Plant Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Plant Manager – High‐Volume Industrial Manufacturing

Overview

A growing industrial manufacturing facility is seeking a Plant Manager to oversee daily operations and long‐term performance. This role leads production teams, drives operational discipline, and ensures the facility meets expectations for safety, output, quality, cost, and workforce development. The ideal candidate has experience managing automated or mechanized production environments and thrives in fast‐moving, high‐volume settings.

Responsibilities:

• Lead all plant activities with ownership of safety, production flow, quality performance, cost control, and employee engagement.
• Convert business requirements into clear operating plans, staffing strategies, production targets, and measurable KPIs.
• Oversee automated or mechanized manufacturing lines, ensuring throughput, schedule adherence, waste reduction, and consistent product quality.
• Build and maintain a strong safety culture; ensure compliance with regulatory requirements; drive corrective actions and risk‐prevention initiatives.
• Strengthen quality systems through standardized work, traceability, audits, corrective action, and customer‐driven requirements.
• Work with engineering, maintenance, and quality teams to resolve equipment issues, process variation, tooling concerns, and production bottlenecks.
• Ensure equipment reliability through preventive and predictive maintenance programs for machinery, tooling, fixtures, and support systems.
• Lead continuous‐improvement efforts using Lean principles such as waste elimination, 5S, visual controls, and structured problem‐solving.
• Monitor plant performance metrics including safety results, defect rates, efficiency, downtime, labor utilization, scrap, overtime, and operating cost.
• Manage budgets, capital projects, labor planning, and operating expenses while protecting safety and product quality.
• Coordinate production planning, materials flow, inventory control, and shipping to support customer schedules.
• Lead new equipment installations, process changes, production launches, and capacity expansions.
• Select, coach, and develop supervisors and team leaders; set expectations, conduct performance reviews, and build succession plans.
• Support positive employee relations and partner with HR on workforce matters; apply policies and work rules consistently.
• Communicate plant performance, risks, and recovery plans to senior leadership; represent the facility during audits, customer visits, and business reviews.
• Lead contingency planning for equipment failures, supply disruptions, quality issues, or other operational risks.
• Perform additional duties as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• At least 8 years of progressive leadership experience in a high‐volume manufacturing environment.
• Background in automated, mechanized, or process‐driven production (robotics, stamping, assembly, or similar).
• Demonstrated success improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Working knowledge of quality systems, audits, control plans, corrective action, and process documentation.
• Experience managing budgets, capital projects, staffing, and production performance.
• Strong understanding of Lean manufacturing and structured problem‐solving.
• Ability to interpret operational and financial data and convert insights into action.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing systems (ERP/MRP, production reporting, maintenance, quality, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in Engineering, Operations, or Business.
• Experience leading a unionized facility.
• Knowledge of automated equipment, tooling, industrial machinery, or related maintenance strategies.
• Lean Six Sigma, APICS, OSHA, or similar certifications.
• Experience with new‐product launches, customer audits, turnaround environments, or major capital projects.