Rubber Molded Goods Production Manager

Job title: Production Manager – Compression Molded Rubber Products Company: Manna Rubber Products (Manna Group of Companies) Workplace type: On-site Location: Airapuram Rubber Park, Ernakulam, Kerala, India Employment type: Full-timeSeniority level: Mid-senior levelJob function: Manufacturing/ProductionDescription (paste into the “Description” box)About UsManna Rubber Products is part of the Manna Group of Companies, a Kerala-based rubber group working in rubber reclaiming, tread rubber and retreading materials, and tires, with operations in India and the UAE. We’re growing our range of compression-molded rubber products, including rubber mats.About the RoleWe're looking for an experienced production manager to lead our compression-molded rubber goods production. You’ll run day-to-day production, including planning, people, machines, quality, and reporting, and you’ll be responsible for improving machine and manpower efficiency in ways we can measure.Key ResponsibilitiesPlan and run daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules against sales orders so orders ship on time at the target quality and cost.Manage the full compression molding process: compound issue, preform preparation, press loading, curing (time, temperature, and pressure), deflashing, trimming, inspection, and packing.Lead, train, and motivate shift supervisors, operators, and contract workers. This includes manpower allocation, shift planning, discipline, and multi-skilling.Measure and report machine efficiency (press utilization, OEE, cycle time, downtime, and changeover losses) and act to improve it.Measure and report manpower efficiency (output per man-hour or man-shift, labour cost per piece or kg, overtime and absenteeism).Prepare daily production reports and a monthly MIS covering plan vs. actual, OEE, rejection and scrap, material consumption vs. standard, and yield.Reduce rejection and rework by finding the root cause of molding defects (under-cure, air traps, short fill, blisters, excess flash) and putting corrective actions in place, working closely with the QC lab.Control material consumption, flash and scrap losses, and energy use.Make sure production transactions in SAP are accurate: production orders, material issues, receipts and stock.Work with maintenance on preventive maintenance of presses, molds and utilities, and with stores, QC and dispatch.Enforce safety, 5S and housekeeping standards, including safe operation of hydraulic presses.Support new product development, mold trials, SOPs and process sheets.Requirements10+ years in compression-molded rubber goods manufacturing, as a production manager or in a related role (Production In-charge, Assistant Production Manager or Plant Manager).Strong hands-on knowledge of compression molding presses, curing parameters, mold handling and common molding defects.A record of leading and managing large shopfloor teams across shifts.Strong skills in calculating machine efficiency (OEE) and manpower efficiency, with experience reporting regularly from data.Good working knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SAP (SAP Business One is a plus), and MS Excel.A degree or diploma in polymer/rubber technology, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field.PreferredExperience in rubber mat production (e.g., flooring, anti-fatigue, cow/animal mats, automotive mats).Experience working with reclaimed rubber compounds.Exposure to Lean, 5S, Kaizen, or ISO 9001 systems.Experience setting up or scaling a molding line.Ability to speak Malayalam and Hindi with shopfloor teams.What We OfferA competitive salary based on experience.A leadership role in a growing business, with room to shape processes from the ground up.A hands-on management team that is investing in automation and digital production tools.