Plant Manager

Plant Manager

Company Overview

Our client is a well-established, full-service advanced manufacturing partner specializing in precision metal fabrication, stamping, machining, and complex assemblies. With decades of history as a reliable, long-term supplier to leading OEMs, the company has built a strong reputation across multiple industries.

The company operates as a one-source manufacturing provider, offering a fully integrated suite of capabilities — from design engineering and rapid prototyping through production, finishing, and final assembly. In-house tool and die capabilities, advanced CAD engineering, and automated fabrication processes enable tight-tolerance components delivered with speed, consistency, and cost efficiency.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director of Manufacturing, the Plant Manager will have full ownership and accountability for a plant's operational performance and strategy, leading a team of 65–70 people. This key senior leader will provide consistent leadership and hands-on coaching across the organization, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, growth, and operational excellence.

Most importantly, this individual will install consistent leadership and a culture of accountability.

The ideal person for the role is a strategic thinker with a high sense of urgency, seeking growth and upwardly mobile. It is expected that this individual will have the capacity to advance quickly in the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end daily operations for a manufacturing facility in the Minneapolis, MN metropolitan area, overseeing safety, quality, production, supply chain, engineering, maintenance, scheduling, and operational performance.

• Build and sustain a culture of continuous improvement by implementing Lean Manufacturing principles, Toyota Production System (TPS) methodologies, Gemba practices, Kaizen events, and operational excellence initiatives.

• Develop and lead a high-performing manufacturing team capable of efficiently producing and fabricating steel and alloy components for complex technical and industrial markets.

• Establish and enhance an operating system that empowers frontline teams to identify opportunities, implement process improvements, standardize best practices, and drive measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and scalability across multiple facilities.

• Lead the successful introduction, industrialization, and integration of new products into manufacturing operations while ensuring production readiness and operational efficiency.

• Mentor, coach, and develop supervisors and managers to strengthen leadership capabilities, improve team performance, and build a strong succession pipeline.

• Optimize operational performance through KPI management, data analytics, process improvements, and strategic initiatives aligned with long-term business objectives.

Core Competencies

Operational Excellence:

Strong manufacturing expertise with a proven ability to develop, implement, and improve processes that enhance efficiency, quality, and productivity.

Leadership & Team Development:

Demonstrated success in building, motivating, and developing high-performing teams while creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Strategic & Hands-On Leadership:

Ability to translate business objectives into actionable strategies while maintaining a hands-on, player/coach leadership approach.

Business Transformation & Growth:

Experience identifying opportunities, leading transformational initiatives, and driving operational growth in fast-paced manufacturing environments.

Data-Driven Decision Making:

Skilled in leveraging KPIs, analytics, and operational metrics to evaluate performance, identify improvement opportunities, and support strategic decisions.

Adaptability & Execution:

High-energy leader with resilience, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to successfully navigate changing priorities and complex operational challenges.

Value Creation & Operational Scaling:

Ability to improve business performance through operational optimization, scalable processes, technology adoption, and strategic growth initiatives.

Regulated Industry Experience:

Experience managing manufacturing operations within highly regulated environments requiring strong compliance, quality systems, and process discipline.

Qualifications & Ideal Candidate Profile

• Extensive manufacturing leadership experience within multi-site production environments.

• Proven ability to manage plant-level operations with responsibility for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and team performance.

• Demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing teams to achieve operational excellence.

• Track record of improving manufacturing processes, increasing productivity, and driving measurable performance improvements.

• Willingness to work directly with frontline teams, engage on the production floor, identify inefficiencies, and implement sustainable solutions.

• Experience leveraging automation, emerging technologies, and data-driven strategies to improve operational efficiency.

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire teams, overcome challenges, and drive continuous improvement.

• Skilled in developing leaders through coaching, mentoring, and hands-on operational guidance.

• Ability to identify process gaps, educate teams, and implement improvement methodologies such as Value Stream Mapping, Lean tools, and problem-solving frameworks.

• Demonstrated commitment to achieving measurable business results through disciplined execution, ownership, and operational leadership.