Plant Leader

Hunter Recruiting; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter Recruiting seeks a Site Leader for a 24/7 continuous manufacturing facility in Minnesota. The role oversees safety, quality, maintenance, budgets and employee development, with ~130 staff under 6 direct reports. You will drive TPM-based improvements, cross-functional coordination and sustainability initiatives.

You will shape the plant strategy, lead talent development, manage costs, and ensure alignment with corporate goals while fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in engineering, business or related field.
• 7–10 years of plant management or manufacturing experience.
• Experience in a continuous manufacturing environment preferred.
• Proven ability to manage 130+ employees in a 24/7 operation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee safety, environmental, quality, maintenance and budgets.
• Lead plant workforce and direct 6 direct reports and 130+ employees.
• Develop and execute plant strategy, goals, capital plans and TPM deployment.
• Promote zero-defect culture and drive continuous improvement in safety, quality and productivity.
• Coordinate with remote leadership to align goals and objectives.
• Grow talent, succession planning and leadership development.
• Manage external relationships with suppliers, contractors and sites.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Conflict Resolution

Culture Change

Continuous Improvement

Problem Solving

Strategic Thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

The Site Leader is fully responsible for all aspects of the continuous manufacturing site. They are ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of safety, environmental, quality, maintenance, employee morale, budgets, hiring & training of employees, reviewing production metrics, and coordinating with remote leadership to insure alignment with goals and objectives.

People Leader; Leads salary and primary plant workforce at the site (Approx 6 direct reports and total employee count of 130+) This is a 24/7 continuous manufacturing environment and requires leadership systems in place to support our employees to meet the business needs.

Job Responsibilities:

Developing and Executing Plant Business Strategy:

• Foster an inclusive work environment that aligns with company vision and values.
• Develop and implement the plant's vision and strategy, including setting annual goals, planning capital investments, and executing strategic initiatives.
• Cultivate talent at all organizational levels, preparing future leaders.
• Create succession plans for both primary and salaried positions.
• Promote a zero-loss culture through the execution of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), continuously improving safety, quality, material conversion, and manufacturing costs/productivity through TPM pillars and TPM strategy deployment.
• Ensure effective coordination, planning, communication, and cooperation among all plant functions, suppliers, vendors, contractors, and other locations.
• Act as a steward of sustainability and ensure environmental compliance.
• Enhance company brand by actively participating in local business organizations and community outreach programs.

Knowing Our Customers:

• Cultivate a culture committed to achieving the realistic goal of zero defects for our customers.
• Enhance our quality systems and service to deliver a customer experience that builds strong relationships.
• Maintain open communication between the facility, sales teams, and customers.
• Address customer quality and service concerns promptly and effectively.

Directing Operations:

• Provide effective vision, leadership, and direction to plant personnel, fostering a work environment where employees feel pride and ownership, and are committed to the organization's goals.
• Deploy effective employee relations practices to engage staff and enhance job satisfaction.
• Control and reduce operating costs by identifying opportunities to enhance efficiencies, streamline processes, and leverage resources.
• Drive sustained revenue growth through increased productivity and volume leverage.
• Enhance product and service quality to meet business objectives.
• Ensure environmental controls are in place and identify year-over-year improvements in sustainability.
• Manage projects to support improvement initiatives and facility upkeep.

Leading and Developing Talent:

• Lead transformative cultural change to drive value creation and innovation, fostering an inclusive environment that attracts and engages a diverse workforce.
• Create and sustain a culture of talent development through effective performance management and talent evaluation.
• Ensure effective staffing by hiring competent individuals and balancing internal and external talent to meet both short-term and long-term succession needs.
• Invest in the growth and development of high-potential talent.
• Build and support a cohesive, high-performance leadership team that drives the success of the plant’s operations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in engineering, business or a related field.
• Minimum 7-10 years of related plant management or manufacturing experience.
• Experience in a continuous manufacturing process environment preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing a group of over 130 employees, in a 24-hour operation in a manufacturing environment.
• TPM leadership experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong leadership, communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Exhibits strong community relations and the ability to lead through community complaints
• Demonstrated results in managing culture change and driving a culture of customer focus.
• Demonstrated continuous improvement implementation and leadership skills.
• Leads through integrity. A strong mindset of organizational stewardship with a curiosity mindset.
• Strong intellect with ability to combine analytical reasoning, creativity and judgment.
• Able to create change and handle complex matters with multiple initiatives going on simultaneously. Able to deal effectively with strategic issues as well as tactical operational details.
• Customer orientation. Has an external perspective and understanding that all business opportunities start with knowledge of how to create value for the customer.
• Translates strategies into actionable operating plans; quickly overcomes barriers and adapts plans to ensure goal attainment through a foundation in DMS processes.
• Has the ability to adapt to different personalities and can effectively lead for the best outcomes.
• Demonstrates good problem-solving at all levels through DMS, TPA, A3, QC story, Etc.