Plant Manager

About Us

Oka Brands is a family-owned, values-driven footwear company based just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Since 1984, we’ve built a legacy of sustainability and quality craftsmanship. With a passionate team of people-first collaborators, we bring exceptional products to market. Our footwear is always made in the USA with materials sourced domestically, reflecting our unwavering commitment to transparency and ensuring eco-conscious practices remain at the heart of what we do.

What You’ll Do

We are seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead all manufacturing and warehouse operations at our footwear manufacturing facility in Buford, Georgia. This is a critically important position in the company that reports directly to the CEO and serves as a member of the company’s leadership team.  The Plant Manager will be responsible for a team of 35-40 production, warehouse and support staff.  This is a hands-on leadership role in a dynamic, growth-oriented company that is committed to manufacturing in the USA and values quality, sustainability and teamwork. 

Responsibilities

Production Operations & Planning

• Oversee all aspects of manufacturing operations including production planning, production, maintenance, capacity planning, and quality assurance to meet business requirements.
• Participate in the S&OP process and provide direction to production planning, coordinating with trade sales, the contract manufacturing business development team, and the DTC team to ensure that the company meets its service targets for its customers.
• Implement and maintain production control systems and metrics to track throughput, cycle time, scrap rates, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Establish standard work procedures and documentation for all manufacturing processes to ensure consistency and traceability.

Quality Assurance & Process Control

• Establish and maintain rigorous quality control standards for all products, ensuring compliance with customer specifications and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee in-process quality inspections, final product testing, and quality documentation.
• Investigate and resolve quality issues promptly, implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure proper documentation and traceability of all materials and manufacturing batches for compliance and recall management.

Continuous Improvement

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement across the plant, encouraging all team members to identify and participate in process improvements.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as cost per unit, scrap/rework rates, labor efficiency, equipment downtime, and safety metrics.  Partner with the Controller to align reporting and clearly tie KPI performance to financial results.
• Develop and execute improvement projects that reduce costs, improve quality, improve service levels, and  reduce working capital requirements.

Equipment & Facility Management

• Ensure the safe and efficient use of manufacturing equipment including injection molding machines, assembly equipment, finishing equipment, and quality testing equipment & instruments.
• Develop and execute preventive maintenance schedules to maximize equipment uptime and minimize unplanned downtime.
• Work with the engineering team to sustain good relationships with equipment vendors and maintenance contractors; ensure timely equipment repairs and troubleshooting.
• Identify equipment upgrade or replacement needs and work with finance and ownership to evaluate ROI and capital expenditure priorities.
• Ensure the facility is maintained in a safe, clean, organized condition compliant with OSHA and other safety regulations.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, lead, and develop a high performing, engaged manufacturing and warehouse team. 
• Set clear performance expectations, provide regular feedback, and develop team members through training and career progression opportunities.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Address performance issues promptly and professionally; manage disciplinary and termination processes as needed.
• Participate in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding production staff.
• Ensure effective training and compliance with production procedures, quality standards, equipment operation, and safety protocols.

Safety & Compliance

• Maintain a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, company safety policies, and industry best practices.
• Conduct regular safety audits, hazard assessments, and corrective action implementation.
• Investigate all accidents and near-misses; implement preventive measures to reduce future incidents.
• Maintain safety documentation, incident reports, and training records
• Lead safety meetings and training programs to reinforce safety awareness and procedures.  Take a continuous improvement approach to safety.

Cost Management & Financial Accountability

• Monitor manufacturing costs including labor, materials, and overhead; work with the Controller to analyze variances and identify cost reduction opportunities.
• Participate in the budgeting process, providing realistic cost estimates and efficiency targets.
• Minimize product scrap, rework, and waste to protect margins and support sustainability efforts.
• Optimize scheduling to support service and productivity improvement efforts.

Contract Manufacturing & Customer Relationships

• Partner with the business development team to support relationships with contract manufacturing customers as needed.
• Communicate well and often with the business development team so that there are no negative surprises to the team or contract manufacturing customers.
• Work to understand delivery against customer-specific production requirements, custom specifications, and quality expectations.
• Support new product introduction and tooling projects, ensuring smooth transitions to full production.
• Partner with the contract manufacturing business development team, purchasing and the Controller to ensure full costs are understood so that contract manufacturing pricing can be set correctly.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Associate's degree or bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Managerment or related field or equivalent experience required.
• Minimum 10 years of manufacturing operations experience with progressive responsibility, including at least 3-5 years in a Plant Manager or Operations Manager role.
• Experience with injection molding operations is strongly desired.  Strong understanding of molding equipment, process parameters, tooling, cycle time optimization and troubleshooting.
• Strong preference for experience in a contract manufacturing environment with an understanding of costs and pricing.
• Track record of successfully leading and developing production teams of minimum 30 or more people.

Technical Knowledge

• Understanding of injection molding processes, equipment and troubleshooting.
• Strong knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies and waste elimination and reduction.
• Familiarity with quality management systems (ISO 9001, Six Sigma or similar quality frameworks).
• Understanding of OSHA safety regulations and occupational health and safety best practices.
• Proficiency with manufacturing KPI's, metrics and data analysis.
• Experience with manufacturing execution systems (MES), ERP systems and production planning software.

Key Characteristics

• Gets hands dirty: Ready and willing to work hands on to get the job done.  Spends time in manufacturing and warehouse to build strong relationships and better understand what's happening on the floor.
• Driven: Self-motivated professional who takes initiative and drives results.
• Scrappy: Finds affordable, effective ways to help the team outperform what would be typical at the size of the Company.
• Continuous improvement mindset: Genuine passion for identifying and implementing improvements; comfort with change management and highly effective in engaging the team in continuous improvement.
• Leadership: Proven ability to build, motivate and develop high performing teams; strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Adaptable and even keeled: Comfortable in a dynamic, fast-paced small business environment where the team is empowered to try out ideas and make changes in order to drive growth and improvement.

What We Offer

•  Competitive compensation based on experience and expertise.
• Performance based bonus opportunity.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.
• Opportunity to shape manufacturing operations and culture in a growing, entrepreneurial company that is strongly committed to being an industry leader in US manufacturing.
• Opportunity to be a key member of the leadership team in a growing company that values its team.
• Direct partnership with the CEO an ownership in shaping the company's financial future.