Operations Manager (Heavy Duty Manufacturing) - Guelph, Ontario

Contact – Dave Banns ( [email protected] )

About Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing Ltd.

Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing Ltd., located in Guelph, Ontario, is part of the global Hitachi Construction Machinery Group, a world leader in construction, mining, and heavy equipment solutions. With a reputation built on innovation, quality, safety, and reliability, Hitachi designs and manufactures some of the industry's most advanced heavy construction and mining equipment. The Guelph operation is entering an exciting phase of growth, with significant investment in production capabilities and a long-term pipeline of work supporting the North and South American markets.

This is an opportunity to join a stable, employee-focused organization where safety, leadership, continuous improvement, and operational excellence are at the heart of everything we do.

About the Opportunity

Reporting directly to the General Manager Operations, the Operations Manager will provide strategic and hands-on leadership for all plant operations, including fabrication, welding, assembly, painting, maintenance, facilities, safety, quality, and production performance.

We are seeking a driven, enthusiastic, and natural leader with a strong background in heavy equipment manufacturing who is looking to take the next step in their career. This role is ideal for an accomplished operations professional who thrives in a unionized manufacturing environment, enjoys developing people, and is passionate about creating a world-class safety culture.

Whether you are an experienced Operations Manager ready for a larger leadership mandate or a seasoned Senior Operations Leader seeking your next challenge, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

- Provide leadership and oversight for all plant operations, including fabrication, welding, assembly, painting, maintenance, and facility activities.
- Develop and execute production plans that achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
- Lead supervisors, team leaders, and hourly employees across multiple shifts.
- Ensure operational resources are aligned with customer demand and production schedules.

Safety & Compliance

- Champion a proactive, safety-first culture across the facility.
- Lead safety initiatives, hazard assessments, incident investigations, and root cause analysis.




- Ensure compliance with all company policies, environmental standards, and regulatory requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement in safety performance and employee engagement.

Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Excellence

- Own and improve key QDC (Quality, Delivery, Cost) metrics.
- Lead Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Reduce waste, improve cycle times, increase productivity, and lower operating costs.
- Identify and remove production bottlenecks while improving overall plant performance.

Supply Chain & Production Planning

- Partner closely with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Planning teams to ensure material availability.
- Optimize inventory levels and support effective production planning.
- Align manufacturing capacity with supplier capabilities and customer requirements.

Maintenance & Reliability

- Collaborate with maintenance teams to maximize equipment uptime and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
- Support TPM and preventive maintenance programs.
- Oversee critical equipment repairs and capital improvement projects.
- Ensure facility and plant assets are maintained to the highest operational standards.

People Leadership & Labour Relations

- Build, coach, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
- Foster a positive, accountable, and respectful workplace culture.
- Lead within a unionized environment while maintaining strong working relationships with employees, union representatives, and HR.
- Administer collective bargaining agreements, manage grievances, workforce planning, scheduling, and employee relations matters.
- Drive engagement and create an environment where employees can grow and succeed.

What the Successful Candidate Will Bring

- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 5-10+ years of progressive leadership experience in heavy industrial or heavy equipment manufacturing. Union experience essential




- Strong understanding of Manufacturing Engineering principles and production operations.
- Experience leading multi-shift manufacturing teams in fabrication, welding, assembly, or heavy equipment environments.
- Demonstrated success managing operations within a unionized manufacturing setting.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems, production planning, and operational performance management.
- Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, TPM, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Understanding of welding and fabrication processes, including MIG welding operations.
- Familiarity with GD&T; and electromechanical assembly environments.
- Strong operational, financial, and business acumen with experience managing budgets and KPIs.
- Proven ability to balance safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

Leadership Attributes

- A visible, floor-focused leader who leads by example.
- Passionate about safety and employee development.
- Highly collaborative, approachable, and effective at influencing across all levels of the organization.
- Results-oriented with a track record of driving operational improvements and building strong teams.
- Motivated by growth, accountability, and continuous improvement.

In Return, You Can Expect

- Competitive compensation package, including salary ranging from $100,000 to $110,000 , bonus potential, comprehensive health benefits plan, Defined Contribution Pension Plan.

- Opportunity to play a key leadership role within a globally recognized manufacturer.
- Direct partnership with the General Manager and influence over plant-wide operations.
- A strong safety culture and supportive leadership team.

- Positive and collaborative workplace environment.
- Long-term stability backed by significant growth initiatives and an expanding production pipeline.
- Career growth opportunities within a respected global organization.

- Professional development and leadership growth opportunities.

If you're a safety-focused operations leader with a passion for heavy manufacturing, continuous improvement, and team development, this is an exciting prospect to join an organization positioned for long-term growth and success.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Canada. Only candidates selected to move forward in the hiring process will be contacted.

📌 Operations Manager (Heavy Duty Manufacturing) - Guelph, Ontario
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