Manufacturing Manager
AFL · Kent, WA
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Experience asked
- 8+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management manufacturing role at AFL (industrial) in Kent, WA.
- They ask for
- 8+ years
- Tools it names
- Lean, Kaizen, 5S, Root cause, ISO 9001, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Washington: typical posted base $105k–$148k.
Median of the low and high ends of 20 live postings that list pay, out of 42 manufacturing engineer openings in Washington, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Washington plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 41 other live manufacturing postings in Washington.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (8+ vs 4+)
Typical $100k–$145k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Tooling 60%
- ✓ Root cause 45%
- ✓ Lean 31%
- ✓ Automation 31%
- ✓ New product launch 26%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Kaizen, ISO 9001, Welding, Plant layout, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at AFL
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: AFL in Kent
1 other open role at this site.
- Production Supervisor · Production · Supervisor
Full description from AFLAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
The Manufacturing Manager is a member of the Operations Leadership Team responsible for leading manufacturing operations and manufacturing support functions to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivityobjectives. The role provides leadership to Production, Process Engineering, Manufacturing Administration, Production CoordinationandToolingfunctions while fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
The Manufacturing Manager is accountable for developing people, improving operational performance,optimizingmanufacturing processes, and delivering businessobjectivesin ahigh-mix,fast-paced,build-to-order manufacturing environment.
Qualifications
- ✓8+yearsof progressive manufacturing experience,including leadership responsibility with experience leading supervisors, engineers, or other professionals.
- ✓Experience leading more than 1 function, such as production with process engineering or quality.
- ✓Experience with fiber cable assembly such as knowledge of components, processes, equipment,standards,and terminology used in Network Infrastructure cable assembly production preferred.
- ✓DemonstratedLean Manufacturingand continuous Improvement application with quantifiable results.
- ✓Excellent personal computing skills, particularly Microsoft Office.
- ✓Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
- ✓Experience with ERP systems such asOracle R12or comparable; working knowledge ofISO 9001 quality managementsystem.
- ✓Able to support off-shift and/or weekend operations.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
What We Offer
- •Flexible time off policy
- •401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
- •Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
- •Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
- •Opportunities for career advancement with an industry leading company!
EHSLeadership
- •Own a proactive and engaging EHSculture andhold supervisors and engineers accountable for their EHS responsibilities, training, and follow-up actions.
- •Promote andmaintaina proactive safety culture.
- •Ensure compliance with all environmental, health, and safety requirements.
- •Lead investigations of safety incidents and implement corrective actions.
- •Drive closure of safety observations, corrective actions, and training requirements.
- •Ensure ergonomics, machine guarding, and process safety are designed into new equipment, tooling, and plant layouts before they reach the floor.
Manufacturing Operations& Performance
- •This is a direct manager position. Must have experience directly managing hourly employees such as assemblers, welders or other related manufacturing employees.
- •Lead daily manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity targets, holding the team accountable through the daily management system.
- •Manage labor, equipment, materials, and resources to meet customer demand.
- •Collaborate with Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and Customer Service to support businessobjectives.
- •Monitor and communicate operational performance through KPIs and visual management systems.Own escalation process, ensuring open actions and countermeasures are resolved and that chronic issues are elevated with a plan rather than repeated.
- •Manage departmental budgets& expenses.
- •Ensure work is planned and resourced across shifts through staffing models, cross-training, overtime management, and equipmentavailabilityso the production plan is met at the lowest sustainable cost.Partner with scheduling to define ramp up plans and quoted lead time to ensure commitments are achievable.
- •Ensure new products, engineering changes, and transferred workreachproduction with validated processes, capable tooling, trained operators, and documented standard work.
- •Ensure inventory accuracy, work-in-process control, and disciplined material flow in partnership with supply chain and warehousing.
Process Engineering & Continuous Improvement
- •Provide leadership and direction for Process Engineering activitiesincluding process validation, tooling and fixture design, cycle time reduction,automationand plant layout.
- •Drive process improvements that improve productivity, quality, capacity, and yield.
- •Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions for operational and customer issues.
- •Champion Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- •Support new product introductions, process transfers, and manufacturing readiness activities.
People Leadership
- •Lead,coach, anddevelopmanufacturingteamincludingsupervisors, processengineerandsupport personnel.
- •Support recruiting, onboarding, training, and succession planning activities.
- •Establish clear goals and accountability for performance and development.
- •Foster employee engagement, teamwork, and a culture of continuous improvement.
Key Competencies
- •Diligent in applying leadership and management skills toset direction and create accountability andmeet safety, quality, production, and costobjectives.
- •Technical depth sufficient to challenge process, tooling, and quality decisions, including the ability to interpret drawings, specifications, and engineering documents.
- •Teamplayerwith well-developed interpersonal skills whoiscomfortable in a cross-functional, multi-cultural environment.
- •Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of the organization and with customers.
- •Analytical and driven by data and facts, effective in a fast-paced, ambiguous, and rapidly changing build-to-order environment.
- •Strong organization and time-management skills.
- •Strategic and forward-looking, able to translate plans into capacity, staffing, capital, andimprovementroadmaps.
Working Conditions
- •Combined sitting, standing, and walking throughout the day toaccomplishtasks.
- •Manual dexterity used occasionally with repetiti