Plant Operations Manager -- Advanced Automotive Plastics

Job Description

Job Description

Lead with Purpose

If championing sustainable manufacturing while shaping the next wave of automotive plastics excites you, you’ll feel at home at Mergon. We collaborate with leaders like Tesla, BMW, and Xerox, and we’re driven by curiosity, care, and continuous improvement.

The Challenge

Can you orchestrate a blow molding operation so that safety is instinctive, quality is predictable, delivery is trusted, productivity is rising, and cost is controlled? In this role, you will direct production, scheduling, maintenance, tooling, engineering, and technical resources—building systems that scale and teams that thrive.

How You’ll Make an Impact

• Set the operational rhythm: daily management of production and finite scheduling.
• Elevate reliability: strengthen preventive maintenance and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Advance process capability: partner with engineering and tooling to enhance manufacturability and yield.
• Drive CI culture: deploy Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen to eliminate waste and accelerate flow.
• Manage the numbers: own budgets and optimize labor, material, and maintenance spending.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives that push innovation and align with strategic objectives.
• Ensure rigorous adherence to OSHA, EPA, and ISO expectations.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or similar preferred.
• 5+ years of operations leadership in manufacturing; blow molding and/or injection molding experience, preferably in automotive.
• Record of success managing production, maintenance, engineering, tooling, and CI portfolios.
• Expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen with measurable KPI improvements.
• Financial fluency: budgets, forecasting, and cost controls.
• Depth in preventive maintenance programs, equipment reliability, and capital projects.
• Leadership that develops people: coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Sharp analytics and root‑cause problem solving; clear communicator and collaborator.
• Mastery of manufacturing metrics, production planning, and operational performance management.

Your Edge

• People Leadership, Coaching & Mentoring
• Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing
• Production Optimization & Operational Risk Management
• Operational Metrics & KPI Management
• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Workplace Safety & EHS Management
• High‑level Operations Analysis
• Budgeting & Forecasting