Manufacturing Operations Manager - Wadena, MN

This position is located in Wadena, MN. Relocation assistance will not be provided. Why This Role MattersMissionHires is seeking an experienced Operations Manager on behalf of a manufacturing company. This salaried, exempt leadership role will oversee manufacturing, materials management, procurement, inventory, and production scheduling across Homecrest Outdoor Living and Innovative Surfaces. The successful candidate will provide hands-on shop-floor leadership while building operational discipline, developing supervisors, improving quality and throughput, and advancing long-term operational strategy.How You'll ContributeLead manufacturing operations with accountability for safety, quality, throughput, cost, and on-time performance.Maintain a visible, hands-on presence on the shop floor to set performance expectations, remove barriers, and support supervisors.Partner with production supervisors to improve workflow within and between departments while strengthening shift-level accountability.Lead a structured continuous improvement program using lean manufacturing principles and data-driven problem solving.Own plant-level quality outcomes, including in-process inspection, defect tracking, corrective actions, and reductions in rework and scrap.Partner with the maintenance team leader to ensure equipment reliability supports production commitments.Ensure adherence to safety policies, participate on the Safety Committee, and maintain environmental compliance.Oversee the end-to-end flow of materials from suppliers through receiving, staging, inventory, and production.Partner with the Materials Manager on sourcing, vendor selection, purchase order management, supplier relationships, and contract negotiations.Evaluate supplier performance based on quality, cost, and delivery reliability, and proactively mitigate supply-chain risks.Develop and maintain inventory policies that balance service-level needs with working-capital efficiency.Establish and manage a cycle count program, improve inventory accuracy, and address excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory.Ensure inventory data integrity in Microsoft Business Central to support dependable planning and reporting.Own the master production schedule and align customer demand, production capacity, and material availability.Improve schedule attainment and on-time shipment performance by identifying and resolving recurring constraints and bottlenecks.Define, monitor, analyze, and report core operational KPIs across manufacturing, procurement, inventory, and scheduling.Establish daily and weekly operating reviews using accurate, current performance data and clear action plans.Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable a cross-functional operations team including production supervision, purchasing, and scheduling.Recruit, onboard, and develop supervisory and managerial talent as needed, including conducting annual performance reviews and development planning.What Makes You a Great FitBachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or a closely related field strongly preferred; an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible operations experience will be considered.At least 10 years of operations experience with increasing scope and responsibility.At least 5 years of management experience with cross-functional accountability across manufacturing and at least one of procurement, inventory, or production scheduling.Experience in a high-mix, low-volume, custom, or semi-custom manufacturing environment strongly preferred.Hands-on working knowledge of lean manufacturing tools and continuous improvement methodologies.Demonstrated experience building or maturing a continuous improvement initiative.Strong foundation in supply chain and materials management, including procurement strategy, inventory optimization, and supplier performance management.Direct working experience with Microsoft Business Central ERP.Experience building and presenting KPI dashboards, operational scorecards, and planning tools.Proven ability to lead and develop cross-functional operations teams.Clear, direct communication skills across all organizational levels, from the shop floor to executive leadership.Ability to partner effectively with customer service, sales, product development, and finance while maintaining operational focus.Self-directed, accountable, and able to operate effectively at both tactical and strategic levels.