Job Description

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture - Where Innovation Meets Comfort

Who We Are:

At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world's largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we're more than a business — we're a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you're ready to grow, you've come to the right place. With a true "Growth Mindset," Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

If you are a current Ashley employee: Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board.

Summary: The Manager of Foam Fabrication leads foam production operations across multiple departments and processes, ensuring production, quality, safety, and cost objectives are met. This role develops and mentors Supervisors, coordinates with Planning, HR, Quality, and Supply Chain teams, and drives continuous improvement initiatives to support Ashley Furniture's manufacturing goals. The position is responsible for optimizing production flow, resource utilization, product quality, and workforce performance while maintaining a safe and efficient operation.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Operations Leadership

• Direct foam manufacturing operations to achieve production, quality, and service targets.
• Manage production schedules, staffing, workflow, and cross-shift coordination.
• Develop new processes and improve product quality through collaboration with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.
• Maintain high standards of organization, cleanliness, and 5S practices.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors and production teams.
• Manage hiring, performance reviews, corrective actions, succession planning, and training initiatives.
• Ensure appropriate staffing levels and promote employee growth and engagement.

Financial & Resource Management

• Control labor, materials, utilities, and overhead costs while maintaining operational performance.
• Optimize equipment, workforce, and material utilization to maximize efficiency and reduce waste.
• Monitor financial and operational performance metrics.

Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and chemical safety requirements.
• Promote a strong safety culture through training, audits, and incident prevention.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, product quality, and throughput.
• Partner with Quality and Maintenance teams to resolve issues and drive process improvements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Planning, HR, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, and suppliers to achieve operational objectives and improve foam production performance.

Qualifications

Required

• Associate's degree or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, preferably in foam production or a related environment.
• Supervisory experience with direct reports.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, process improvement, capacity planning, and resource management.
• Strong leadership, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Microsoft Office proficiency and willingness to work flexible hours.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field.
• 7+ years of foam manufacturing, chemical processing, or related industry experience.
• Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience with ERP systems, budgeting, OSHA compliance, project management, and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Work Environment

Manufacturing environment with exposure to noise, temperature fluctuations, material handling equipment, and polyurethane production processes. Requires extended standing/walking and use of PPE, including safety glasses, steel-toed boots, respirators, and protective clothing.

Benefits We Offer:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off; increases with years of service
• Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Your Birthday off
• Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Tuition Assistance
• Ashley Wellness Centers (location specific) and Medical Tourism
• Telehealth
• 401(k) and Profit Sharing
• Life Insurance

Our Core Values:

Honesty & Integrity: Acts with transparency, discretion, and ethical judgment. Trusted to handle sensitive information and provide accurate, unbiased insights.

Dirty Fingernail: Takes full accountability for outcomes, not just tasks. Inspects details, ensures data accuracy, and follows through to completion.

Continuous Improvement: Actively seeks better ways to improve templates, tools, and processes. Learns from prior initiatives and embeds lessons into standard work.

Growth & Results Focus: Understands how transformation initiatives drive growth, cost reduction, and profitability. Keeps work aligned to enterprise priorities.

Culture of Leadership: Leads through influence, reliability, and example. Builds trust across functions and supports leaders at every level.

Customer-Centric & Boundaryless: Works across silos for the greater good of the organization. Ensures outputs meet the needs of executives, initiative owners, and teams.

Operational Excellence: Demonstrates strong organizational discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to translate ambiguity into clear, executable tools.

Interested in learning more about Ashley Furniture's Community Engagement programs, Environmental Stewardship, or our Core Values, click the links below:

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• View Our Corporate Brochure

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and provide a drug-free working environment. While Ashley appreciates the interest of all candidates, only those meeting specific position requirements may be contacted. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. The company reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

Notice to Search Firms: We are not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. We will not pay any placement, referral or other fees to any search firms unless we have agreed otherwise in a valid, written agreement for the specific position posted and signed by an authorized representative of Ashley Furniture Industries.

Please note this position is not eligible for current or future employment sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or at any time in the future.