PLANT MANAGER (Bolingbrook, IL)

Are you ready to join a FIVE-TIME US Best Managed Company? KENT Worldwide™, a family of companies committed to excellence and innovation, is hiring a Plant Manager to lead operations at our dry blending facility in Bolingbrook, IL. This key leadership role is responsible for overseeing all aspects of daily plant operations, from production and manufacturing to ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and operational standards. The Plant Manager will drive process improvements, foster a strong team culture, and champion excellence in stewardship, customer satisfaction, and productivity.

• This is a salaried position with a complete benefit package reporting to the Director of Manufacturing.
• The compensation range for this role is $130,000 to $160,000, in addition to KENT standard benefits (health, dental, vision, 401k). Final compensation is subject to variation based on the candidate's skills, job responsibilities, location and other pertinent factors.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Production and maintenance managers, shift supervisors, and plant employees

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Management Capabilities

• Lead staff to ensure production methods and procedures are followed and products are produces safely and efficiently
• Constantly drive for improvements in safety, productivity and efficiencies
• Coordinates the activities of all departments utilizing excellent communication and developing efficient production methods
• Display a continuous improvement mindset and use progressive visual tools, production reporting, employee involvement teams, performance measurement, and other techniques to improve facility performance
• Ensures that Maintenance supports the operation in an effective and efficient manner and prioritizes maintenance reliability programs
• Utilize production data to manage the facility and provide the company with timely, thorough and accurate information
• Works with other input departments and their leadership to ensure the service levels from the plant
• Recommend and research capital improvements to improve efficiencies, quality, or safety
• Understands the importance of Gemba walks and gaining perspectives first hand
• Develop and contribute to long term strategic planning for the plant

Product Quality & Integrity

• Ensure all plant employees are trained on procedures and adhere to the expectations of regulatory intent
• Works with the Manager of Quality Assurance to ensure the plant quality assurance facilities, documentation, methods/techniques, and staff capability meet or exceed industry standards
• Works closely with Quality Assurance personnel and the Production Manager to minimize and eliminate out of specification product produced or shipped
• When quality incidents do occur, work with Plant staff, the technical staff and the corporate office to take steps against reoccurrence of that issue and to mitigate any ramifications that might arise from the field
• Monitors all audits, working with Plant staff, the auditing agency and the corporate office to correct all deficiencies in a timely and cost effective manner
• Ensures Plant facility and grounds meet or exceed the security guidelines set forth by the corporation

Safety

• Works with Operations’ supervisory staff, Safety Director and Safety Committee to ensure a lost time accident rate equivalent to or less than the national safety committee’s average for businesses of our type
• Is an active member of the plant safety team
• Displays safety mindedness to facility meets core safety procedures

Sanitation/Housekeeping

• Ensures that all employees adhere to GMPs
• Participates in all Plant sanitation audits and coordinates corrective and preventative actions
• Works with the Plant staff to ensure all areas of the facility are maintained in a clean, neat and orderly fashion

Cost Control

• Develop and operate within an approved budget; areas of concentration to include staffing, supplies, maintenance, utilities and capital projects

Human Resources

• Able to build teams and unlock individual potential 
• Fosters a culture that the understands and displays the company’s core values
• Is proactive and participates in all operations training activities as needed
• Participates in onboarding and exit interviews as needed
• Coordinates personnel needs with supervisors and other managers

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor degree in Engineering or other related field preferred
• Minimum of 10 years management experience in a food plant manufacturing environment
• Possess excellent leadership skills
• High level knowledge in liquid food processing equipment, GMPs, HACCP, OSHA and plant safety practices
• Must have strong ERP systems knowledge and understand MRP, and material control & inventory transaction reporting
• Must be committed to the manufacture of safe, legal, quality food products

TRAVEL:

• Less than 10%

Salary : $130,000 - $160,000