What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Plant Operations position at Plastic Executive Recruiters?
A global manufacturer is seeking a Senior Plant Operations Director to lead a high-volume, highly technical operation with full responsibility for performance, growth, and long-term capability development. This role requires a leader who can build trusted relationships on the plant floor while applying strong business acumen to shape strategy, modernize operations, and drive transformation across a $200MM facility.
This is a pivotal leadership role with direct influence over operational strategy, workforce development, technological advancement, and financial performance.
What You’ll Do
- Lead all plant operations at scale, including production, supply chain, engineering, workforce planning, and quality.
- Own full P&L responsibility for a $200MM operation, connecting operational KPIs directly to financial outcomes and long-term ROI.
- Conduct strategic assessments of plant performance, identifying gaps and creating multi-year plans for capacity, headcount, technology, and capital investment.
- Drive lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence through advanced methodologies, metrics, and accountability structures.
- Build strong relationships with plant-floor teams while developing a culture of safety, reliability, communication, and workforce engagement.
- Evaluate and implement modern automation, smart manufacturing tools, and emerging technologies to increase throughput and reduce variability.
- Lead talent acquisition strategies, including recruitment campaigns, skills development programs, and succession planning for all operational areas.
- Align plant operations with commercial, engineering, and corporate strategy to support growth, customer expectations, and new product introductions.
- Oversee capital projects, capacity expansion initiatives, and operational readiness for future scaling.
What You Bring
- 10–15 years of progressive manufacturing leadership, including experience leading large, complex operations ($200MM revenue environment).
- Proven success as a Plant Manager, Operations Director, Site Leader, or equivalent executive operations role.
- Deep understanding of continuous improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, value stream transformation, and KPI-driven performance management.
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate plant operations and build actionable strategies for scaling, modernization, and workforce optimization.
- Experience assessing and implementing advanced automation, digital manufacturing tools, and emerging technologies.
- Strong financial acumen: able to connect operational data to P&L impact, EBITDA improvement, and cost structure optimization.
- Able to combine a leadership presence on the plant floor while providing executive-level communication and strategic thinking.
- Experience in high-volume, engineered products, plastics, or similar technical manufacturing environments..
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or related field; MBA preferred.
Important Notes: This position is listed in several nearby locations that are closely aligned with the actual worksite. Relocation assistance is available for the right candidate. Please note that this role is not eligible for remote or hybrid work.