Production Manager

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 suppor