PLANT MANAGER

Soprema; Woodstock; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SOPREMA is seeking a Plant Manager for our Woodstock, Ontario site. The role leads a ~30-person, 24/5 operation, guiding safety, quality, production, and cost objectives while driving technology integration and team autonomy.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will manage production, maintenance, quality, logistics and material supply, ensuring reliable equipment and consistent product quality. Travel to sister plants is expected.

Qualifications

• Engineering or related degree required or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience and educational mix considered for senior roles.

Responsibilities

• Translate site objectives into operating plans and measurable targets for safety, quality, production, delivery, equipment reliability and costs; review results and drive corrective actions.
• Ensure health, safety and environmental requirements are met with preventive actions.
• Lead integration of new technologies with project teams and ensure safe start-up and training.
• Execute production ramp-up plans and coordinate actions across functions.
• Monitor OPEX budget and value-added cost per unit; justify funding requests.
• Drive continuous improvement in productivity, quality, losses and energy use.
• Coordinate production and maintenance priorities to improve equipment availability.
• Manage labour hours and organize teams within budgets and policies; justify recruitment needs.
• Set expectations, coach managers and develop team autonomy; establish coverage and routines.
• Work with Quality Manager to maintain process control and resolve non-conformities.
• Coordinate logistics and site material planning to support volumes and shipments.
• Identify and justify improvement and investment needs; support approved projects.
• Collaborate with corporate functions and sister plants to resolve issues and share practices.

Skills

Hands-on leadership

Change leadership

Employee relations

Delegation & coaching

Communication

Problem solving

Values alignment

Education

Engineering/Operations/Business degree

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Job description

YOUR ROLE IN OUR TEAM

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Plant Manager leads a non-unionized site of approximately 30 employees operating 24 hours a day, five days a week. The priority is to successfully integrate technological changes, achieve target production volumes and develop team autonomy. The Plant Manager coordinates production, maintenance, quality, logistics and material supply, ensuring safe operations, reliable equipment and consistent product quality. The role is accountable for operating costs and the site's value-added cost per unit, while building the organization and capabilities needed to sustain performance.

THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE FOR YOU

• Translate site objectives into operating plans and measurable targets for safety, quality, production volumes, delivery, equipment reliability and costs; review results and drive corrective actions;
• Ensure health, safety and environmental requirements are met; work with the shared H&S resource to identify risks, investigate incidents and follow through on preventive and corrective actions
• Lead the operational integration of new technologies with technical and project teams; ensure safe start-up, training, updated procedures and maintenance readiness;
• Execute the production ramp-up plan; identify bottlenecks, coordinate actions across functions and report progress, risks and resource needs to the Director of Operations;
• Monitor the site OPEX budget and value-added cost per unit; explain variances, implement corrective actions and justify requests for additional funding;
• Drive continuous improvement in productivity, quality, material losses and energy use; measure results and sustain gains through standard work;
• Coordinate production and maintenance priorities to improve equipment availability; strengthen preventive maintenance and eliminate recurring failures;
• Manage labour hours and reorganize teams within approved budgets and company policies; justify recruitment needs and obtain the Director of Operations' approval before finalizing hires, particularly white-collar positions;
• Set clear expectations, coach managers and develop team skills and autonomy; establish shift coverage, management routines and escalation rules suited to 24/5 operations;
• Work with the Quality Manager to maintain process control, resolve non-conformities and ensure products meet requirements;
• Coordinate logistics and site material planning to support increasing volumes, reliable inventories, material availability and timely shipments; collaborate with shared purchasing;
• Identify and justify improvement and investment needs; submit proposals through the company approval process and support implementation of approved projects;
• Collaborate with corporate functions and sister plants to resolve operational issues, share practices and support the site's technological development;
• Keep the Director of Operations informed of site performance and priorities; carry out other related duties as required.

THE SKILLS WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Your education :

• Degree in engineering, operations management, business administration or another relevant field;
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant industrial management experience will be considered.

Your knowledge :

• Five or more years in production or plant management in an automated industrial environment, including managing supervisors or managers; experience with technological change, start-ups or production ramp-ups is a strong asset;
• Strong operational and financial understanding of production, maintenance, quality and logistics;
• Excellent English communication skills; French is an asset.

Skills and Attitudes :

• Solution oriented
• Hands-on leadership and clear accountability for results;
• Emotional intelligence and sound employee relations skills;
• Ability to lead change and build team commitment;
• Ability to delegate, coach managers and develop autonomy;
• Sound judgment, prioritization and composure under pressure;
• Clear written and verbal communication across functions and shifts;
• Structured problem-solving, initiative and financial discipline;
• Demonstrate and promote SOPREMA's values.

Your work conditions:

• On-site role combining regular plant-floor presence and office work;
• Approximately 30 employees in a non-unionized plant operating 24/5;
• Organize leadership coverage and remain available outside regular office hours when operational needs require support;
• Approximately three weeks of travel per year, mainly to sister plants in Quebec and British Columbia;
• Provide the organization and support needed to achieve production and financial objectives.

Your subordinates :

• 1 Production Manager;
• 1 Maintenance Manager;
• 1 Logistics Manager;
• 1 Quality Manager;
• 1 Site Material Planner.