Operations Manager
Cadrex Bloomingdale & Romeoville · Bloomingdale, IL
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Production
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 7+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 4 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management production role at Cadrex Bloomingdale & Romeoville (industrial) in Bloomingdale, IL. Recruit, train, and develop plant staff, focusing on skills development and succession planning.
- They ask for
- 7+ years · degree preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, OEE, Root cause
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Production Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $100k–$150k.
Median of the low and high ends of 15 live postings that list pay, out of 30 production engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 29 other live production postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (7+ vs 5+)
Typical $100k–$150k, from 15 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 50%
- ✓ Team leadership 37%
- ✓ 5S 30%
- ✓ EHS / safety 30%
- ✓ Root cause 27%
- ✓ Six Sigma 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for OEE, Capacity planning, 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 Production team at Cadrex Bloomingdale & Romeoville
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?
- 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.
Full description from Cadrex Bloomingdale & RomeovilleAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key responsibilities
- ◆Direct and manage all daily plant operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity goals
- ◆Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with company goals and customer
requirements
- ✓Monitor and improve plant KPIs including safety, quality, OEE, labor efficiency, throughput, inventory, and on-time delivery
- ✓Align production plans, staffing, materials, inventory, shipping, and schedules with cross-functional teams
- ✓Remove operational constraints to improve throughput, labor efficiency, equipment utilization, and capacity
- ✓Champion workplace safety by enforcing compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations (OSHA, EPA, etc.)
- ✓Lead initiatives to improve the safety culture within the plant, reducing accidents, injuries, and incidents
- ✓Ensure all employees receive the necessary training and adhere to established safety protocols and procedures
- ✓Provide leadership, coaching, and mentorship to the plant management team and supervisors, ensuring alignment with company values and objectives
- ✓Foster a collaborative, results-driven work environment that promotes teamwork, innovation, and accountability
- ✓Recruit, train, and develop plant staff, focusing on skills development and succession planning
- ✓Manage plant budgets and control operating costs, ensuring expenditures align with financial targets
- ✓Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives while maintaining production efficiency and product quality
- ✓Collaborate with the finance department to forecast plant financial performance and adjust operations accordingly
- ✓Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the plant to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve product quality
- ✓Implement lean manufacturing principles and Six Sigma methodologies to optimize production processes and increase productivity
- ✓Promote a culture of problem-solving and root-cause analysis to identify opportunities for improvement
- ✓Ensure that products meet or exceed customer specifications, industry standards, and internal quality
requirements
- ✓Work closely with the quality assurance team to resolve quality issues and implement preventive measures
- ✓Support the development and maintenance of quality control systems to monitor production outputs
- ✓Coordinate with the supply chain team to ensure the timely procurement of raw materials, parts, and components necessary for production
- ✓Manage inventory levels to support production needs without excess material or waste
- ✓Act as the main point of contact between the plant and corporate leadership, providing regular updates on plant performance, challenges, and opportunities
- ✓Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support new product development, capacity planning, and customer satisfaction
- ✓Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies
- ✓Align production plans, staffing, materials, inventory, shipping, and schedules with cross-functional teams
- ✓Manage plant KPIs, remove constraints, and improve throughput, labor efficiency, equipment performance, and capacity
- ✓Maintain compliance with company, customer, OSHA, EPA, quality, and other regulatory
requirements
- ✓Manage budgets, forecasts, operating expenses, and cost-reduction initiatives
- ✓Coach supervisors and plant staff through training, performance management, and succession planning
- ✓Lead Lean, Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen, root-cause, and corrective-action efforts
- ✓Report plant performance and build effective relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and corporate leadership
Qualifications
- ✓7+ years of progressive leadership experience in a manufacturing or production environment, including 3+ years in plant or operations management
- ✓Strong knowledge of sheet metal fabrication manufacturing processes and equipment
- ✓Strong leadership and team management skills, with a focus on employee development, coaching, and motivation
- ✓Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a hands-on approach to operational challenges
- ✓Ability to analyze and interpret data to make informed decisions and improve plant performance
- ✓Experience with high-volume operations, budgets, P&L, production planning, and ERP systems
- ✓Working knowledge of Lean, Kaizen, 5S, safety, environmental, and quality systems
- ✓Experience in managing an ISO-9001 certified facility
- ✓Strong communication and interpersonal skills, capable of working effectively with all levels of the organization
- ✓Bilingual English / Spanish a plus
Education
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related field preferred
- ✓Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience may be considered
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Description
AI is changing the world. Want to help build the technology behind it?
It starts with skilled people who assemble, test, and manufacture the equipment powering tomorrow's technology.
Join our team and help build advanced AI hardware used by leading companies around the world. Whether you're an assembler, machine operator, technician, quality inspector, or production professional, your work will directly contribute to shaping the future
Overview
Cadrex seeks an accomplished Operations Manager to provide visible, hands-on leadership across plant operations, with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and continuous improvement. This leader will set clear expectations, build and develop a high-performing team, translate business priorities into action, and foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, accountability, and sustained results.
Location
- •Onsite
Schedule
- •M-F