Kraken Robotics is currently recruiting for a Production Manager to join our Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Office.
The Production Manager leads daily manufacturing operations to ensure safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity targets are achieved. This role is responsible for supervising production teams, optimizing processes, driving continuous improvement, and developing employees while maintaining compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality standards.
Safety & Environmental Leadership
- Lead and promote a culture of safety by ensuring all team members work in a safe, healthy, and environmentally responsible manner.
- Ensure compliance with all Health, Safety, Environmental, and Quality policies, procedures, and applicable legislation, including ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 requirements.
- Champion safety initiatives and actively participate in Joint Health & Safety Committee activities.
- Lead the identification, assessment, and mitigation of workplace risks through effective Job Hazard and Risk Assessments.
- Conduct and support incident, accident, and near-miss investigations, ensuring root causes are identified and corrective actions are implemented.
- Ensure compliance with Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), PPE requirements, and other critical safety controls.
- Drive workplace organization and housekeeping standards through 3R/5S practices, maintaining a clean, efficient, and safe work environment.
Quality
- Provide leadership and oversight of quality performance within the assigned area of responsibility.
- Monitor quality metrics and KPI performance, identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing corrective actions as required.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance product quality, process reliability, and customer satisfaction.
- Ensure standardized work instructions and procedures are established, maintained, and consistently followed.
- Support and facilitate process audits and quality reviews to sustain compliance and drive operational excellence.
Operational Performance & Throughput
- Lead daily production activities to ensure plans, schedules, and performance targets are achieved safely and efficiently.
- Analyze production losses, bottlenecks, and performance trends, implementing solutions to improve productivity and throughput.
- Optimize resource allocation, staffing, and workflow to ensure operational requirements are met.
- Ensure effective communication across shifts through consistent shift handovers, reporting, and issue escalation processes.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to address operational challenges and improve overall manufacturing performance.
Cost Management & Continuous Improvement
- Manage departmental resources and expenditures in alignment with budget objectives.
- Oversee workforce planning, staffing levels, scheduling, and overtime management to balance operational needs and cost efficiency.
- Lead and champion continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
- Identify and implement opportunities to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and optimize resource utilization.
- Support the achievement of operational KPI targets through data-driven decision-making and process improvements.
Leadership & People Development
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture that reflects Kraken's mission, vision, and values.
- Create an environment of trust and accountability where employees feel comfortable raising concerns, identifying risks, and sharing improvement opportunities.
- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop team members to maximize engagement, capability, and performance.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development activities.
- Ensure employees receive the training, tools, and support necessary to perform their roles safely and effectively.
- Conduct performance reviews and provide regular coaching, recognition, and constructive feedback to support ongoing employee growth and development.
- Promote teamwork, collaboration, and continuous learning across the department.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline; Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering preferred.
- Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in manufacturing, production, operations, or a related environment.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of leadership experience managing production teams in a manufacturing setting.
- Strong organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization, from frontline employees to senior leadership.
- Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to partner effectively across departments and with internal customers.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Results-oriented leader with strong problem-solving skills and a continuous improvement mindset.
- Proven ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and other business systems.
- Self-motivated and capable of working independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Ability to work in low-humidity manufacturing environments (1% to 35% relative humidity).
- Ability to wear required cleanroom personal protective equipment (PPE), including coveralls, gloves, surgical mask, hair/beard net, and bump cap.
PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS
- Technical underwater power-related manufacturing experience supporting the operations across various levels and functions
- Advanced problem-solving credentials, e.g. Green/Black belt in Lean Six Sigma (LSS)
- Experience with PFMEA, Control Plans & Reaction Plans
- Proficient with Windows, Microsoft including Excel and Power point
