Plant Manager

Socket.dev; Aurora (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Pretium Packaging in Aurora, Illinois, seeks a Plant Manager to lead the facility’s operations, safety, quality, and financial performance. You will own plant profitability, develop and mentor a cross‑functional team, and drive Lean/CI initiatives to maximize OEE while meeting customer expectations.

You will partner with engineering, product development, and commercial teams to support new products, capital planning, and continuous improvement, ensuring regulatory compliance and a strong safety

Qualifications

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
• 7–10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience leading large teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, control costs, and drive profitability.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a cross-functional leadership team across Production, Quality, Process Engineering, Maintenance, and Shipping.
• Own plant P&L with budgeting, cost control, and profitability improvement initiatives.
• Drive a safety‑driven culture and continuous improvement initiatives (CI) to improve productivity and OEE.
• Ensure on-time production and shipping while meeting quality standards.
• Collaborate with HR on talent development, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Financial acumen

Strategic planning

Communication

Continuous improvement

Change management

Customer focus

Education

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

Word

Oracle ERP

Job description

Grow boldly with Pretium and Lead a High-Performing Manufacturing Operation and Drive Operational Excellence!

Are you a proven manufacturing leader with a passion for developing teams, improving performance, and delivering exceptional results? Pretium Packaging is seeking an experienced Plant Manager in Aurora, Illinois to lead our manufacturing facility and take ownership of safety, quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

This is a highly visible leadership role with full responsibility for plant operations, financial performance, and continuous improvement initiatives. If you thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and enjoy building high-performing teams while driving operational excellence, we'd like to hear from you.

Who We Are:

Pretium Packaging, founded in 1992, is a leading supplier of injection-blow molded plastic containers, known for delivering superior quality, value, and customer service. With 17 manufacturing locations across North America, we provide innovative, high-performance packaging solutions to a diverse portfolio of brand owners in the U.S. and Canada.

What You’ll Do

As Plant Manager, you will oversee all aspects of plant operations, including production, quality, maintenance, materials management, warehousing, and shipping. You will provide strategic leadership to the site while ensuring the safe, efficient, and profitable operation of the facility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a cross-functional leadership team including Production, Quality, Process Engineering, Maintenance, and Shipping.
• Drive a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Manage all plant operations to ensure customer orders are produced and shipped on time while meeting quality standards.
• Own plant financial performance with full P&L responsibility, including budgeting, cost control, and profitability improvement initiatives.
• Develop staffing, production, scheduling, and material plans to support business objectives.
• Monitor production performance and proactively resolve operational challenges related to equipment, materials, tooling, and processes.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve productivity, efficiency, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Establish and implement operating procedures, performance metrics, and reporting systems to drive accountability and results.
• Evaluate and recommend capital investments, equipment upgrades, and process improvements.
• Collaborate with commercial, engineering, and product development teams to support new products and customer growth opportunities.
• Maintain compliance with OSHA, EPA, ISO, GMP, and all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Build strong relationships with customers and ensure a customer-focused approach throughout the organization.
• Partner closely with Human Resources on talent development, employee engagement, workforce planning, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead plant meetings and communication efforts related to safety, quality, maintenance, production, and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For:

Required Qualifications:

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.
• 7-10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience leading large teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of production operations, quality systems, maintenance, materials management, and supply chain processes.
• Proven experience managing budgets, controlling costs, and driving operational profitability.
• Strong project management, planning, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience within the plastics, packaging, or related manufacturing industries.
• Experience with Oracle or other ERP systems.
• Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, or similar operational excellence experience.
• Experience in ISO and GMP-regulated environments.

The Ideal Candidate:

You are a hands‑on leader who can balance strategic thinking with daily operational execution. You know how to develop people, solve complex manufacturing challenges, and create a culture where safety, quality, and performance thrive.

You Bring:

• Exceptional leadership and team‑building skills
• Strong financial and business acumen
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities
• Data‑driven decision‑making capabilities
• A passion for continuous improvement and operational excellence
• A customer‑first mindset
• The ability to lead through change and deliver results

Why Join Pretium?

At Pretium Packaging, we manufacture rigid plastic containers for some of the most recognized brands in the marketplace. Our plants operate with a strong emphasis on safety, performance, and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to step into a leadership role where your impact will be visible, measurable, and valued. If you’re energized by continuous improvement, team development, and running a plant like it’s your own business - we want to talk with you.