Plant Manager

Eaton; Davenport (IA); On-site; USD 182,000 - 266,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton is seeking a Plant Manager for its Davenport, IA aerospace facility, leading 750+ employees in a union environment that makes air-to-air refueling and environmental systems for defense. The role reports to the Director of Operations and drives strategic and operational leadership to meet bold financial goals.

Responsibilities include Lean/Six Sigma cost improvements, managing cross-functional teams, driving KPIs, and developing talent in a safety‑conscious culture.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years of manager of people experience.
• Legally authorized to work in the US without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead cost improvement analyses using Lean/Six Sigma tools.
• Manage operational leadership team and staff across functions.
• Drive KPIs with analytical decision-making.
• Champion a zero-incident EHS culture.
• Foster a quality culture with early detection and escalation.
• Partner with HR to drive talent development.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Leadership

Problem solving

Education

Undergraduate degree

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Position Overview

Eaton’s Aerospace Business is hiring a Plant Manager for one of their largest facilities in North America. This position will be based in Davenport, IA. Reporting directly to the Director of Operations, the Plant Manager will lead a facility of over 750 employees and have responsibility for all plant management in a union environment. This plant is a leading manufacturer of air‑to‑air refueling systems, environmental systems, and actuation, primarily for defense markets. It is also an FAA Certified Repair and Overhaul Facility. The Plant Manager will be responsible for driving strategic and operational leadership, driving profit and loss, growth strategy and organizational direction to meet and exceed short and long‑term business goals. This person will also maintain a workforce of highly motivated employees with a morale that is conducive to performance being measured at or above minimum acceptable levels, and drive performance to achieve or exceed financial plans and strategic goals.

Essential Functions

• Emphasize utilization of Lean/Six Sigma manufacturing tools (Kaizen, VSM, 5S+) to lead cost improvement analysis and implement actionable, measurable plans.
• Manage both operational leadership team and functional staff including Quality, Finance, Continuous Improvement, Environmental Health & Safety, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Engineering and Maintenance.
• Act with analytical, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills to drive Key Performance Indicators.
• Champion a workplace focused on Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) to drive a zero‑incident safety culture.
• Foster a Quality culture of early detection and escalations across the site to reduce cost, drive efficiency and ensure compliance.
• Partner with Human Resources to drive talent management, learning, communication, and development strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years of manager of people experience.
• Legally authorized to work in the US without company sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Aerospace industry experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of current manufacturing, materials/purchasing and quality assurance methods and practices.
• Thorough understanding of financial practices and financial statements, including capital equipment analysis, cost accounting, budgeting, project cost analysis, maintenance analysis and organizational techniques.
• Ability to drive change and successfully lead and implement these change initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to manage direct reports and build organizational capability.
• Strong communication skills and comfort with facilitating teams/groups and working with all levels in the organization.

Eaton Leadership Attributes

• Effectively drives and manages change, challenges the status quo and champions new and innovative ideas.
• Demonstrates professional presence, communicates articulately and confidently.
• Effectively leverages functional and cross‑functional resources to solve problems, improve processes and meet objectives.
• Demonstrated written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills.
• Demonstrated success in effectively and confidently providing “leadership” to employees in a constantly changing environment.

Education

• An undergraduate degree is required. A Master’s degree is preferred.

Compensation

• Eaton recognizes this role as a critical position within the corporation and will create a compelling package consisting of a base salary, employee incentive compensation, long‑term incentive and complete benefits.

Location

• This position will be based in Davenport, IA.

At Eaton, we strive to provide compensation and benefits that attract, engage, and retain the best talent. This includes competitive pay and a variety of benefit programs for eligible employees. The expected annual salary range for this role is $182,000 - $266,000 a year. This role is also eligible for a variable incentive program. Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job‑related reasons regardless of an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability‑related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1‑800‑836‑6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.