Jobs › 3M

Site Production Operations Manager

3M · Cordova, IL · $188,251–$230,084 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 21, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

The posting says safety should be consistently shown as the first priority. How would people on the floor know that's true under you?

What they are checking: Whether their safety leadership shows up in daily actions people can see, not just slogans.

Tell me about EHS performance you improved at a site. What changed in how people worked?

What they are checking: Whether they drove real behavior change rather than only improving a lagging metric.

Tell me about a time you raised accountability on a team that had gotten comfortable.

What they are checking: Whether they can reset expectations firmly while keeping engagement up.

How do you measure employee engagement on a production team, and what have you done when it was low?

What they are checking: Whether they listen to their workforce and act on what they hear.

Tell me about a transformation you led that people resisted at first.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead change patiently and bring a reluctant workforce along.

What would you do

How do you practice principle-based coaching with a supervisor who is struggling?

What they are checking: Whether they develop leaders by building judgment rather than giving answers every time.

Productivity is behind plan for the quarter. How do you find out why without blaming the shift teams?

What they are checking: Whether they diagnose systems and constraints before pointing at people.

How do you keep continuous improvement going after the first wave of easy wins is done?

What they are checking: Whether they sustain improvement through systems and habits rather than one-time events.

A compliance gap turns up during an audit in your area. What do you do the same day and over the next month?

What they are checking: Whether they contain issues quickly and then fix the system that let the gap happen.

How do you balance quality and output when a customer order is late and a lot is borderline?

What they are checking: Whether they protect quality standards even when shipping pressure is high.

About the work

What does visible leadership mean to you on a production site?

What they are checking: Whether they spend real time on the floor and understand what that time is for.

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The full job description

As published by 3M.

Job Description: Job Title Site Production Operations Manager Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers. This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. The Impact You’ll Make in this Role As a Site Operations Manager , you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. Here, you will make an impact by: • Creating a world class safety culture that delivers outstanding EHS performance and ensuring the health and safety of all workers is consistently demonstrated as the first priority. • Leading operation excellence through conscientious management and decisive actions in environmental, health, safety, quality, productivity and employee relations. • Providing agile and visible leadership to cultivate continuous improvement, compliance, accountability, and employee engagement. • Practicing principle based coaching and transformational leadership to develop operator and supervisor skills and create a climate of inclusion and recognition across the site to optimize employee engagement, performance, and alignment. • Catalyzing continuous improvement with a focus on safety, productivity, and driving improvement in every area every day. • Driving operational discipline through consistency and accountability regarding policies, procedures and expectations throughout the production organization. • Continuing to develop and foster strong, harmonized working relationships with other site, division, and corporate functions to ensure prioritization, operational excellence, and business alignment. • Utilizing business acumen to set priorities, minimize downtime, and optimize team efficiency. • Demonstrating a growth mindset and approach. Your Skills and Expertise To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start). • Seven (7) years of manufacturing experience in private, public, government, or military environment. • Five (5) years of direct supervisory experience. Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include: • Bachelor’s degree or higher in a technical discipline from an accredited institution (completed and verified prior to start). • Results oriented and strong execution skills with demonstrated ability to lead attainment of aggressive performance objectives in EHS, quality, service, and cost. • Strong team skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in a cross-functional matrix organization. • Experience leading and implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and Continuous Improvement methodologies for sustained improvements. • Experience in operational management excellence. Work location: • 3M Cordova, IL • Office / Plant Based Role Travel: May include up to 5% domestic Relocation Assistance: May be authorized Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status). Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws. U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain "non-U.S. persons" (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, "Temporary Residents" (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum. To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status. The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position. Supporting Your Well-being 3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope. Chat with Max For assistance with searching through our current job openings or for more information about all things 3M, visit Max, our virtual recruiting. Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $188,251 - $230,084, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/. Good Faith Posting Date Range 09/21/2026 To 10/21/2026 Or until filled All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M. Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties. Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement. Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/ 3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly. 3M Global Terms of Use and Privacy Statement Carefully read these Terms of Use before using this website. Your access to and use of this website and application for a job at 3M are conditioned on your acceptance and compliance with these terms. Please click on the following links and select the country where you are applying for employment to review the applicable Terms of Use (link here) and Privacy Policy (link here) . Before submitting your application, you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.

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