Production Manager

Machina Labs is looking for a motivated, hands-on, and results-driven Production Manager to lead daily manufacturing operations for our robotic sheet metal forming and downstream production activities. This role is responsible for managing production personnel, driving execution against schedule and quality commitments, improving shop floor performance, and helping scale Machina Labs’ production capability as we transition advanced manufacturing processes from development into repeatable production. 

The Production Manager will oversee day-to-day production activities across robotic forming, trimming, deburring, grinding, finishing, inspection support, assembly, and other manufacturing operations required to deliver high-quality metal structures to customers. This role will work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Software, Quality, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Business Development to ensure customer requirements are translated into safe, executable, and repeatable production plans. 

Success in this role requires someone who can lead from the floor, establish operating discipline, build and develop teams, solve problems under pressure, and create structure in a fast-moving technical environment. The ideal candidate has experience managing production teams in aerospace, defense, automotive, precision sheet metal, machining, fabrication, or other complex manufacturing environments. 

The Production Manager must be comfortable walking the floor, identifying constraints, removing roadblocks, holding teams accountable, and helping build the systems, culture, and operating cadence needed to support growth. 

• Lead and manage daily production activities across robotic forming, sheet metal fabrication, finishing, trimming, deburring, grinding, assembly, and related manufacturing operations.  
• Own daily production execution, including schedule adherence, labor planning, machine uptime, quality performance, throughput, and shop floor priorities. 
• Manage Production Supervisors, Leads, Technicians, and other production personnel as the organization scales.
• Run daily production standups to review safety, quality, delivery, staffing, equipment status, constraints, and customer priorities.
• Translate program requirements, engineering releases, customer needs, and production schedules into executable shop floor plans.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to improve routers, travelers, setup sheets, work instructions, process documentation, and standard operating procedures.
• Ensure production teams maintain accurate documentation of process settings, machine status, nonconformances, rework, scrap, and lessons learned.
• Drive production readiness for new parts, new customer programs, and transition from prototype builds to repeatable production.
• Identify production bottlenecks and lead corrective actions to improve flow, reduce waste, and increase throughput.
• Work with Quality to ensure parts meet drawing requirements, inspection standards, customer specifications, and internal acceptance criteria.
• Support root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous improvement efforts related to production defects, missed schedules, rework, and process escapes.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain and Planning to ensure materials, tooling, consumables, fixtures, and outside processing are available to support production.
• Provide feedback to Engineering, Estimating, and Program Management on producibility, lead time, labor requirements, cost drivers, capacity, and manufacturability risks.
• Maintain a safe, clean, disciplined, and organized production environment, including enforcement of safety practices, 5S, equipment care, and shop floor standards.
• Develop, coach, train, and mentor production personnel to improve technical capability, accountability, teamwork, and performance.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and workforce planning as production demand grows.
• Establish and track production KPIs, including safety, quality, delivery, cost, labor utilization, machine uptime, rework, scrap, and throughput.
• Help build the operating foundation required to scale Machina Labs’ production capability across aerospace and defense applications.
• Perform other duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned. 

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate.  
• 7+ years of experience in manufacturing, fabrication, machining, sheet metal, aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, or other technically challenging production environments.  
• 3+ years of experience leading, supervising, or managing production personnel in a manufacturing environment.  
• Experience managing daily production schedules, labor assignments, work orders, travelers, routers, or similar shop floor execution systems
• Experience working with engineering drawings, manufacturing work instructions, process documentation, and quality requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, high-mix manufacturing environment.
• Strong computer skills and experience using digital production systems, ERP/MRP systems, spreadsheets, dashboards, or other manufacturing execution tools.
• Ability to communicate clearly with technicians, engineers, quality personnel, supply chain, program managers, and senior leadership.