Plant Leader: Lean Ops, Safety & Customer Focus

American-Air-Filter-International; North Carolina; On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AAF International is seeking a Plant Manager in Smithfield to lead a multi-functional team with safety first, customer satisfaction a close second, and to meet KPI targets. The role emphasizes Lean manufacturing, process improvements, and strong leadership across operations, engineering, maintenance, and logistics.

The position requires a degreed engineer with 7–10 years of plant/general management experience in manufacturing or remanufacturing, plus strong financial acumen and a drive for

Qualifications

• Degreed engineer with leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent preferred.
• 7–10 years of plant/general management in manufacturing/remanufacturing.
• Strong understanding of P&L, budgets and financial statements.
• Experience leading diverse functional teams (production, engineering, logistics, HR, EHS).
• Knowledge of lean, process improvement and OSHA safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multi-functional plant team with safety first and customer service second.
• Deliver to customers on-time, in-full and remove barriers to delivery.
• Drive cost reduction, quality and efficiency improvements at plant level.
• Develop and motivate employees; promote a culture of continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Sales to incorporate customer feedback into manufacturing.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Strategic thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Engineering degree

MBA

Tools

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification

Job description

AAF International is seeking a Plant Manager in Smithfield to lead a multi-functional team with safety first, customer satisfaction a close second, and to meet KPI targets. The role emphasizes Lean manufacturing, process improvements, and strong leadership across operations, engineering, maintenance, and logistics.

The position requires a degreed engineer with 7–10 years of plant/general management experience in manufacturing or remanufacturing, plus strong financial acumen and a drive for