Manufacturing Manager

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

Where You’ll Work – White Knight Fluid Handling Inc., a subsidiary of Graco, Inc.

White Knight was established in 1995 and has consistently developed and manufactured high-quality products. We are a leading supplier of pumps and fluid transfer technology to the semiconductor, Solar Cells, LEDs, flat-panel displays, electronic and industrial markets.

Ready to join us?

The Manager, Manufacturing owns safety, quality, delivery and cost performance for an assigned manufacturing cell or operating area. This position turns business and factory priorities into an executable operating plan, leads through cell-based teams and support resources, and builds predictable performance through disciplined daily management, standard work and continuous improvement. The individual in this position develops manufacturing talent, partners across functions and balances current customer commitments with future capacity, technology and capability needs.

• •Own safety, quality, delivery and cost results for the assigned operation and take timely corrective action when performance is off plan.
• •Develop and execute annual operating, staffing, capacity and budget plans aligned with factory and business priorities.
• •Use data and performance routines to identify trends, manage constraints and make fact-based tradeoffs across service, productivity, cost and inventory.
• •Establish a tiered daily management system with clear accountability, escalation and recovery routines that create stable operations and sustained follow-through.

• •Lead production operations, including capacity and constraint management, equipment reliability coordination, inventory and WIP control, labor productivity, process control, and budget performance.
• •Create, sustain and improve standard work, daily management routines and visual performance systems.
• •Ensure consistent application of operating systems and compliance with safety, environmental, quality and company requirements.
• •Establishes and sustains the manufacturing operating system through leader standard work, visual management, process discipline, and daily accountability.
• •Champions improvement initiatives that strengthen operational performance, increase productivity, and improve quality, delivery, and cost outcomes.

• •Partner with Engineering, Quality, Planning, Sourcing, Maintenance, Finance, Human Resources and other functions to achieve shared business outcomes.
• •Lead manufacturing readiness for new product introductions, tooling changes, process upgrades and capital investments.
• •Ensure manufacturing requirements, capacity, material flow and operating risks are represented in upstream decisions.
• •Drive cross-functional alignment by clearly communicating operational priorities, risks, tradeoffs, and recovery plans to factory and business partners.

• •Lead, mentor, manage, and staff a team, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and promoting a culture of excellence.
• •Drive team performance by setting clear goals, providing ongoing feedback, and facilitating professional growth opportunities.
• •Manage employee performance and conduct through regular feedback, recognition, coaching, corrective action, while applying work rules consistently and in alignment with company policies and labor requirements.
• •Establish, manage, and be accountable for the annual cell budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources and alignment with organizational strategic objectives.
• •Build staffing, cross-training and succession plans for critical manufacturing roles and skills.
• •Translate operating and capital budgets, workforce plans and productivity commitments into clear priorities and resource decisions.

• •Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing or related field.
• •6+ years of progressive manufacturing, production, operations or related experience, including production leadership, process improvement, capacity planning and capital-equipment exposure.
• •2+ years of leadership experience.
• •Demonstrated experience leading front-line manufacturing teams and delivering results across safety, quality, delivery and cost.
• •Experience managing budgets, staffing, productivity and operational performance.
• •Strong systems thinking, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional leadership skills
• •Ability to coach leaders, communicate tradeoffs and sustain accountability through change.

• •MBA, Master’s degree or advanced technical degree.
• •Lean, Six Sigma or related continuous improvement certification.
• •Experience in an engineered-products or multi-process manufacturing environment.
• •Experience with manufacturing information systems, ERP/MRP, data visualization or operational analytics.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent and unrestricted basis. This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship now or in the future (e.g., H-1B, TN, E-3, O-1, L-1, or employment-based permanent residence sponsorship). Candidates working under temporary employment authorization, including F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, or similar programs, are not eligible for this position.

At Graco, you truly make a difference. Your unique talents contribute to our organizational growth and futu