Position Summary:

This person will report to the Plant Manager. Direct and manage plant operations with overall responsibilities for production, quality and other production related activities. This position requires that the Production Manager to spend a significant amount of time on the production floor. In doing so, he/she will work with direct reports to uncover opportunities for process improvement, improved downtime, reduce waste, cost reduction and quality enhancements all in a safe manner. In short, this individual must develop future leaders off the floor by mentoring developing and challenging them and teaching the basics of: Downtime identification/problem solving and the leadership and know-how on how to train our floor leaders on leading change on the floor..

Essential Functions & Key Responsibilities:

Function: Plant Management

• Commit to overall safety of the plant and procedures.
• Plan, organize, direct and run optimum day-to-day operations to exceed our customers’ expectations.
• Increase production, assets capacity, reducing waste and flexibility while minimizing unnecessary costs and maintaining current quality standards – increase uptime and focus across all extruding and converting lines.
• Be responsible for production output, product quality, reducing waste and schedule adherence.
• Development of the Production Supervisors in their leadership, operational and technical skills with the goal of developing them into the best players at their level and identifying any to assume greater responsibilities.
• Allocate resources effectively and fully utilize assets to produce optimal results.
• Implement strategies in alignment with strategic Division initiatives providing a clear sense of direction and focus for production employees. 
• Monitor operations and trigger corrective actions.
• Share a trusting relationship with work group and recruit, manage and develop the plant staff. Provide leadership and drive training initiatives for all plant employees. Develop future talent by coaching and mentoring direct reports.
• Collect and analyze data to find areas of waste or overtime and implement an improvement process.
• Develop systems and processes that track and optimize productivity and standards, metrics, and performance targets to ensure effective return on assets, quality and safety.
• Participate in monitoring, managing and controlling expenses throughout the year.
• Perform strategic thinking and actively participate in plant and company processes.
• Conduct meetings with employees to communicate company goals, objectives, initiatives and progress to date.
• Build and retain a “customer focused” environment; including internal and external customers.
• Adhere to all plant Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), operating procedures (SOPs). Manage, drive and oversee continuous improvement programs.
• Communicate the needs of all production operations functions to the Plant Manager and or Regional Manager and Management team on an as needed basis.
• Develop and analyze new methods of reducing/avoiding costs, improving products and innovation assuring a safe working environment.
• Create a departmental vision and translate into action items with specific completion dates and delegation of responsibilities to appropriate direct reports.

Safety

Ensure Plant Operations meets or exceeds all safety goals by:

• Understanding, communicating and ensuring compliance with all Safety protocols/OSHA standards. i.e. lockout tag out etc.
• Participating on the Management Safety Team or assisting Plant Safety Committee 
• Promoting safety as a key strategic initiative for Plant Operations and providing direction to the plant.
• Holding Plant Operations managers and Supervisors accountable to meeting their safety expectations and the expectations of their direct reports.
• Acting as a role model and setting the example for working safely.
• Proactively drive continuous improvement for safety throughout all of Plant Operations.

Candidate Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, engineering or a related field preferred or equivalent experience or, a
• minimum of 3 to 5 years related experience and or training in a plastics manufacturing environment
• Extrusion, plastic bag converting, paper converting experience is a plus but not required.
• Proven technical and leadership ability to utilize structured problem solving to deliver results
• Demonstrated competence to work with minimal supervision effectively at all levels within the organization
• Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels of the organization
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, with the willingness to learn new systems.
• Superior problem-solving and coaching capabilities
• Ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization
• Ability to create accountability and to lead by example
• Strong team building, decision making and people management skills.
• Adequate knowledge of business and management principles (budgeting, strategic planning, resource allocation and human resources)
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents and statistical information
• Request and/or build computer generated reports that measure and track performance of one or more departments
• Exceptional organizational, priority setting and time management skills
• Excellent written and oral communications skills

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from employees, managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS 

Ability to work with mathematical concepts and ease of numbers.

REASONING ABILITY 

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in written and in a diagram form.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

The individual must have a working knowledge of the following:

• Equipment design and capabilities that can be translated into efficient operation.  This also supports the supervisor's role of teacher and trainer for his/her personnel.
• Cost issues in order to make daily decisions that will reduce overall costs and will help the supervisor find areas that require improvement.
• Budget development, adherence and analysis.
• Quality standards.
• Regulatory requirements including but not limited to wage and hour requirements, environmental and waste minimization, company policies, and personnel requirements including OSHA, DEQ and EEO.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit.  The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee should be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT  

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts.  The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions.  The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; and vibration.  The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Qualifications:

Pratt Industries is America's 5th largest paper and packaging company with more than 9,000 highly skilled green collar employees dedicated to the environment and sustainability. Pratt Industries is one of the largest corrugated packaging companies in America, with sophisticated manufacturing facilities in more than twenty states. The company operates several of the most modern, cost effective paper mills in the country, as well as a series of sheet and box plants strategically placed throughout the United States offering a wide range of creative packaging solutions. Pratt Industries is committed to recycling and the environment by harvesting the urban forest.

Pratt Industries offers competitive compensation plans with full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, All State, Pre-Paid Legal, and 401(k) with company match, paid vacation, paid holidays, and childbearing and parental leave.