Manufacturing Plant Manager

6AM City, LLC; Illinois; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

VantagePoint Alliance (VPA) is seeking a Plant Manager – Lean Manufacturing & ERP Transformation to lead all day-to-day manufacturing operations and drive operational excellence across the facility.

Reporting directly to the CEO, this role will own safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and continuous improvement while guiding the organization through the Global Shop Solutions ERP implementation and digital transformation.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years progressive manufacturing experience.
• At least 3 years in a Plant Manager or similar leadership role.
• Proven Lean Manufacturing implementation experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations and meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost goals.
• Drive Lean initiatives, value stream mapping, and waste reduction across the plant.
• Oversee the ERP implementation of Global Shop Solutions and drive user adoption.
• Coordinate change management and training for supervisors and staff.
• Establish KPI-driven daily management and report to executives.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Change Management

ERP Implementation

Leadership

KPI Development

Value Stream Mapping

Kaizen

OSHA Compliance

Digital Transformation

Tools

Global Shop Solutions (GSS)

Job description

Job Description

Position Summary

VantagePoint Alliance (VPA) is seeking a Plant Manager – Lean Manufacturing & ERP Transformation to lead all day-to-day manufacturing operations while driving operational excellence throughout the facility.

Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will be responsible for plant performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, and Continuous Improvement while leading the organization through the implementation of the Global Shop Solutions (GSS) ERP system.

This position requires a proven manufacturing leader who combines strong operational execution with Lean Manufacturing expertise, change management, and the ability to successfully guide employees through digital transformation.

The successful candidate will serve as the operational quarterback for the GSS implementation, working closely with executive leadership, department supervisors, and the GSS implementation team to modernize plant operations and position the organization for long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Leadership

• Provide overall leadership for daily manufacturing operations.
• Lead production supervisors and manufacturing personnel to consistently achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives.
• Establish clear performance expectations while developing accountability throughout the organization.
• Foster a culture centered on safety, operational excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain compliance with OSHA regulations and company safety policies.
• Develop supervisors through coaching, mentoring, and leadership development.
• Ensure production schedules are achieved while maintaining product quality and customer commitments.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives throughout the facility.
• Conduct value stream mapping and process analysis to identify opportunities for increased throughput and reduced waste.
• Identify production bottlenecks, rework, excessive downtime, and inefficiencies.
• Lead Kaizen events focused on setup reduction, workflow optimization, scheduling improvements, and labor efficiency.
• Develop and maintain standardized work instructions and visual management systems.
• Perform time studies and validate labor standards.
• Improve inventory management practices and support Just-in-Time manufacturing principles.
• Analyze maintenance trends and implement corrective actions to improve equipment reliability.
• Establish KPI-driven daily management systems and lead weekly Operational Pulse meetings with supervisors.

ERP Implementation & Digital Transformation

• Serve as the operational leader for the implementation of the Global Shop Solutions (GSS) ERP platform.
• Partner with the GSS implementation team to successfully deploy the ERP system throughout manufacturing operations.
• Lead organizational change management and promote employee adoption of new technologies and processes.
• Coordinate ERP training for supervisors and production personnel.
• Validate bills of material, routings, labor reporting, inventory transactions, scheduling logic, and production data prior to implementation.
• Transition manufacturing operations from paper-based documentation to standardized digital workflows.
• Support implementation of shop floor technologies including barcode scanning, tablets, digital workstations, and electronic production reporting.
• Ensure ERP data integrity to improve scheduling accuracy, inventory control, labor reporting, and operational decision-making.

Operational Performance & Business Metrics

Develop and monitor key performance indicators including:

• Safety
• Quality
• On-Time Delivery
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Throughput
• Labor Efficiency
• Inventory Accuracy
• Scrap & Rework Reduction
• Downtime
• Cost Performance

Provide regular operational updates to executive leadership and collaborate with finance on labor productivity, inventory valuation, and manufacturing cost improvements.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing experience
• Minimum 3 years leading manufacturing operations as a Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager, or similar leadership role
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufactu