.
• Leads PSM compliance (PHA, MOC, PSSR, Training and Procedures, MOC-P, safety incident investigation, mechanical integrity, quality assurance, etc.).
• Ensure thorough safety investigations and subsequent recommendations completed to avoid repetition of incidents.
• Participates in the generation and implementation of projects related to capital programs (Gate reviews, financial justifications, scheduling, safety, construction, etc.).
• Maintains employee morale and positive work environment; Interfaces closely with all subordinates to achieve business goal sates programs and/or procedures to motivate employees.
• Creates and implements growth and development opportunities for employees
• Exhibits positive leadership qualities such as initiative, follow through, communication skills, turning problems into opportunities, handling issues with tact and gaining the respect of others.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma/GED. Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a manufacturing or distribution facility, or in an operations environment.
• Previous experience with Safety systems and enforcement of Safety rules and policies.
• Previous experience/strong understanding of the P&L and basic understanding of financial and accounting practices.
• Strong PC skills including the ability to prepare spreadsheets to analyze data and trends.
• Previous experience/knowledge of paint or chemical processing is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated strong leadership, team building and advanced coaching skills.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate people, assess and develop employee skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of the principles and applications associated with manufacturing operations, quality, maintenance, and engineering.
• Able to work alternate shift patterns.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, with the ability to balance production and maintenance needs.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and listening ability.
• A strong ability to be adaptable and flexible.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work with teams and lead decision making processes in a team environment.
• Formal training and/or experience with continuous improvement tools such as Six Sigma, 5-S, Lean Manufacturing, Transactional Lean, etc. is preferred.
• Six Sigma Certification (Green Belt, Black Belt, Etc.) is preferred.
• SAP experience is preferred.

Our Company:

Axalta has remained at the forefront of the coatings industry by continually investing in innovative solutions. We engineer technologies that protect customers’ products – whether they are battling heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture, or chemicals – and add dimension and beauty with colorful finishes. We have a vast and ever-evolving portfolio of brands primed to play an important part in everything from modernizing infrastructure around the world to enabling the next generation of electric and autonomous vehicles.

Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Our diverse global footprint allows us to deliver solutions in over 140+ countries and coat 30 million vehicles per year. We’ve recently set an exciting 2040 carbon neutrality goal, in addition to 10 other sustainability initiatives, and we take pride in working with our customers to optimize their businesses and achieve their goals.