SARA WINARSKI
Neenah
Summary
Results-driven leader with over 25 years of progressive experience in high-stakes manufacturing environments, specifically within the aerospace, defense, medical, and space sectors. Proven expertise in transitioning from a supervisory role to strategic management, overseeing large-scale production, P&L alignment, and deploying Lean Six Sigma methodologies to achieve significant operational and financial gains. Adept at leading and mentoring teams of 70+ employees across multiple shifts to exceed demanding production, quality, and safety standards.
Overview
1
1
Certification
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Manufacturing Manager
PLEXUS CORPORATION
Neenah, WI
01.2018 - Current
- Strategic Leadership & Scale: Elevated production efficiency and output by directing, managing, and developing a team of 70+ production employees across three non-stop shifts and multiple complex process areas.
- Financial Impact & Cost Control: Spearheaded a targeted machine reliability program that reduced critical downtime from 21.4 minutes to 10 minutes, resulting in 1,400 hours of annual uptime savings and delivering $289K in verifiable cost savings.
- Process Redesign & Efficiency: Collaborated with Engineering and Quality teams to execute a comprehensive process flow redesign, successfully eliminating core manufacturing bottlenecks and increasing overall line efficiency by 80% within a three-month period.
- Continuous Improvement: Implemented and championed Lean Manufacturing principles across the facility, directly leading to an 18% reduction in material waste and a 25% improvement in overall line productivity.
- Forecasting & Budgeting: Managed factory representation in quarterly forecast reviews, ensuring production capacity and output were strategically aligned to meet customer expectations and adhered strictly to operational budgets.
- Talent Management: Conducted regular performance evaluations, developed individualized coaching plans, and managed succession planning to foster a highly skilled, motivated, and engaged workforce.
Production Lead
PLEXUS CORPORATION
01.2013 - 01.2018
- Operational Oversight: Managed day-to-day high-volume manufacturing operations, encompassing scheduling, resource allocation, and stringent quality control.
- Data-Driven Improvement: Analyzed production data and KPIs to identify system weaknesses, implementing data-supported corrective actions that optimized process performance and output consistency.
- Supply Chain Synchronization: Coordinated with Procurement to ensure 100% timely material availability, mitigating shortages and supporting continuous, high-speed production flow.
Production Lead
Ariens Company
Brillion, WI
06.1993 - 09.2011
- Monitored daily production activities to maintain quality and safety standards.
- Supported team members by sharing manufacturing best practices and equipment usage.
- Assisted in optimizing workflow processes to improve efficiency and minimize downtime across production lines.
- Facilitated process enhancements that boosted overall productivity and lowered waste.
- Conducted independent assembly and testing of product lines.
Education
Certificate - Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WIBachelor of Science - Business Administration – Operations Management
University of Wisconsin Stout
01-2026
Skills
- Strategic Leadership: P&L Alignment, Budgeting & Forecasting, Cross-Functional Leadership, Workforce Development (70 Staff)
- Operational Excellence: Lean Six Sigma, High-Volume Production Scheduling, Bottleneck Elimination, Process Redesign, Supply Chain Optimization
- Technology & Compliance: WMS, JDE, Kinaxis, ArchFX, Alytics, Palantir, GSF, AS9100/ISO Standards, OSHA Safety
Certification
- Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- OSHA Safety Certification
Timeline
Manufacturing Manager
PLEXUS CORPORATION
01.2018 - Current
Production Lead
PLEXUS CORPORATION
01.2013 - 01.2018
Production Lead
Ariens Company
06.1993 - 09.2011
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration – Operations Management
University of Wisconsin Stout
Certificate - Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt
Fox Valley Technical College