Plant Manager

Reports to: CEO

Come join our well-established company conveniently located near the 5 and 78 freeways in Oceanside, CA., that offers a fun, casual dress work environment, excellent health, dental and vision insurance, a 401k with company match.  American Innotek is a thriving manufacturing organization committed to providing outstanding customer service with 100% on time delivery and loyal customers.

Position Summary

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Plant Manager to lead daily operations at our manufacturing facility. This role is ideal for a hands-on, results-driven leader with a passion for operational excellence, team development, and continuous improvement. You’ll be responsible for managing all aspects of plant performance—including production, safety, quality, engineering, and cost control—while driving a culture of accountability, performance, and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Direct all plant operations, aligning with company goals to ensure productivity, quality, and efficiency.
• Foster a culture of ownership, motivation, and high performance across all departments.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to develop strategic goals and execute long-term operational plans.
• Lead and mentor supervisors and cross-functional teams to meet production goals, maintain morale, and uphold a safe working environment.

Operations Management

• Oversee daily production activities, ensuring all processes run efficiently and on schedule.
• Analyze KPIs and production data to identify trends, drive performance, and implement process improvements.
• Lead plant-wide initiatives focused on quality improvement, cost reduction, and lean manufacturing.
• Coordinate closely with purchasing, engineering, and distribution teams to support seamless operations.

Engineering and Automation

·        We are a company who have designed and built custom manufacturing machines.

·        Support and guide the production and engineering efforts to design custom machines

·        Projects Support the Manufacturing Engineer, who is also the safety officer, and responsible for machine maintenance and facilities 

·        Understand and use CAD systems (Solid works experience preferred)

·        Have sufficient knowledge to support Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC)

·        Drive continuous process improvement and Lean Manufacturing

·        Understand and support the mechanics, pneumatics, and electronics required to optimize production

·        Have experience managing engineers to complete automation

Quality & Compliance

• Implement and monitor quality control procedures to meet customer specifications and regulatory standards.
• Support and manage document control including generation of ECOs, customer complaints and corrective action requests.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and other safety standards by developing robust safety programs, conducting audits, and driving training initiatives.

Financial & Resource Management

• Develop and manage plant budgets, focusing on cost containment and resource optimization.
• Partner with accounting on forecasting, budget planning, and financial performance tracking.
• Identify and implement efficiency opportunities to improve profitability and resource utilization.

Facility & Engineering Oversight

• Lead plant engineering initiatives, maintenance, and facilities management to ensure optimal equipment performance and infrastructure reliability.

Daily & Monthly Duties

• Maintain clear visibility into daily plant performance through operational dashboards and reporting.
• Monitor and adjust production schedules as needed to meet demand and reduce bottlenecks.
• Conduct performance reviews, train team members, and provide regular coaching to drive development.
• Build strong relationships with internal teams, suppliers, and external partners to support operational success.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field
• 5-7 years of progressive leadership experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment
• Strong knowledge of operations functions: production, QA/QC, purchasing, maintenance, and safety
• Proven ability to build high-performing teams and manage complex manufacturing processes
• Demonstrated success in driving continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and cost reduction strategies
• Familiarity with OSHA and regulatory compliance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in budget planning, forecasting, and financial analysis
• Experience in ERP systems and Microsoft dynamics preferred. 
• Strong technical aptitude with hands-on experience in quality and inspection tools (calipers, micrometers, tape measures)
• Bi-lingual in Spanish preferred

Key Skills

• Leadership & Team Development
• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement
• Communication & Cross-Functional Collaboration

 Physical Requirements 

·        Ability to stand for long hours. 

·        Lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds. 

·        Pushing, Twisting, or Pulling. 

·        Must be physically capable of wearing a respirator

Pay Range $115k - 125K

If you’re a strong leader with a hands-on approach and a passion for operational excellence, we’d love to hear from you.