Production Manager

At Polywater, we believe how you work matters just as much as what you know. We hire people who genuinely reflect our core values: Positive Attitude, Work Ethic, Inquisitive, Provides Solutions, and Team Player.

We’re looking for a Production Manager who will bring those values to life while leading and developing our production team. This person should be a strong, hands-on leader who sets clear expectations, holds people accountable, builds trust, and isn’t afraid to jump in and solve problems.

We value continuous improvement, but also respect the knowledge and practices that have made Polywater successful for decades. The right person will take the time to understand what’s working before making changes, while still bringing fresh ideas and looking for opportunities to improve.

We already have a great team in place, and as we continue to grow, this role will help us add the structure and processes needed to support that team and our operation. If you enjoy developing people, improving operations, and helping a strong team become even better, this could be a great fit.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Work Location: Stillwater, MNReports to: Plant ManagerTravel Required: NonePosition Type: Full-time. RegularFLSA Class: Exempt Position

Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating all production activities within a multi-work-center chemical packaging facility. This position ensures the safe, efficient, and cost-effective manufacture and packaging of products while meeting requirements for quality and delivery. The Production Manager develops team members, drives continuous improvement, maintains regulatory compliance, and is accountable for achieving operational objectives in the areas of Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Training.

Core duties include:

• Directs and develops a production workforce of approximately 30 employees by establishing clear performance expectations, driving accountability, and fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment.
• Serves as a key member of the plant leadership team, leading continuous improvement initiatives through Lean Manufacturing, 5S, visual management, and problem-solving methodologies to support operational excellence and company values.
• Leads a safety-first culture by ensuring compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company safety requirements while promoting safe work practices throughout all production operations.
• Conducts audits, risk assessments, incident investigations, training, and corrective actions to continuously improve safety performance, emergency preparedness, and workplace hazard prevention.
• Ensures all packaged products meet specifications, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards by maintaining adherence to established procedures, work instructions, and quality systems.
• Partners with Quality, Engineering, Purchasing, Maintenance, and R&D to investigate non-conformances, perform root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives that reduce defects, scrap, and rework.
• Manages daily production scheduling, labor allocation, and workflow execution to ensure customer delivery commitments are met while maximizing efficiency and throughput.
• Coordinates cross-functionally with Planning, Purchasing, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Quality teams to address bottlenecks, communicate priorities, and implement contingency plans for production disruptions.
• Manages labor, material usage, staffing, and operational expenses to achieve budget objectives while ensuring efficient production performance.
• Drives continuous improvement through waste reduction, process optimization, equipment reliability initiatives, automation opportunities, and cost-saving measures to enhance productivity and reduce downtime.
• Leads, coaches, and develops Area Supervisors, Leads, and Operators while ensuring employees receive the training and resources needed to perform safely and effectively.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning through performance management, employee development planning, skills tracking, and cross-training initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Engineering, Business, or related field preferred. (Equivalent combination of education and manufacturing leadership experience may be considered.)
• 10+ years of manufacturing or packaging leadership experience
• Experience in chemical packaging, blending, filling, or related process industries preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated success managing multiple production work centers and hourly employees.
• Experience with safety management systems and regulatory compliance.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Knowledge of chemical handling and packaging operations.
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis abilities.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, production scheduling, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to development a highly skilled, cross-trained workforce.
• Communication and interpersonal skills to effectively work with others.
• Language

skills

• English

Physical

Requirements

• Requires moderately strenuous physical activity at a sustained level over the course of a shift.
• Require ability to lift and move materials up to 50 pounds on a regular basis using assistive devices for moving materials greater than 50 pounds.
• Static Strength for lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying required.
• Trunk Strength using the lower back and stomach required.
• Multilimbed Coordination using arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down required.

Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to contain a comprehensive listing of all duties and responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time, with or without notice.

BENEFITS at POLYWATER

• Ownership & Financial Growth
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – build equity in the company at no cost to you
• Competitive 401(k) with company match
• Profit sharing opportunities

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT AN ESOP?

• You become a part-owner of the company.
• You earn stock without investing your own money.
• Your account grows as the company performs well.
• When you retire or leave, you cash out your shares for their fair market value.
• It’s in addition to other benefits like 401(k) and profit sharing.

Other Benefits

• Insurance: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, & Disability
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Quarterly Profit-Sharing
• Paid Personal Leave
• Paid Holidays

Pay range below is DOQ and includes quarterly profit-sharing incentive.