Production Shift Manager

Position Summary

The Production Shift Manager is responsible for the overall performance of production operations during their assigned shift. This role serves as the primary operational leader for the production floor and works closely with department supervisors and leads to ensure production starts on time, remains productive throughout the shift, and finishes according to schedule.

This position supports operations involving approximately 60-75 employees working across multiple departments including Screenprint, Embroidery, DTG, Heat Press, and Fulfillment/Shipping operations.

Success in this role requires a leader who is comfortable on the production floor, thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, and takes ownership of productivity, quality, safety, and customer commitments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead production operations during assigned shifts, including weekday, weekend, overtime, and peak-season production schedules.
• Drive productivity, labor efficiency, quality, and on-time completion of customer orders.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor and provide real-time support to supervisors, leads, and production teams.
• Coordinate labor, workflow, equipment, and materials to achieve production goals.
• Lead daily production meetings, shift handoffs, and operational communication.
• Hold teams accountable to company standards related to attendance, productivity, quality, safety, and conduct.
• Build, maintain, and improve operational processes, work instructions, and standard operating procedures.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts focused on efficiency, waste reduction, quality improvement, and employee development.
• Investigate operational issues, identify root causes, and implement long-term corrective actions.
• Partner with Maintenance, Production, and Operations leadership to improve equipment reliability and overall operational performance.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have at least five years of manufacturing, production, fulfillment, warehouse, or operations leadership experience, including experience leading production operations involving approximately 60-75 employees across multiple departments during a shift.

Successful candidates are highly organized, process-driven leaders who can make decisions quickly, solve problems effectively, and maintain a high level of accountability. They are comfortable balancing production priorities, employee engagement, quality standards, and customer expectations in a fast-moving manufacturing environment.

Experience with Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, continuous improvement programs, and custom manufacturing operations is strongly preferred.

Candidates should also be comfortable utilizing technology, reporting systems, automation tools, and emerging AI solutions to improve communication, planning, problem solving, and operational efficiency.

Physical Requirements

This position requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, lifting, pushing, and pulling throughout the workday. Employees must be able to regularly lift and move materials weighing up to 50 pounds and work within an active manufacturing environment for extended periods of time.

Why Underground Printing?

We're looking for leaders who aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves, solve problems, support their teams, and continuously improve how work gets done. If you enjoy building strong teams, improving processes, and delivering results in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, we'd like to talk with you.

We're looking for someone who naturally takes ownership and leads from the front.

You have a strong presence on the floor and earn the respect of your team through your actions, consistency, and work ethic. You're organized, disciplined, and process-driven, but you know how to make decisions quickly when production demands it.

You don't accept "that's how we've always done it" as an answer. You're constantly looking for opportunities to improve safety, quality, efficiency, and the overall employee experience.

You care deeply about customer commitments and understand that every order, every shipment, and every deadline matters. You balance urgency with attention to detail and maintain high standards for quality and safety, even during the busiest production periods.

You're willing to roll up your sleeves and do the work that needs to get done. You support your team, remain calm under pressure, and aren't afraid to work outside normal business hours when production demands it. You believe in accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement, and you never lead from behind a desk.

Most importantly, you're the type of leader who sees a problem and takes ownership of solving it.

Our Core Values

• Show Up
• Work Hard
• Be Respectful & Honest
• Strive for Excellence
• Do What You Say
• Promote Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

This is a full-time, salaried position with paid time off & paid holidays! Full-time Team Members are also eligible to join our 401(k) Plan -- with employer 4% matching. All Team Members are eligible for a 40% discount!

UGP offers Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance to all full-time Team Members! UGP offers a variety of different employer-contributed PPO Medical Insurance plan options to choose from through Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as Dental Insurance through Delta Dental and Vision Insurance through Eyemed.  

We participate in E-Verify, a program that confirms new hires' eligibility to work in the United States. For more information about E-Verify, please visit E-Verify.gov. We are committed to ensuring that all employees are treated fairly and equitably, regardless of  their immigration status.