Manufacturing General Manager

Provide overall leadership and direction for the manufacturing operation, including Production, Compounding, Maintenance, R&D, and QC/QA. Directly manage and support the Plant Manager, ensuring effective execution of daily manufacturing operations. Establish clear performance expectations, responsibilities, and accountability for department leaders. Evaluate organizational structure, staffing levels, and departmental responsibilities to maximize operational effectiveness. Facilitate communication and coordination between manufacturing, R&D, Quality, Purchasing, and other departments. Identify operational challenges and implement sustainable solutions. Provide ownership with regular updates on operational performance, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Manufacturing Efficiency & Continuous Improvement Evaluate manufacturing processes to identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and control operating costs. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including labor efficiency, production output, downtime, overtime, and on-time delivery. Work with the Plant Manager to optimize production scheduling, staffing levels, equipment utilization, and workflow. Implement process improvements designed to increase manufacturing capacity without unnecessarily increasing labor or overhead costs. Identify production bottlenecks and develop strategies to improve throughput. Promote a culture of continuous improvement. Evaluate capital equipment needs and recommend investments supported by operational and financial analysis. Research & Development (R&D) Oversight Provide leadership and strategic direction to the R&D department. Ensure R&D priorities align with customer requirements, business objectives, manufacturing capabilities, and profitability goals. Establish accountability for product development timelines, formulation improvements, testing, and technical documentation. Improve coordination between R&D, Production, Purchasing, and Quality to support successful product commercialization. Oversee the transition of new formulations from laboratory development to pilot batches and full-scale manufacturing. Ensure product formulations are scalable, cost-effective, and capable of being manufactured consistently. Support innovation, product reformulations, and initiatives to improve product performance or reduce costs. Quality Control, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance Provide oversight of QC/QA while preserving the Quality function's authority and independence in product release and compliance decisions. Lead the company's efforts to strengthen and maintain Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and ISO 22716 compliance. Along with Quality, develop, implement, and maintain appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), quality systems, and documentation practices. Ensure effective processes are in place for raw material inspection, in-process quality checks, finished goods testing, and product release. Establish accountability for the investigation and resolution of quality issues, deviations, customer complaints, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA). Support regulatory inspections, certification initiatives, and ongoing compliance requirements. Financial Performance & Cost Management Assume responsibility for controlling plant operating expenses and improving overall manufacturing profitability. Develop and manage operating budgets. Analyze labor costs, overtime, manufacturing efficiencies, material usage, waste, and other significant cost drivers. Identify opportunities for cost savings without compromising quality, employee safety, or customer service. Evaluate production costs and work with appropriate departments to improve manufacturing margins. Provide financial justification and return-on-investment analysis for proposed equipment purchases, staffing changes, and operational improvements. Leadership Development & Accountability Mentor and develop the Plant Manager and departmental leaders to strengthen their management capabilities. Establish measurable performance objectives and conduct regular performance reviews with direct reports. Ensure managers are appropriately managing staffing, employee performance, training, and departmental responsibilities. Develop succession plans and strengthen the company's long-term management capabilities. Strategic Planning & Business Growth Work closely with ownership to establish short- and long-term operational objectives. Evaluate the facility's capacity, capabilities, and readiness to support new customers, private-label opportunities, and increased production volumes. Develop operational plans to support business growth while maintaining profitability and product quality. Identify opportunities to improve systems, reporting, automation, and manufacturing technology. Collaborate with Sales, Purchasing, and other departments to ensure manufacturing capabilities align with business commitments. Lead strategic initiatives and special projects as directed by ownership. Key Responsibilities Provide overall leadership and direction for the manufacturing operation, including Production, Compounding, Maintenance, R&D, and QC/QA. Directly manage and support the Plant Manager, ensuring effective execution of daily manufacturing operations. Establish clear performance expectations, responsibilities, and accountability for department leaders. Evaluate organizational structure, staffing levels, and departmental responsibilities to maximize operational effectiveness. Facilitate communication and coordination between manufacturing, R&D, Quality, Purchasing, and other departments. Identify operational challenges and implement sustainable solutions. Provide ownership with regular updates on operational performance, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Manufacturing Efficiency & Continuous Improvement Evaluate manufacturing processes to identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and control operating costs. Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including labor efficiency, production output, downtime, overtime, and on-time delivery. Work with the Plant Manager to optimize production scheduling, staffing levels, equipment utilization, and workflow. Implement process improvements designed to increase manufacturing capacity without unnecessarily increasing labor or overhead costs. Identify production bottlenecks and develop strategies to improve throughput. Promote a culture of continuous improvement. Evaluate capital equipment needs and recommend investments supported by operational and financial analysis. Research & Development (R&D) Oversight Provide leadership and strategic direction to the R&D department. Ensure R&D priorities align with customer requirements, business objectives, manufacturing capabilities, and profitability goals. Establish accountability for product development timelines, formulation improvements, testing, and technical documentation. Improve coordination between R&D, Production, Purchasing, and Quality to support successful product commercialization. Oversee the transition of new formulations from laboratory development to pilot batches and full-scale manufacturing. Ensure product formulations are scalable, cost-effective, and capable of being manufactured consistently. Support innovation, product reformulations, and initiatives to improve product performance or reduce costs. Quality Control, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance Provide oversight of QC/QA while preserving the Quality function's authority and independence in product release and compliance decisions. Lead the company's efforts to strengthen and maintain Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and ISO 22716 compliance. Along with Quality, develop, implement, and maintain appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), quality systems, and documentation practices. Ensure effective processes are in place for raw material inspection, in-process quality checks, finished goods testing, and product release. Establish accountability for the investigation and resolution of quality issues, deviations, customer complaints, and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA). Support regulatory inspections, certification initiatives, and ongoing compliance requirements. Financial Performance & Cost Management Assume responsibility for controlling plant operating expenses and improving overall manufacturing profitability. Develop and manage operating budgets. Analyze labor costs, overtime, manufacturing efficiencies, material usage, waste, and other significant cost drivers. Identify opportunities for cost savings without compromising quality, employee safety, or customer service. Evaluate production costs and work with appropriate departments to improve manufacturing margins. Provide financial justification and return-on-investment analysis for proposed equipment purchases, staffing changes, and operational improvements. Leadership Development & Accountability Mentor and develop the Plant Manager and departmental leaders to strengthen their management capabilities. Establish measurable performance objectives and conduct regular performance reviews with direct reports. Ensure managers are appropriately managing staffing, employee performance, training, and departmental responsibilities. Develop succession plans and strengthen the company's long-term management capabilities. Strategic Planning & Business Growth Work closely with ownership to establish short- and long-term operational objectives. Evaluate the facility's capacity, capabilities, and readiness to support new customers, private-label opportunities, and increased production volumes. Develop operational plans to support business growth while maintaining profitability and product quality. Identify opportunities to improve systems, reporting, automation, and manufacturing technology. Collaborate with Sales, Purchasing, and other departments to ensure manufacturing capabilities align with business commitments. Lead strategic initiatives and special projects as directed by ownership. Qualifications & Experience Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience. Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing operations. At least 5 years in a senior manufacturing leadership role with responsibility for multiple departments or functions. Demonstrated success in improving manufacturing productivity, controlling costs, and leading operational change. Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production planning, labor management, and operational performance metrics. Experience managing and developing department managers and cross-functional leadership teams. Working knowledge of GMP and manufacturing compliance requirements. Preferred Qualifications Experience in cosmetics, personal care, beauty products, or related chemical manufacturing. Familiarity with ISO 22716 and FDA cosmetic manufacturing requirements. Experience overseeing R&D and QC/QA functions. Experience with formulation-based manufacturing, batching, compounding, and filling operations. Knowledge of ERP systems, preferably NetSuite or a comparable manufacturing platform. #J-18808-Ljbffr