Production Manager

Morgan Advanced Materials is a world leader in advanced materials science and engineering of ceramics, carbon and composites. We operate in a series of well-defined markets where our applications expertise offers our customers a valuable differentiator, engineering high-specification materials, components and sub-assembly parts that solve their challenging technical problems.

The Technical Ceramics business of Morgan Advanced Materials engineers high performance functional and structural ceramic materials, components and sub-assemblies to address customer-specific technical challenges.

The business employs advanced materials science and applications expertise to produce parts that enhance reliability or improve the performance of its customers’ products. Much of what the global business unit makes is used in demanding, harsh or critical environments. Our Technical Ceramics business works in selected segments of the electronics, energy, healthcare, industrial, petrochemicals, security and transport markets, typically in close collaborative customer relationships.

Group Key Figures: Revenue £950m (2021), ~7,500 employees, manufacturing in 30+ countries, and customers in 100+ countries. A UK PLC with head office located in Windsor, Berkshire UK.  Listed on London Stock Exchange; Member of the FTSE 250 Index.

The Production Manager is responsible for directing and coordinating all production departments. The value stream leaders and supervisors report to the Production Manager. S/he leads his reports in processing materials and manufacturing products to ensure safety, quality, delivery, throughput and cost targets are met or exceeded.
The role reports directly to the Site Leader.  S/he will be responsible to identify key improvement areas, support developing strategic plans, create visual management aids and standard work, aid management in root cause problem solving, and create Value Streams and associated value stream maps. The execution of these goals is assured using daily controls and visuals, measurement of KPI's, process change based on KPI, and the application and training of Lean tools (i.e.,5S, PDCA strategies, FMEA/RCCA, lessons learned, Value Stream Mapping, etc.).

S/he will create a strong culture of active leadership to deliver positive employee relations, creating an engaged workforce ensuring that products are manufactured on time to meet and exceed customer expectations, with a high level of focus on safety, and continuous improvement culture.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage daily operations of 80+ unionized employees to meet production, quality, and revenue goals.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute production schedules to ensure smooth workflow and high-quality output.
• Optimize resource allocation, labor utilization, and process efficiency to meet customer delivery expectations.
• Develop playbooks for various production scenarios, including overtime and resource planning.
• Generate and present production metrics (daily, monthly, quarterly) to track performance and identify improvements.
• Drive cost-effective operations while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.
• Identify cross-training opportunities to enhance flexibility and productivity across shifts.
• Foster a results-oriented, collaborative culture through goal setting, team development, and open communication.
• Partner with inventory and procurement teams to ensure timely material availability.
• Work cross-functionally with Commercial, Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Project Management teams.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to boost throughput, reduce waste, and improve lead times.
• Mentor and develop team leaders, creating a high-performance, customer-centric environment.
• Ensure adherence to all operational policies, safety regulations, and best practices.
• Lead by example with adherence to the Morgan Code at all levels of the organization. Create aclimate that fosters employee engagement, and motivation
• Support development and growth plans, identifies resource needs, supports succession planning,training, and recruitment, interviewing, and hiring.

Minimum Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated success in driving operational, manufacturing, and financial performance
• Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Working knowledge of ISO, ITAR, and AS9100 standards.
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially Excel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing unionized teams.
• Expertise in tight-tolerance aerospace component manufacturing and multi-axis CNC machining.
• Familiarity with CNC machine operations (Vertical/Horizontal), controls, and tooling strategies.
• Knowledge of Design for Manufacturability (DFM), GD&T, and ceramic machining processes. 

Individual must be a:

• Citizen of the United States, or
• Permanent resident alien of the United States, or
• Protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) as defined by 22CFR120.15

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes, or airborne particles, and toxic caustic chemicals.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Morgan Advanced Materials is an EEO/AA/M/W/D/V Employer