Operations Manager

Description

Position Summary

Reporting to the VP of Operations, the Operations Manager is responsible for end-to-end daily manufacturing performance across the facility, including safety, quality, on-time delivery, cost, and productivity. This role ensures that printing, die cutting, folding & gluing, and finishing operations run efficiently, consistently, and in compliance with customer, regulatory, and safety requirements (cGMP, etc.).

Once timelines and plans are set, the Operations Manager owns execution to those commitments, driving production efficiency, schedule adherence, and delivery performance across all manufacturing operations. This role is accountable for meeting or beating estimated timelines, optimizing throughput, minimizing downtime and waste, and ensuring customer demands are met without compromising safety or quality.

Balancing urgency with realism, the Operations Manager brings disciplined execution, data-driven decision-making, and strong operational judgment to translate plans into results and consistently deliver on Premier Packaging’s production and customer commitments.

Responsibilities:

Production Execution, Quality & Delivery Accountability

• Execute production schedule and customer commitments efficiently, consistently at high quality, predictably, and on time in alignment with approved estimates.

• Own production delivery performance and ensure timelines are met or exceeded while maintaining Premier Packaging’s quality, cGMP, and safety standards.

• Work closely with the scheduler to deliver products on-time by balancing real-world capacity, equipment capability, and workforce constraints.

• Lead execution recovery when timelines, quality, or delivery performance are at risk, taking decisive action to restore plan adherence.

Production Efficiency & Performance Management

• Drive sustained improvements in production efficiency, throughput, and labor utilization across printing, die cutting, folding/gluing, and finishing operations.

• Establish, monitor, and act on key performance indicators including throughput, OEE, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, schedule adherence, on-time delivery, and quality metrics.

• Use production data to identify execution gaps, root causes, and improvement opportunities; implement corrective actions with measurable results.

• Ensure performance expectations are clearly communicated, reviewed regularly, and reinforced through accountability and follow-through.

Planning Alignment & Cross-Functional Execution

• Provide operational input into estimating accuracy, capacity planning, and sequencing to improve predictability and delivery reliability.

• Communicate execution risks early and clearly, enabling proactive adjustments rather than reactive recovery.

Quality, cGMP & Safety Leadership

• Ensure all production activities meet or exceed quality standards, cGMP requirements, ISO expectations, and internal work instructions.

• Reinforce adherence to SOPs, job tickets, documentation, in-process checks, and production floor standards across all production areas.

• Partner with Quality to address non-conformances, deviations, and corrective actions promptly and effectively.

• Maintain a safe, organized, and compliant manufacturing environment without sacrificing productivity or delivery.

Workforce Leadership & Accountability

• Establish clear performance expectations related to execution, quality, safety, and delivery across the manufacturing floor.

• Drive accountability at all levels by reinforcing standards, addressing performance gaps, and recognizing strong execution.

• Partner with HR and Operations leadership on hiring, onboarding, performance management, training, and development of manufacturing talent.

• Build a culture that values ownership, teamwork, continuous improvement, and pride in high-quality output.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Discipline

• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives focused on execution reliability, efficiency gains, waste reduction, and quality consistency.

• Standardize best practices and ensure improvements are sustained through documentation, training, and reinforcement.

• Promote disciplined problem-solving and data-driven decision-making across operations.

Job Requirements:

• Ability to be on your feet for the duration of an 8+ hour shift.

• Ability to lift up to 25lbs frequently and up to 50lbs occasionally.

• Ability to work overtime when needed.

• Frequent bending and stooping.

• Follow all safety procedures when operating all manufacturing equipment or when handling chemicals.

• Conducts all activities in a safe and efficient manner.

• Ability to follow directions and work as a team

• Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.

Skills & Abilities:

• Exceptional leadership and coaching abilities, with a focus on developing others.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to interpret production data and act decisively.

• Excellent communication and collaboration across functions and shifts.

• Highly organized with strong follow-through and attention to detail.

• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic manufacturing environment.

• Sound operational judgment, with the ability to balance urgency, quality, and realistic capacity constraints.

• Strong accountability mindset, taking ownership of outcomes and driving consistency in execution.

• Ability to lead through change and ambiguity while maintaining stability and focus on results.

• Ability to collaborate and work with all departments of an organization (sales, customer service, pre-press, quality, estimating, procurement, shipping, etc.). 

• Proficient with Microsoft Office, production reporting tools, and ERP systems (Excel, Outlook, data dashboards, etc.).

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience considered.

• 8-12+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, preferably within folding-carton, paperboard converting, printing, or related packaging environments.

• Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing operations across printing, die cutting, folding and gluing, and finishing, with accountability for production execution, efficiency, quality, and delivery performance, over multi-shifts. 

• Proven track record of executing production plans to estimate, timeline, and customer commitments in fast-paced, deadline-driven operations.

• Experience working within cGMP, ISO, and regulated manufacturing environments, with a strong understanding of quality systems and compliance expectations.

About Premier Packaging

For over 35 years Premier has been a market leader in providing Innovative and Secure Solutions for Printing and Packaging.  Premier is the Packaging, Security and Commercial Printing division of DSS, Inc.

With operations based in West Henrietta, NY and distribution facilities on both coasts of the U.S. we service a variety of nationally and regionally based customers. Our client list includes customers in the medical device, consumer goods, photo marketing and food industries. 

We differentiate ourselves by being a full service, end-to-end solution provider that is large enough to be a complete resource to even our largest clients but still remain nimble enough to react to ever changing market and customer demands when necessary.

Innovative and Secure Solutions for Printing and Packaging