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Plant Manager High-Volume Manufacturing Operations

Strategic Systems IncAkron, OH🇺🇸United StatesPosted 10 Aug 2026

Quick Overview

Work Type
On Site
Level
Mid Senior

Job Description

Plant Manager High-Volume Manufacturing Operations
Employment Type: Permanent | Full-Time
Start Date: Immediately
Experience Level: 5+ years of progressive manufacturing/operations leadership
Schedule: On-site

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead a fast-paced, high-volume manufacturing/processing operation. This position has overall responsibility for safety, quality, production, maintenance, distribution, workforce leadership, cost, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who can improve operational efficiency, develop frontline leadership, strengthen processes, and drive measurable plant performance.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide overall leadership for plant operations and salaried/hourly employees.
  • Lead and develop Operations, Distribution, Maintenance/Engineering, and HR/Safety leadership.
  • Drive performance across safety, quality, production, cost, and customer service.
  • Manage capacity, labor, production schedules, staffing, equipment availability, and distribution.
  • Monitor KPIs including throughput, labor utilization, equipment uptime, order fulfillment, quality, safety, and cost.
  • Identify and resolve production bottlenecks and workflow challenges.
  • Lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives.
  • Apply Root Cause Analysis, Standard Work, and structured problem-solving methods.
  • Improve workflow, material movement, staffing models, production planning, and operational efficiency.
  • Develop supervisors and frontline leaders while maintaining a visible presence on the production floor.
  • Use operational and financial data to identify performance gaps and implement corrective actions.
  • Support companywide process standardization and ISO certification/compliance initiatives.

Must-Have Qualifications

  • 5+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial processing, co-packing, metal processing, automotive, or a comparable high-volume environment.
  • Experience leading a plant, facility, production operation, or major operational function.
  • Proven experience leading managers, supervisors, and hourly employees.
  • Strong high-volume manufacturing/processing experience.
  • Hands-on Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience.
  • Strong knowledge of production planning, labor management, maintenance coordination, safety, and quality.
  • Demonstrated success improving throughput, efficiency, cost, quality, or equipment reliability.
  • Experience implementing Standard Work, Root Cause Analysis, and structured problem-solving.
  • Experience building or standardizing processes within a growing, changing, startup, turnaround, or acquisition-driven environment.
  • Ability to interpret operational and financial data and convert findings into practical actions.
  • Strong leadership, communication, accountability, and decision-making skills.
  • Bachelor s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent plant leadership experience will be considered.

Preferred Experience

  • Tier 2 or Tier 3 automotive manufacturing
  • Metal processing
  • Co-packing
  • High-volume processing operations
  • ISO certification or compliance initiatives
  • Plant startup
  • Plant turnaround
  • Acquisition integration
  • Operational transformation

Don t Apply If

This opportunity may not be the right fit if you lack hands-on plant/operations leadership in a high-volume manufacturing environment, have not directly led managers, supervisors, and hourly employees, or do not have practical Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement experience.

Skills

Continuous Improvement
Lean Manufacturing
Root Cause Analysis

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