Plant Manager

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Promote safety awareness, monitor safety programs and trends and ensure adherence to safety and procedure.
• Drive plant stability, maintaining standards, repeatable processes, consistent equipment performance, stable environmental conditions, and people retention.
• Ensure manufacturing capabilities meet or exceed all customer requirements for cost, quality, and responsiveness.
• Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs): Utilize advanced data analytics and KPIs to monitor plant performance, lead corrective actions to address underperforming areas.
• Continuous Improvement Leadership: Champion Lean manufacturing initiatives (e.g., 6S, Kaizen, LSW, PDCAs, Gemba, VSM, SMED, Process Capability, etc.) to identify inefficiencies, reduce waste, and streamline production processes.
• Passionately drive continuous improvement culture.
• Perform Annual Reviews for all direct reports.
• Promote team development by building a high-performance culture. Hire, coach, and mentor staff to build organizational capability, ensuring all employees understand and adhere to Lean processes and safety protocols and enhance employee engagement.
• Communicate effectively with site leaders, managers, and customers.
• Assist in developing short- and long-term strategies to reduce costs.
• Participate in and provide support for strategic projects.
• Implement strategies in alignment with strategic initiatives and provide a clear sense of direction and focus.
• Promote quality standards and initiatives and oversee Root Cause Analysis, as needed.
• Administer established policies for performance management, staffing, training, employee relations, and compensation management.
• Work closely with production for daily and weekly scheduling to optimize plant performance.
• Assist with prioritizing engineering, maintenance and production improvement projects.
• Perform related responsibilities as required or directed.
• As a key leader at Teknor Apex, model the right leadership behaviors that align with our Core Values and build relationships and collaboration across the shift, other shifts and cross functionally.
• Model, promote and uphold our Core Values (Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Safety, Sustainability, Innovation & Partnership).
• Follow Leader Standard Work principles to maintain process discipline, drive continuous improvement, and support team accountability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as a key liaison between manufacturing, engineering, sales, supply chain, technical (R&D), and procurement to synchronize planning and resolve operational issues.

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably Engineering.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in plant leadership, Plant Manager role preferred.
• Vinyl, compounding, or extrusion experience preferred.
• Must be able to evaluate complex situations, balancing production efficiencies with available equipment and assets.

• Strong proficiency in Lean manufacturing tools and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience leading LEAN initiatives such as LSW, SMED, Kaizen, Rapid PDCA, VSM, Continuous Improvement, required
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable operational strategies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel, and knowledge in or ability to quickly learn other computer applications.
• Be knowledgeable of safety, quality, and productivity processes.
• Ability to create accountability and to lead by example.
• Strong team building, decision-making and people management skills.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.   
• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards   
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, squat, bend, twist and turn as needed to perform the job.   
• Must be able to climb ladders and stairs multiple times throughout the shift.  
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds.  
• Must be able to wear required safety equipment.