Manufacturing Operations & Engineering Manager – Curtain Wall Systems
Balanced Unitized | Great Falls, Montana | Full-Time | On-Site
Balanced Unitized is seeking an experienced manufacturing leader to oversee and strengthen our production and engineering operations in Great Falls, Montana.
This position is intended for a leader who can connect engineering decisions with day-to-day manufacturing execution. The Manufacturing Operations & Engineering Manager will help establish clear operating expectations, develop employees and supervisors, improve production flow, strengthen quality systems, and create more consistent coordination between the office and production floor.
The successful candidate will understand how engineered products move from drawings and specifications into repeatable, high-quality fabrication. Experience with unitized curtain wall, aluminum window systems, architectural aluminum products, cladding, commercial fenestration, or a closely related manufacturing environment is strongly preferred.
What You Will Be Responsible For
- Lead the production and engineering functions of the manufacturing team
- Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, and communication routines across engineering, production, quality, and other supporting departments.
- Develop supervisors, engineers, and key team members through clear expectations, regular feedback, problem-solving support, and consistent follow-through.
- Translate drawings, specifications, schedules, and project requirements into practical manufacturing plans.
- Improve production flow, labor utilization, schedule reliability, throughput, and coordination between work areas.
- Identify bottlenecks, recurring production problems, quality issues, and process risks, and lead practical corrective actions.
- Strengthen standard work, process documentation, training records, change control, inspection practices, and other elements of an effective quality-management system.
- Support Balanced Unitized’s progress toward an ISO 9001-aligned quality-management system and potential certification.
- Partner with company leadership on staffing, capacity, equipment, process, and operational priorities.
- Use measurable production, quality, safety, delivery, and employee-development expectations to monitor progress.
- Maintain a regular presence on the production floor and work directly with employees to understand and resolve operational problems.
- Promote timely communication, ownership of problems, respectful teamwork, quality workmanship, and compliance with company safety requirements.
What Success Will Look Like
During the first year, the person in this role will be expected to help Balanced Unitized:
- Clarify responsibility and decision-making across production and engineering.
- Establish more consistent production planning and operating routines.
- Improve coordination between engineering and fabrication.
- Reduce preventable delays, rework, and recurring process problems.
- Strengthen supervisors and technical team members.
- Improve the reliability of production and quality information.
- Advance documented processes and quality-system readiness.
- Build a practical continuous-improvement process that employees can understand and sustain.
Specific first-year priorities will be established with company leadership based on current operational needs.
Required Qualifications
- At least five years of leadership experience in a manufacturing, fabrication, or engineered-product environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading production employees, technical employees, supervisors, engineers, or a combination of these groups.
- Experience improving manufacturing processes, workflow, quality, schedule performance, or labor effectiveness.
- Ability to read and work from technical drawings, specifications, production information, and quality requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to identify operational problems, determine root causes, implement corrective actions, and verify results.
- Ability to set clear expectations, address performance issues appropriately, and develop employees through consistent coaching and follow-through.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Willingness and ability to work on-site in Great Falls, Montana.
Strongly Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with unitized curtain wall, aluminum windows, commercial fenestration, architectural aluminum systems, cladding, glazing products, or related building-product manufacturing.
- Experience overseeing both engineering and production functions.
- Leadership experience in a manufacturing operation with approximately 50 or more employees.
- Experience implementing or maintaining an ISO 9001 quality-management system.
- Experience with Lean manufacturing, standard work, root-cause analysis, corrective action, or similar continuous-improvement methods.
- Experience with production-planning systems, ERP or MRP systems, CAD drawings, bills of material, and manufacturing documentation.
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, manufacturing, or a related engineering discipline—or equivalent relevant manufacturing and leadership experience.
Why Consider Balanced Unitized?
This is an opportunity to influence how an engineered manufacturing operation performs. The person selected will work directly with company leadership and employees to improve processes, strengthen teams, and create greater consistency across engineering and production.
The role is based in Great Falls, Montana, near the Rocky Mountain Front. Great Falls provides access to fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing, camping, and other outdoor activities, while supporting a practical and community-oriented way of life.
Candidates considering relocation are encouraged to discuss the position, community, and available relocation support during the interview process.
Apply
Email your resume to hrteam@balancedunitized.com.
Learn more about Balanced Unitized at www.balancedunitized.com
