Plant General Manager

KIK Consumer Products; Salem (VA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement match

Education assistance

Job summary

KIK Consumer Products is seeking a Plant General Manager for Household to lead a multi-product facility with a strong focus on safety, quality, and cost control. You will own the production plan, drive continuous improvement, and manage a high-performing team across manufacturing and support functions.

The role requires a technical degree, 10+ years in manufacturing, and proven leadership. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits are offered, with a base salary range highlighted in the job

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in a technical field and 10+ years of manufacturing experience.
• 5+ years of direct people leadership in a manufacturing setting.
• Demonstrated managerial experience in a complex vertically integrated operation.

Responsibilities

• Champion a high-performance plant culture with safety as the top priority.
• Drive operational excellence with disciplined production and regulatory compliance.
• Own the production plan in partnership with Household Supply Chain.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce complexity.
• Attract, hire, and develop plant leadership and production talent.

Skills

Safety leadership

People leadership

Operations management

Lean manufacturing

P&L / budgeting

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in a Technical field

Tools

ERP systems (JDE/SAP)

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

We Create Products and Brands That People Trust to Clean, Sanitize, and Protect Their Homes and Pools

When you join KIK Consumer Products, you’re joining a team that cares about the work we do and also about each other. We bring exceptional brands and products to consumers that help them protect the health and wellness of their families and the cleanliness of their homes and pools. We are committed to building a culture of performance driven by accountability, collaboration, and agility that enables timely fact-based decision-making and exceptional execution with unwavering ethics. As one of North America’s largest independent manufacturers of consumer products, KIK helps a large portfolio of brands and retailers bring their products to life.

Your Role at KIK

The Plant General Manager for Household will be accountable for the successful operation of a multi-product manufacturing facility (bleach, laundry, window wash, and/or cleaners) with an annual throughput of 3-15 million bottles. Reporting to the Household Director of Operations, the Plant General Manager will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a robust operating model and positive winning culture centered around safety, employee engagement, productivity, reliability and quality while meeting throughput and conversion cost per unit expectations. The individual will drive continuous improvement performance through clear vision and direction, team cohesion, empowerment, active engagement across the facility and strong accountability.

What You’ll Do

Champion a High-Performance Plant Culture

• Role model and reinforce the One KIK culture of safety, integrity, quality, collaboration, transparency, and accountability
• Drive safety as the #1 priority throughout the plant
• Foster a culture of teamwork, engagement, and ownership, ensuring employees have clear direction, communication, recognition, and accountability for results
• Create a positive and sustainable work environment that enhances engagement, retention, and tenure through leadership, communication, and scheduling practices
• Be a visible, hands-on leader on the plant floor, connecting regularly with employees through daily presence, 1:1s, roundtables, and town halls
• Monitor and act on employee engagement and turnover metrics, addressing root causes quickly and effectively

Drive Operational Excellence

• Lead a disciplined operating cadence across production and warehousing, ensuring alignment with business plans and priorities
• Ensure full regulatory compliance with OSHA, EPA, DHS, and other environmental and safety standards
• Own the production plan in partnership with the Household Supply Chain organization
• Establish and manage clear performance metrics (KPIs) to drive operational, financial, and quality outcomes
• Partner with the Plant Controller to manage the P&L, budget, and key cost drivers to achieve financial targets
• Deliver budgeted manufacturing volumes and conversion costs per unit, supporting company financial commitments
• Maintain equipment reliability through timely repairs and proactive preventive maintenance (PM) programs
• Achieve world-class quality and service, targeting a 98%+ on-time fill rate with zero quality withdrawals or recalls
• Align shift structures and staffing to meet production needs while promoting engagement and compliance
• Identify and manage capital (CAPEX) projects, ensuring timely implementation and ROI realization
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency, reduce complexity, and enhance operational agility

Build and Develop Talent

• Attract, hire, and develop exceptional plant leadership and production talent to drive long-term success
• Assess and align talent with organizational needs, ensuring right people, right roles, right results
• Manage headcount planning to meet forecasted production demands
• Actively participate in hiring processes for key plant positions, ensuring timely decisions and strong candidate experiences
• Ensure robust onboarding and training programs to enable early success and sustained performance
• Drive a culture of performance accountability with measurable goals and KPIs
• Identify and develop high-potential employees, establishing growth and succession plans
• Promote career pathing and skill development across the plant to support engagement and retention
• Hold leaders accountable for managing performance decisively and fairly, addressing underperformance promptly

Collaborate Across the Organization with Stakeholders

• Partner effectively with Senior Leadership, EHS, HR, Quality, Engineering, and Distribution/Transportation teams
• Maintain open, transparent communication to align on shared goals and resolve issues collaboratively
• Influence and gain buy-in on strategic priorities across multiple stakeholders
• Build trust and credibility at all levels - from front-line employees to senior executives and external partners

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s Degree in a Technical field preferred, and 10 plus years of experience in manufacturing.
• 5 plus years of direct people leadership experience.
• Demonstrated managerial experience in a manufacturing setting.
• Ability to manage a complex vertically integrated operation.
• A transformational leader with the ability to drive an engaged culture across a manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem-solving, negotiating, and decision-making skills with the proven ability to manage complex situations
• Proficiency with computers, including the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and ERP systems such as JDE/SAP
• Ability to analyze and interpret financial data and speak to variances on a daily & monthly basis
• Strong interpersonal skills, collaborative leadership style, and the ability to interface at all levels of the organization, including front-line employees, plant leaders, BU leadership, and senior leadership
• Leads and demonstrates the ability to hold the organization to a high standard of ethics and integrity
• Experience in Chemical process engineering preferred
• Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing or 5S experience preferred

What You Will Get

KIK offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits including health, wellness, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance. You can plan for your future with KIK's retirement savings options including employer match. KIK also recognizes the importance of continuing education and offers Education Assistance to our employees to encourage continued personal development and growth.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. This position has a base salary range of $185,000 – 200,000 plus eligibility for an annual incentive bonus. The actual salary may vary based upon several factors including your relevant skills and experience.

About KIK

We create the products and brands that people trust to clean, sanitize, and protect their homes and pools. We are one of North America’s largest independent consumer product manufacturers with 16 North American manufacturing facilities. We also operate globally in Canada, Europe, South Africa, and Australia. We are known for our portfolio of notable brands including Spic and Span® and Comet® cleaning products, Clorox® Pool&Spa™ (under license), BioGuard®, and Natural Chemistry® pool chemicals. We are also the #1 producer in North America of store-brand bleach and a leading private-label provider of laundry detergent and additives, dishwashing products, general-purpose cleaning, and other home care products.

Our global team of over 2,300 employees drives our capabilities in product development, product formulation, strategic sourcing, manufacturing, packaging design, brand marketing, project management, quality assurance, compliance, distribution, and logistics.

Our organization is constantly evolving and is driven by a set of “One KIK” values – a dedication to following through on commitments in a customer-focused, profit-motivated way; while never compromising on safety, ethics, or integrity.

KIK is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. KIK does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or uniformed services status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information or any other status protected by law.

KIK is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application, or interview process, or to perform the essential functions of the job, please contact Human Resources immediately.

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