What are the responsibilities and job description for the Plant Manager position at Fill-Rite?
Position Summary
The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, safety, operational performance, and financial results of a light assembly and machining manufacturing facility. This role ensures the safe, efficient, and cost‑effective manufacture of products while meeting quality, delivery, and financial objectives. The Plant Manager leads site leadership teams, drives continuous improvement, and aligns plant execution with company strategy.
Essential Functions and Basic Duties
Position Summary
The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, safety, operational performance, and financial results of a light assembly and machining manufacturing facility. This role ensures the safe, efficient, and cost effective manufacture of products while meeting quality, delivery, and financial objectives. The Plant Manager leads site leadership teams, drives continuous improvement, and aligns plant execution with company strategy.
Essential Functions and Basic Duties
Operations Management
• Direct daily manufacturing operations across machining, assembly, and support functions.
• Ensure production schedules, capacity plans, and labor resources meet business requirements.
• Identify demand trends and adopt strategies to maintain focus on Customer and profitability.
• Drive performance in productivity, throughput, quality, and on time delivery.
• Responsible for the management of operational equipment/assets including preventative and ongoing maintenance to support machine uptime.
Financial & Business Performance
• Own plant P&L results, including labor, overhead, scrap, inventory, and capital spend.
• Develop and manage annual operating budgets and long‑range capacity plans.
• Partner with Finance on cost control, inventory accuracy, and internal controls.
Safety & Compliance
• Own plant safety performance and foster a strong safety‑first culture.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and internal EHS standards.
• Lead safety audits, corrective actions, and continuous risk‑reduction initiatives.
• Champion Standard of Work (SW) creation, Corrective and Preventative Action Systems (CAR/CAPA).
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and performance management processes.
• Build organizational capability through succession planning and leadership development.
Continuous Improvement
• Champion data‑driven problem solving and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and implement opportunities for process improvement, automation, and waste reduction.
• Support standardization and best‑practice sharing across manufacturing sites as applicable.
Quality & Customer Commitment
• Ensure products meet quality, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Own plant‑level quality metrics, corrective actions, and audit readiness.
• Partners functionally to support new product introductions and customer needs.
Strategic Leadership
• Translate company strategy into executable plant‑level priorities.
• Serve as a key contributor to the leadership team and cross‑functional initiatives.
• Communicate direction, priorities, and performance clearly throughout the organization.
Capabilities and Knowledge
• Utilize lean manufacturing tools (standard work, value stream mapping, visual management, real time problem solving, preventative maintenance, and 5s) to achieve the annual goals.
• Utilize tools such as capacity planning, standard work, and cycle times to drive staffing requirements for indirect and direct labor roles in operations.
• Utilize lean manufacturing tools to drive performance to meet key performance indicators (KPI) such as Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory levels/control, and Productivity.
Experience Required
• 8 years’ experience in operations leadership role preferably Operations or Plant Manager.
• Hands on teaching, implementation, and monitoring effectiveness of lean manufacturing and business tools implemented such as standard work, value stream mapping, 5s, Kanban, practical problem solving.
• Engaging and inviting leadership style for development of a highly motivated and effective team.
• Possesses strong coaching and training skills for improving the capabilities and performance of team.
• Proven critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Efficient computer skills including use of Microsoft products, Excel, Word, Power Point, etc.
• Seeking input from others when making decisions. Encourage collaboration at all levels of responsibility.
• Business Acumen: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions whether tactical or strategic planning to choose the most appropriate one that achieves our annual goals and objectives.
• Strong understanding of ERP systems and their role in manufacturing planning, inventory control, and financial reporting. Ability to drive system discipline, accurate transactions, and process adherence across the organization.
• Demonstrated success improving inventory accuracy, implementing cycle count programs, and driving transactional discipline across manufacturing and warehouse operations.
• Drive standard work and operational discipline across production reporting, inventory control, and transactional processes to ensure system integrity and operational visibility.
Required Knowledge
• Utilize lean manufacturing oi (standard work, value stream mapping, visual management, real time problem solving, preventative maintenance, and 5s) to achieve the annual goals.
• Utilize tools such as capacity planning, standard work, and cycle times to drive staffing requirements for indirect and direct labor roles in operations.
• Utilize lean manufacturing tools to drive performance to meet key performance indicators (KPI) such as Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory levels/control, and Productivity.
Education/Certification
• Engineering, Operations/Technology, or Business-related bachelor’s degree required.
Physical Activities and Mental Demands Requirements
• Desk located in the Manufacturing environment & the ability to be 85% on your feet.
• Lifting requirements – occasionally lifting of thirty-five pounds.
• Ability to maneuver in, around, under, and about factory machinery on a regular basis.
• May be exposed to diesel fuel, mineral spirits, glue, paint, adhesives, and sealant fumes.
• Travel less than 10%.