Director of Manufacturing Operations

Plastic Executive Recruiters; Indiana; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Plastic Executive Recruiters seeks a Director of Manufacturing Operations for a hands-on leadership role in a multi-shift plastics facility in Indiana. The position emphasizes improving safety, quality, productivity, and delivery while developing leaders and strengthening manufacturing systems.

The role requires extensive plastics experience, plant leadership across functions, and a strong track record in Lean and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Progressive plant leadership experience within plastics manufacturing.
• Experience leading an entire facility or multiple functions (Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, or Supply Chain).
• Hands-on leadership in a multi-shift environment.
• Proven track record of Lean/manufacturing improvement.
• Experience managing KPIs (safety, quality, productivity, scrap, downtime, labor, cost, delivery).
• Experience developing manufacturing managers and supervisors.
• Knowledge of budgets, cost control, capital planning, and P&L management.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations in a multi-shift plastics manufacturing facility.
• Maintain a visible presence on the production floor and work with manufacturing leaders.
• Lead and develop manufacturing managers, supervisors, and production teams.
• Improve safety, quality, productivity, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, throughput, cost, and delivery.
• Establish manufacturing KPIs, operating expectations, and accountability systems.
• Lead Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving initiatives.
• Improve production planning, scheduling, workflow, capacity utilization, and resource allocation.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, Sales, and Finance.
• Evaluate automation, equipment improvements, capacity needs, and capital investments.
• Participate in budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and operational planning.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Multi-shift operations

KPIs management

Operational improvements

People development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Financially strong and growing plastics manufacturer is looking for a hands-on Director of Manufacturing Operations to lead a multi-shift production facility.

This is not a turnaround assignment. The operation is established and successful, with an opportunity to strengthen manufacturing systems, develop leaders, improve performance, and prepare the business for continued growth.

Direct plastics manufacturing experience is required. Extrusion is preferred, although candidates with substantial leadership experience in injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, compounding, converting, or another plastics process will be considered.

What You’ll Do

• Lead day-to-day operations within a multi-shift plastics manufacturing facility.
• Maintain a visible presence on the production floor and work directly with manufacturing leaders and employees.
• Lead and develop manufacturing managers, supervisors, and production teams.
• Improve safety, quality, productivity, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, throughput, cost, and delivery.
• Establish manufacturing KPIs, operating expectations, and accountability systems.
• Lead Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving initiatives.
• Improve production planning, scheduling, workflow, capacity utilization, and resource allocation.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, Sales, and Finance.
• Evaluate automation, equipment improvements, capacity needs, and capital investments.
• Participate in budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and operational planning.

What We’re Looking For

• Progressive plant leadership experience within plastics manufacturing.
• Experience leading an entire facility or multiple functions such as Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, or Supply Chain.
• Hands-on leadership experience within a multi-shift manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success improving manufacturing performance through Lean and continuous improvement.
• Experience managing operational KPIs involving safety, quality, productivity, scrap, downtime, labor, cost, and delivery.
• Experience developing manufacturing managers and supervisors.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing budgets, cost control, capital planning, and operational P&L.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical or scientific discipline.

Keywords: Director of Operations | Manufacturing Director | Plant Manager | Operations Director | VP Operations | Plastics Manufacturing | Plastic Extrusion | Profile Extrusion | Custom Extrusion | Custom Manufacturing | Process Manufacturing | Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement | Operational P&L | | Manufacturing Leadership