Plant Manager

The Plant Manager is a highly visible and influential leadership position within a high volume, low mix, 24x7 operation responsible for driving operational excellence, developing high-performing teams, and ensuring the facility consistently delivers exceptional results for our customers. This role serves as a critical link between team members, customers, suppliers, and executive leadership, fostering a culture of communication, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across the organization.

The successful candidate will be an engaging and strategic leader who builds trust, champions a people-first culture, and creates alignment around business objectives. They will drive performance in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement while maintaining a relentless focus on customer satisfaction and operational excellence. As a key leader in a growing organization, the Plant Manager will help shape the future of the facility by developing talent, strengthening customer partnerships, optimizing operations, and positioning the plant for sustained growth and success.

This role requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on leadership, with the ability to inspire teams, solve complex operational challenges, and deliver results in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Why Join Radius Packaging?

Radius Packaging is proud to be recognized as the Plastics News Processor of the Year, the plastics industry's highest honor, reflecting our commitment to innovation, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, sustainability, and employee engagement. We have also been named a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Top Workplace for two consecutive years, demonstrating our dedication to creating an environment where people are valued, developed, recognized, and empowered to succeed.

Guided by The Radius Way: Champion Positive Change, Act with Integrity, Strive for Excellence, Emphasize Community, and Work Together, we believe our people are our greatest competitive advantage. Our leaders are empowered to make an impact, develop future talent, strengthen customer relationships, and drive meaningful business results.

This is an opportunity to lead a high-performing manufacturing operation that is poised for growth. As Plant Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping culture, supporting strategic initiatives, improving operational performance, and ensuring Radius continues to exceed customer expectations.

In addition to a rewarding leadership opportunity, Radius offers a competitive compensation package and a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, vision, HSA, company-paid life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, flexible spending accounts, and additional voluntary benefits. We are committed to investing in our leaders through professional development, career growth opportunities, recognition programs, and a culture that supports both personal and professional success.

Key Responsibilities Operational Leadership

• Provide leadership and direction for all manufacturing operations to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective production.

• Establish and execute operational strategies that align with company goals and support future growth.

• Lead and develop a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement throughout the facility.

• Serve as the primary operational leader and key liaison between the plant, executive leadership, customers, and suppliers.

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a world-class safety culture by ensuring compliance with all safety, environmental, food safety, GMP, and company policies.

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment through strong housekeeping, 6S practices, and hazard prevention initiatives.

• Hold leaders and team members accountable for safe work practices and regulatory compliance.

Quality & Customer Satisfaction

• Ensure the consistent production of high-quality products that meet or exceed customer expectations and company standards.

• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Operations teams to drive quality performance, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.

• Build strong relationships with customers and proactively address opportunities to enhance service, quality, and responsiveness.

• Foster a customer-focused culture where every team member understands their impact on the customer experience.

Financial & Operational Performance

• Lead plant performance to achieve or exceed financial, operational, and productivity objectives.

• Manage budgets, labor efficiency, manufacturing costs, and overall plant profitability.

• Analyze operational and financial performance data to identify opportunities, eliminate waste, and improve cost competitiveness.

• Develop and execute plans to improve productivity, efficiency, material utilization, and overall equipment effectiveness.

Delivery & Production Planning

• Ensure production schedules are successfully executed to meet customer demand and service expectations.

• Partner with Sales, Supply Chain, and Customer Service teams to optimize schedule attainment and capacity utilization.

• Play a significant leadership role in the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process to balance demand, capacity, inventory, and customer requirements.

Continuous Improvement & Reliability

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, productivity, cost reduction, and operational excellence.

• Drive root cause problem solving, process optimization, standardization, and best-practice implementation.

• Partner closely with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability, preventive maintenance effectiveness, and operational uptime.

• Foster a culture where innovation, data-driven decision making, and continuous learning are embedded in daily operations.

Team Development & Engagement

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing manufacturing leadership team.

• Create an environment where employees are engaged, valued, recognized, and accountable for results.

• Partner with Human Development to attract, retain, and develop top talent through effective hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.

• Develop future leaders through mentoring, cross-training, career development, and leadership development initiatives.

• Establish workforce plans, staffing strategies, and organizational structures that support operational excellence and future growth.

Leadership Competencies

Success in this role requires:

• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills.

• Strong customer focus and business acumen.

• Proven ability to lead through influence and drive organizational change.

• Strategic thinking balanced with operational execution.

• Demonstrated success developing leaders and building high-performing teams.

• A relentless commitment to safety, quality, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement.

What Success Looks Like

• A safe, engaged, and high-performing workforce.

• Consistent achievement of customer delivery, quality, and service expectations.

• Strong operational and financial performance across all key metrics.

• Effective succession planning and leadership development.

• Continuous improvement initiatives that drive measurable results.

• A culture aligned with The Radius Way and positioned for sustainable growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Engineering or Business with 5 years of progressive leadership in a manufacturing organization.

• Demonstrated capability to lead continuous improvement programs in manufacturing processes and practices.

• Manufacturing leadership in a plastics manufacturing environment required.

• Evidence of credible coaching leadership style with the ability to inspire and lead high performing leaders.

• Excellent communication skills – casual and formal, oral and written.

• Strong PC literacy required (Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, TEAMS) and experience with integrated databases.