Plant Manager

Strategic Systems Inc; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Strategic Systems, Inc. in the Chicago area is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead a high‑volume processing facility. You will oversee safety, quality, production, maintenance, distribution, workforce leadership, and continuous improvement to drive top‑line performance.

You will manage an established team and coordinate across plant functions to optimize throughput, reduce downtime, and advance Lean and standard work in a growing organization.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of progressive operations leadership experience in manufacturing or a high-volume environment.
• Experience leading managers, supervisors, and hourly employees.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, maintenance coordination, safety, quality, and operational performance.
• Proven success improving throughput, efficiency, cost, quality, or equipment reliability.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, standard work, or structured problem-solving practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for the facility, management team, and hourly and salaried workforce.
• Lead and develop the Operations Manager, Distribution Manager, Chief Engineer/Maintenance Manager, and HR/Safety Manager.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability across all plant functions.
• Direct daily operations to achieve safety, quality, production, cost, and customer-service objectives.
• Coordinate production, maintenance, staffing, and distribution to maintain workflow and meet customer commitments.
• Manage capacity, labor, production schedules, and equipment availability in a high-urgency operating environment.
• Monitor plant KPIs, including safety, quality, throughput, labor utilization, equipment uptime, order fulfillment, and cost.
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks affecting productivity, workflow, and customer service.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, CI, root-cause analysis, standard work, and other structured problem-solving methods.
• Improve plant processes, workflow, material movement, staffing models, and production planning.
• Develop supervisors and frontline leaders while maintaining a visible presence on the production floor.
• Use operational and financial data to identify performance gaps, implement corrective actions, and communicate results to senior leadership.
• Support companywide process standardization and ISO certification efforts.

Skills

Operations leadership

Leadership development

Lean manufacturing

Production planning

Data-driven decision making

Quality & safety focus

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering / operations / business

Job description

Compensation: $130,000 - $150,000 + Bonus up to 20%

Position Description:

Our customer is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead a high-volume processing facility near Chicago. This individual will be responsible for plant performance across safety, quality, production, maintenance, distribution, workforce leadership, and continuous improvement.

The Plant Manager will lead an established team consisting of an Operations Manager, Distribution Manager, Chief Engineer/Maintenance Manager, and HR/Safety Manager.

This is a fast-paced operation with an exceptionally short inventory cycle. Success requires strong production planning, rapid decision-making, dependable equipment, and close coordination across plant functions. The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who can improve operational efficiency, develop frontline leadership, and build sustainable processes within a growing and evolving organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for the facility, management team, and hourly and salaried workforce.
• Lead and develop the Operations Manager, Distribution Manager, Chief Engineer/Maintenance Manager, and HR/Safety Manager.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability across all plant functions.
• Direct daily operations to achieve safety, quality, production, cost, and customer-service objectives.
• Coordinate production, maintenance, staffing, and distribution to maintain workflow and meet customer commitments.
• Manage capacity, labor, production schedules, and equipment availability in a high-urgency operating environment.
• Monitor plant KPIs, including safety, quality, throughput, labor utilization, equipment uptime, order fulfillment, and cost.
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks affecting productivity, workflow, and customer service.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, CI, root-cause analysis, standard work, and other structured problem-solving methods.
• Improve plant processes, workflow, material movement, staffing models, and production planning.
• Develop supervisors and frontline leaders while maintaining a visible presence on the production floor.
• Use operational and financial data to identify performance gaps, implement corrective actions, and communicate results to senior leadership.
• Support companywide process standardization and ISO certification efforts.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of progressive operations leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial processing, co-packing, metal processing, automotive, or a comparable high-volume environment.
• Experience leading a plant, facility, production operation, or major operational function.
• Demonstrated success leading managers, supervisors, and hourly employees.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, labor management, maintenance coordination, safety, quality, and operational performance.
• Proven success improving throughput, efficiency, cost, quality, or equipment reliability.
• Experience implementing Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, standard work, or structured problem-solving practices.
• Experience building or standardizing processes within a growing, changing, startup, turnaround, or acquisition-driven environment.
• Ability to interpret operational and financial data and convert findings into practical action.
• Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related field preferred. Equivalent plant leadership experience will be considered.
• Experience with ISO certification or compliance initiatives

Preferred Experience

• Tier 2 or Tier 3 automotive manufacturing, metal processing, co-packing, or another high-volume processing environment
• Plant startup, turnaround, acquisition integration, or operational transformation

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements for this office role include the ability to sit or stand for extended periods, typically up to 8 hours a day, and regularly operate standard office equipment such as computers and phones. Employees should be able to lift up to 15 pounds occasionally and frequently perform tasks that require typing, writing, and document handling. Effective verbal and written communication skills are necessary, along with adequate visual and auditory abilities to read materials and participate in meetings.

EEOC Statement:

Strategic Systems, Inc., and its affiliates, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We believe diversity drives innovation and we are dedicated to fostering a workplace that respects and values the contributions of all individuals.