Plant Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

POSITION SUMMARY

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and continuous improvement of a Madison-Kipp manufacturing facility. This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership across all areas of the operation, including production, maintenance, tooling, quality, materials, engineering, safety, and workforce engagement.

The Plant Manager is accountable for achieving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives while developing a high-performing leadership team and fostering a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in high-volume manufacturing, preferably aluminum die casting, machining, or automotive manufacturing environments.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provide leadership for all production activities to achieve daily, weekly, and monthly production requirements.

• Ensure customer commitments are met regarding quality, delivery, and responsiveness.

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) including safety, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, throughput, and on-time delivery.

• Lead daily production meetings and implement corrective actions to resolve operational issues.

• Drive improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), productivity, and manufacturing flow.

• Develop and execute operational strategies that support company goals and customer requirements.

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of supervisors, managers, and hourly employees.

• Establish clear expectations and hold leadership teams accountable for performance.

• Build a culture focused on teamwork, urgency, accountability, communication, and respect.

• Partner with Human Resources to support recruiting, retention, employee relations, performance management, and succession planning.

• Develop future leaders through coaching, training, and career development initiatives.

• Ensure preventative and predictive maintenance systems are effective in maximizing equipment uptime.

• Partner with Maintenance, Tool Room, and Engineering teams to improve equipment reliability and manufacturing processes.

• Prioritize resources to address critical equipment, tooling, and process challenges.

• Support capital planning, equipment installations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Manage facility performance against established budgets and operating plans.

• Identify and execute cost reduction initiatives without compromising safety, quality, or delivery.

• Monitor labor utilization, overtime, scrap, maintenance costs, and operational expenses.

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  

• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

WORKING CONDITIONS 

Heavy Manufacturing Environment.  MKC houses different machinery, equipment, processes, and chemicals which produce potential hazards in the work environment such as: ergonomic, chemical, machine point of operation, and powered industrial vehicle traffic.  These hazards are controlled through means of engineering controls, such as machine guarding, and administrative controls, such as safety policies and programs.  The noise level in the work environment is moderate to noisy.  In certain areas of the facility, employees are required to wear Personal Protective Equipment such as Hearing Protection, Safety Glasses, Safety Toe Shoes, and hand protection.  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and listen; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls.  The employee is regularly required to stand, stoop, bend, or reach above the shoulders.  The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Must be able to regularly walk throughout all the manufacturing facilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Appropriate education and/or experience may be substituted on an equivalent basis.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of manufacturing leadership experience with increasing levels of responsibility.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading a manufacturing facility or large production area.

• Experience in aluminum die casting, machining, automotive manufacturing, or other high-volume manufacturing environments strongly preferred.

• Experience working with automotive quality systems and customer expectations preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read, write, and understand English.

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills. 

JOB SKILLS

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence and motivate employees at all levels.

• Proven ability to manage through changing business conditions and drive operational improvements.

• Strong understanding of manufacturing KPIs, lean principles, and continuous improvement methods.

• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make timely business decisions.

• Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and employee engagement skills.

• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, labor management, and cost control.

• Ability to effectively lead in a fast-paced, demanding manufacturing environment.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENT

• Up to 10% interstate travel.