Plant Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Plant Manager – Wire Harness Manufacturing

Location: Kalamazoo, MI | On-site

Build More Than a Plant. Build the Standard.

This is an opportunity for a manufacturing leader who wants to do more than simply keep production running.

We’re building and scaling a digitally integrated wire harness manufacturing operation designed around speed, quality, flexibility, and continuous improvement. We’re looking for a Plant Manager who knows wire harness manufacturing, understands what great operations look like on the plant floor, and has the leadership ability to build the people, processes, and systems needed for significant growth.

If you thrive in a high-growth manufacturing environment, enjoy solving problems at the gemba, and know how to turn operational challenges into measurable improvements, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.

What You’ll Do

As Plant Manager, you’ll have overall responsibility for manufacturing operations while helping build the infrastructure required to scale the business.

You will:

• Lead daily wire harness manufacturing operations with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity
• Drive performance across key metrics including OEE, first-pass yield, on-time delivery, cycle time, labor efficiency, and safety
• Lead production planning, scheduling, capacity management, and resolution of production bottlenecks
• Optimize manufacturing processes including wire cutting/stripping, crimping, soldering, assembly, testing, and inspection
• Specify, implement, and optimize wire-processing equipment, crimping systems, test equipment, tooling, and digital manufacturing technologies
• Lead Lean and continuous improvement initiatives to improve throughput, quality, labor utilization, and cost
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing team of supervisors, engineers, quality professionals, and production operators
• Establish standardized work, visual management, cross-training, and scalable production systems
• Partner closely with Engineering to improve manufacturability, capacity, and production readiness
• Own plant safety and support compliance with applicable quality and regulatory standards
• Manage plant financial performance, including labor efficiency, material yield, scrap/rework, overhead, and capital investments
• Help build the operational roadmap required to successfully scale the business

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of manufacturing operations experience
• 5+ years of plant or production management experience, including leadership of teams of 20+ employees
• Direct experience in wire harness, cable assembly, or electro-mechanical manufacturing
• Strong knowledge of wire harness processes including cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering, assembly, and testing
• Experience with wire-processing equipment such as Komax, Schleuniger, or comparable systems
• Knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards
• Experience with complex, multi-circuit harnesses in industries such as aerospace, defense, medical, automotive, or industrial manufacturing
• Demonstrated success scaling manufacturing operations and improving quality, cost, delivery, and productivity
• Strong Lean manufacturing background, including tools such as 5S, standardized work, visual management, value-stream mapping, A3, and 8D
• Experience with ERP and/or MES systems supporting production tracking, scheduling, traceability, and quality
• Strong understanding of production KPIs, capacity planning, factory flow, and constraint management
• Proven ability to build teams, develop leaders, and create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement

Additional Experience That Stands Out

Experience with any of the following would be particularly valuable:

• ITAR-controlled manufacturing environments
• AS9100, ISO 9001, or ISO 13485
• Automated wire-processing and testing equipment
• Digital work instructions or digital manufacturing systems
• Factory layouts and production-flow optimization
• Capital equipment selection and implementation
• Lean Six Sigma
• IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification
• Greenfield, startup, or rapidly scaling manufacturing operations

Why This Opportunity?

This is not a traditional Plant Manager position where you inherit a mature operation and simply maintain the status quo.

You’ll have the opportunity to shape how the operation runs, build manufacturing capability, develop the team, introduce new technology, and establish the systems that support long-term growth.

We’re looking for someone who can operate and build—a leader equally comfortable walking the production floor solving today's challenges and developing the strategy, systems, and capabilities needed for tomorrow.

Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan – On-site

Travel: Up to 10%

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