Plant General Manager

KLA Industries, Inc.; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

KLA Industries, Inc. in Lexington, KY seeks a hands-on Plant General Manager to lead a major manufacturing operation. You will drive production, quality, safety, delivery, and cost performance while aligning with customer requirements and company objectives.

The ideal candidate has proven plant leadership, experience with automotive programs, mastery of Lean, Six Sigma, APQP/PPAP, and strong financial management, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Proven experience leading a complex manufacturing plant or major manufacturing operation.
• Demonstrated track record delivering improvements in quality, cost, delivery, safety, productivity, and profitability.
• Working knowledge of automotive quality and launch methodologies, including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, and structured problem-solving.
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Proven experience leading new product and new program launches within an automotive environment.
• Strong understanding of plant-level financial management, budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, motivate, and retain high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, leadership, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for plant operations, including production, quality, engineering, maintenance, materials, safety, delivery, and cost performance.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support company objectives, customer requirements, and long-term business growth.
• Ensure the plant consistently meets or exceeds quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and customer satisfaction objectives.
• Maintain accountability for compliance with ISO standards, customer-specific requirements, and quality systems.
• Drive a culture of quality, customer focus, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and implement continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, problem-solving, standard work, waste reduction, and other methodologies.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and plant performance metrics to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, quality, throughput, cost, and profitability.
• Establish and maintain KPIs and management systems to monitor plant performance and drive accountability.
• Develop, monitor, and manage the plant's annual operating plan, budget, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Maintain accountability for monthly and annual plant P&L results, including cost control, labor efficiency, scrap, overtime, inventory, and productivity.
• Ensure effective response to customer quality issues, warranty concerns, delivery issues, and other customer escalations.
• Provide leadership for new product and new program launches, ensuring successful execution from launch through production.
• Ensure effective execution of automotive launch and quality processes, including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, control plans, and customer requirements.
• Work with engineering, quality, sales, materials, and operations teams to ensure successful launches and ongoing customer support.
• Establish and maintain a safe work environment and compliance with safety policies and regulatory requirements.
• Prepare to respond to plant emergencies, supply disruptions, production interruptions, and other operational challenges.
• Lead, develop, and retain employees while fostering a culture of trust, accountability, teamwork, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Establish performance expectations and hold leadership teams accountable for plant objectives.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide coaching and development as needed.
• Communicate effectively with employees at all levels and promote open communication and accountability.
• Identify and resolve operational, quality, customer, and performance issues.
• Build strong relationships across all functions and with key customers and suppliers.
• Promote a positive, performance-driven culture throughout the facility.

Skills

Leadership

Operational Excellence

Strategic Planning

Problem Solving

Quality Management

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

APQP

PPAP

FMEA

Control Plans

Job description

Plant General Manager

Candidates MUST have proven experience and a demonstrated track record of success leading complex manufacturing operations.

Position Summary

The Plant General Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, operational performance, and financial results of the manufacturing facility. This role provides leadership across production, quality, safety, delivery, cost, engineering, and continuous improvement, ensuring the plant consistently meets or exceeds customer and company expectations.

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, results‑oriented manufacturing leader with demonstrated success leading a complex automotive manufacturing operation. The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of customer requirements, quality systems, Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, financial management, and the demands associated with supporting major automotive customers.

This individual must be capable of building high‑performing teams, driving accountability, solving complex operational problems, and delivering sustainable improvements in quality, cost, delivery, productivity, safety, and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for plant operations, including production, quality, engineering, maintenance, materials, safety, delivery, and cost performance.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support company objectives, customer requirements, and long‑term business growth.
• Ensure the plant consistently meets or exceeds quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and customer satisfaction objectives.
• Maintain overall accountability for compliance with ISO standards, customer‑specific requirements, and applicable quality systems.
• Drive a culture of quality, customer focus, accountability, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
• Lead and implement continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, problem‑solving, standard work, waste reduction, and other operational excellence methodologies.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and plant performance metrics to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, quality, throughput, cost, and profitability.
• Establish and maintain appropriate KPIs and management systems to monitor plant performance and drive accountability.
• Develop, monitor, and manage the plant's annual operating plan, budget, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Maintain accountability for monthly and annual plant P&L results, including cost control, labor efficiency, scrap, overtime, inventory, and productivity.
• Ensure effective response to customer quality issues, warranty concerns, delivery issues, and other customer escalations.
• Provide leadership and oversight for new product and new program launches, ensuring successful execution from launch through production.
• Ensure effective execution of applicable automotive launch and quality processes, including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, control plans, and related customer requirements.
• Work closely with corporate and plant‑level engineering, quality, sales, materials, and operations teams to ensure successful program launches and ongoing customer support.
• Establish and maintain a safe work environment while ensuring compliance with company safety policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the organization is prepared to effectively respond to plant emergencies, supply disruptions, production interruptions, and other operational challenges.
• Lead, develop, and retain employees while fostering a culture of trust, accountability, teamwork, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold leadership teams accountable for achieving plant objectives.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide coaching, development, and corrective direction when necessary.
• Communicate effectively with employees at all levels of the organization and create an environment of open communication and accountability.
• Proactively identify and resolve operational, quality, customer, employee, and performance issues.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships across all functional areas of the organization and with key customers and suppliers.
• Promote a positive, professional, and performance‑driven culture throughout the facility.

Education & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Proven experience successfully leading a complex manufacturing plant or major manufacturing operation.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable improvements in quality, cost, delivery, safety, productivity, and profitability.
• Working knowledge of automotive quality and launch methodologies, including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, Control Plans, and structured problem‑solving.
• Strong background and working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Proven experience leading new product and new program launches within an automotive manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of plant‑level financial management, budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, motivate, and retain high‑performing teams.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively delegate responsibility while maintaining accountability for results.
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, high‑accountability automotive manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing quality, safety, delivery, productivity, and cost systems.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong automotive supplier experience
• Proven plant leadership and P&L ownership
• A track record of operational improvement and turnaround
• Strong Lean/continuous improvement expertise
• Experience with automotive launches and customer requirements
• Exceptional people leadership and team development
• A strong sense of urgency, accountability, and ownership
• The strongest candidates will have a history of taking full ownership of complex automotive manufacturing operations and consistently delivering sustainable improvements in plant performance, customer satisfaction, and profitability.