Kaspar Outdoors

Job Description: Manufacturing Operations Leader

Do you thrive on leading teams to deliver world-class safety, quality, and on-time results—every day?

Are you energized by developing people, solving problems in real time, and improving manufacturing performance through lean thinking?

Do you enjoy working across Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to remove barriers and scale production?

Do the values of stewardship, versatility, and family resonate strongly with you?

Then, Kaspar Outdoors is right for you!

Job Summary

Kaspar Outdoors is seeking a Manufacturing Operations Leader to oversee daily production while driving continuous improvement across machining, assembly, and/or finishing. This role combines hands-on floor leadership with ownership of performance metrics, team development, and operational improvement to support growth and scalability.

Key Responsibilities

Daily Operations Leadership

• Lead daily production activities to meet safety, quality, delivery, and productivity targets
• Coordinate staffing, job assignments, and production priorities
• Monitor work-in-process and remove constraints impacting throughput or schedule
• Enforce standard work, PPE, and 5S discipline
• Complete and review production reporting, labor tracking, and shift communication

Team Development

• Coach, train, and develop operators, team leads, and supervisors
• Support onboarding, cross-training, and skill development
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement
• Conduct performance feedback and development conversations

Performance Ownership

• Own area performance for safety, quality, delivery, labor efficiency, and cost
• Establish and monitor KPIs
• Lead daily and weekly tier meetings to review results and drive actions

Continuous Improvement

• Drive lean initiatives (5S, standard work, problem solving, kaizen)
• Lead root cause analysis and implement corrective actions
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to improve yield and reduce rework
• Improve workflow, layout, and process stability

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with Planning, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Maintenance
• Escalate equipment, material, or process issues quickly
• Support capital equipment planning and implementation

Skills and Competencies

• Strong leadership with the ability to motivate, coach, and hold teams accountable
• Data-driven decision making using KPIs and root cause analysis
• Working knowledge of manufacturing workflows, SOPs, and quality systems
• Lean manufacturing mindset and execution capability
• Strong communication across shifts and cross-functional teams
• Experience with ERP/MRP and production reporting systems preferred

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required
• Associate, technical degree, or Bachelor’s degree preferred (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years manufacturing experience
• 2+ years in a leadership role (lead, supervisor, or manager)
• Experience leading multiple processes or production areas preferred
• Ability to read work instructions, drawings, and use basic measurement tools as applicable

Physical Requirements

• Frequent walking and standing in production areas
• Occasional bending, reaching, pushing/pulling
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. occasionally
• Ability to wear required PPE (safety glasses, hearing protection, safety shoes)

Work Environment

This role works primarily on the manufacturing floor with noise, moving equipment, and temperature variation, along with some office work. Required PPE must be worn in production areas.

Benefits

• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• 401k
• Paid Time Off
• Profit Sharing
• Counseling