Production Area Manager

Description

The Production Area Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for an assigned manufacturing area. This role is accountable for safe, stable, and efficient production while developing people, strengthening cross-functional partnerships, and delivering performance across Safety, People, Quality, Responsiveness, Cost, and Environment objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead production operations across assigned shifts and ensure consistent execution of standardized work.
• Establish clear expectations for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement.
• Develop and execute the area Business Plan Deployment, scorecard, and gap-closure actions.
• Review performance metrics, identify constraints, and drive timely corrective actions.
• Partner with Production Shift Leaders, Group Leaders, Maintenance, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, GSC, HR, and UAW representatives.
• Lead daily accountability, layered audits, problem solving, and continuous-improvement activities.
• Ensure compliance with GM standards, GMS processes, safety requirements, quality systems, and internal controls.
• Promote a strong safety culture through hazard identification, incident follow-up, corrective action, and visible leadership on the plant floor.
• Drive quality at the source through process discipline, defect prevention, containment, and effective escalation.
• Ensure production plans, staffing, equipment, materials, and processes are aligned to customer requirements.
• Support launches, model changes, process changes, capacity changes, and other business priorities.
• Develop, coach, and recognize salaried and represented employees.
• Build trust across shifts and maintain effective communication during handoffs and organizational changes.
• Support labor-relations activities and consistent administration of applicable agreements and policies.
• Manage area resources and support productivity, scrap reduction, overtime, and cost-improvement initiatives.
• Represent the production area in plant meetings, improvement workshops, audits, and cross-functional reviews.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, production, operations, or a related environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in a fast-paced manufacturing operation.
• Experience with performance management, structured problem solving, and continuous improvement.
• Strong communication, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to work effectively with represented employees and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to work flexible hours and provide coverage across operating shifts as required.
• Proficiency with standard business and production-management systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, engineering, business, operations, or a related field.
• Experience with GM systems, GMS, Business Plan Deployment, layered audits, and scorecards.
• Experience leading production, maintenance, quality, or manufacturing engineering teams.
• Experience supporting vehicle or component launches, process changes, or capacity expansions.

• Experience in stamping, assembly, components, powertrain, or other high-volume manufacturing operations

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us 

We believe we all must make a choice every day – individually and collectively – to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

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Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws. 

We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire.

Accommodations

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