Plant Manager

Summary:

The Plant Manager is responsible for leading all manufacturing operations at the facility, driving performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Inventory (SQDCI). This role ensures disciplined execution through the Daily Management System (DMS), Leader Standard Work (LSW), and a strong culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making. The Plant Manager owns plant performance, including financial results, operational excellence, and people development.

Key Responsibilities:

Daily Operations & Execution

• Lead all plant functions including production, maintenance, engineering, quality, and materials
• Ensure execution of the Daily Management System (DMS) across all leadership levels
• Conduct daily KPI reviews and enforce structured escalation and problem resolution
• Drive adherence to standardized work and ensure consistency in execution
• Remove barriers to performance and ensure alignment to production and business priorities

Safety (S)

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture across the plant
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and corporate safety standards
• Drive proactive hazard identification, risk mitigation, and layered audit execution
• Hold leadership accountable for safety performance and corrective action follow-through

Quality (Q)

• Ensure products meet all internal and customer quality requirements
• Drive first-pass yield improvement and reduction of scrap and defects
• Lead systemic root cause problem solving and corrective action implementation

• Promote a “right-first-time” culture throughout the organization

Delivery (D)

• Ensure on-time delivery and schedule attainment across all production areas
• Drive flow, reduce lead times, and eliminate bottlenecks
• Support effective production planning and cross-functional coordination
• Ensure rapid escalation and resolution of delivery risks

Cost (C) & Financial Performance

• Own plant P&L performance including absorption, cost control, and productivity
• Drive labor efficiency, machine utilization, and overhead management
• Manage cost variances and execute cost reduction initiatives
• Align operational output with financial targets and absorption goals
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and cost improvement roadmaps

Inventory (I)

• Optimize working capital through inventory control and improved turns
• Reduce excess, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory
• Ensure accurate material flow and alignment with production needs

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and sustain Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure all major performance gaps are captured, prioritized, and addressed
• Maintain and manage the plant improvement backlog aligned to SQDCI and financial impact
• Drive a culture of waste elimination, flow improvement, and daily incremental gains

Leader Standard Work (LSW) & Accountability

• Establish and enforce Leader Standard Work, including:
  • Daily Gemba walks
  • KPI review and tiered accountability meetings
  • Coaching, follow-up, and action closure discipline
• Ensure clear ownership of metrics at all levels
• Drive a culture of accountability with timely escalation and problem resolution

People Leadership & Culture

• Build and develop a high-performance leadership team.
• Foster accountability, engagement, and an ownership mindset.
• Develop talent pipeline and succession plans.
• Reinforce disciplined execution of standard work at all levels.
• Align plant goals with business and operational strategy.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Strong experience in manufacturing operations leadership
• Proven success with Daily Management Systems (DMS) and Lean Manufacturing
• Experience with P&L ownership, cost control, and absorption management
• Demonstrated ability to drive SQDCI performance improvements and culture transformation
• Strong operational execution and leadership discipline
• Strategic thinker with strong execution focus
• Data-driven decision-making capability
• Strong leadership, coaching, and accountability skills
• Deep understanding of lean principles and operational excellence
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Office and manufacturing floor environment with exposure to noise, equipment, and varying conditions
• Requires extended periods of sitting, occasional standing, walking, and lifting

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Safety: Incident rates, audit performance
• Quality: First-pass yield, scrap, customer defects
• Delivery: On-time delivery, schedule attainment
• Cost: Conversion cost, labor efficiency, absorption
• Inventory: Turns, working capital, accuracy

What Success Looks Like

• Safe, compliant, and incident-free operation
• Consistent achievement of SQDCI targets
• Strong financial performance and cost control
• Disciplined execution of DMS and Leader Standard Work
• Engaged leadership team and continuous improvement culture
• Sustainable gains in productivity, quality, and flow