Area Leader, Plant

3M HEALTHCARE; Orrville (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

3M HEALTHCARE in Orrville, OH is seeking an Area Leader to oversee a critical production area on a 24/7 schedule. You will lead safety, quality, and reliability, translate priorities into action, and remove barriers for your teams.

You will manage a team of 36 hourly technicians across 3 shifts, drive process improvements with engineers and maintenance, and develop leaders while ensuring on-time delivery and scorecard goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; engineering concentration preferred.
• Minimum 1 year of manufacturing experience.
• Strong troubleshooting skills.
• Minimum 1 year of people-management experience in an operations environment.
• Knowledge of process safety and manufacturing safety protocols.
• Experience leading teams in food, beverage, or pharmaceuticals is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of 36 hourly technicians across 3 shifts and support a department that runs a 24/5 operating schedule.
• Own the safety, quality, and reliability of a production line across all shifts.
• Manage 3 team leaders and multiple functional leaders on the teams.
• Plan and execute the team’s work plans.
• Hold team accountable to individual and team responsibilities.
• Direct engineering projects from conception through completion.
• Act as a key member of the department leadership team.
• Work closely with managers, plant engineering, and technicians to solve problems and improve the department.
• Identify losses and develop plans and strategies to eliminate losses in safety, quality, reliability, and cost.
• Develop technician skills within the department, from new hires to team leaders.
• Work with a process engineer and maintenance coordinators to improve production results.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Troubleshooting

Safety compliance

Process improvement

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

Your Opportunity as the Area Leader This is a high‑visibility, hands‑on leadership opportunity where you’ll directly influence the day‑to‑day performance of a critical production area. As the Area Leader, you’ll set the standard for safety, quality, and reliability across all shifts—translating priorities into action, removing barriers for your teams, and ensuring the line delivers consistently in a fast‑paced 24/7 operation.

Location: Orrville, OH

Work Arrangements: 100% onsite

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of 36 hourly technicians across 3 shifts and support a department that runs a 24/5 operating schedule.
• Own the safety, quality, and reliability of a production line across all shifts.
• Manage 3 team leaders and multiple functional leaders on the teams.
• Plan and execute the team’s work plans.
• Hold team accountable to individual and team responsibilities.
• Direct engineering projects from conception through completion.
• Act as a key member of the department leadership team.
• Work closely with managers, plant engineering, and technicians to solve problems and improve the department.
• Identify losses and develop plans and strategies to eliminate losses in the areas of safety, quality, reliability, and cost.
• Develop technician skills within the department, from new hires all the way up to team leaders.
• Work closely with a process engineer and maintenance coordinators to improve the results of the production lines.
• Provide support throughout other parts of the plant as needed on a daily basis.
• Own a safety key element for the plant.
• Achieve and improve scorecard results for the department.
• Act as a safety role model at all times.
• Monitor progress of technician’s step‑up cards.
• Meet or exceed process reliability targets.
• Demonstrate strong organizational, planning, critical thinking, and problem‑solving skills.
• Educate teams effectively through presentation, verbal and written communication.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is required; concentration in engineering is preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of manufacturing experience.
• Strong troubleshooting skills required.
• Minimum of 1 year of people‑management experience in an operations environment.
• Knowledge of process safety and manufacturing safety protocols.
• Knowledge of mechanical and maintenance processes.
• Experience managing, leading, and influencing teams.
• Experience in food, beverage, or pharmaceuticals is preferred.

Additional Skills and Experience

• Willingness to work a schedule that most effectively supports the organization (e.g., beginning at 6:00am for Daily Direction Setting meetings).
• Ability to work with manufacturing leadership, technicians, engineers, equipment manufacturers, vendors, and construction/equipment contractors.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to train technicians and explain difficult technical material in an understandable and executable fashion.
• Flexibility to work off‑shift shifts as needed to support production.
• Perform duties in a safe manner at all times.

The Right Place for You: We are bold, kind, and strive to do the right thing. We play to win and believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, supporting every employee through physical, emotional, and financial needs.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status.