Plant Manager

Index Search Group; DeKalb (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Index Search Group is representing a DeKalb, Illinois based wire and cable manufacturer seeking two Plant Managers to lead daily operations, safety, quality, and delivery. This hands-on role requires developing supervisors, solving complex problems, and building accountability across the plant floor.

The successful candidate will balance immediate production demands with longer-term improvements in equipment reliability, workforce capability, and customer service, while partnering with

Qualifications

• Significant manufacturing leadership experience with plant/production operations.
• Experience leading supervisors and hourly employees in a fast-paced manufacturing facility.
• Strong understanding of production, safety, quality, maintenance, labor management, and customer delivery.
• Experience using operational KPIs to identify problems, establish priorities, and improve results.
• Background in continuous, process-oriented, or complex multi-step manufacturing is strongly preferred.
• Experience in wire and cable, metals, extrusion, drawing, stranding, cladding, or related manufacturing environment is a plus.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, root cause analysis, and structured continuous improvement methods.
• Experience improving equipment reliability, production flow, labor performance, and operating discipline.
• Strong leadership, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance urgent production needs with longer-term operational improvements.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and communicate effectively with plant employees and senior leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, manufacturing, business, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience may also be considered.
• Ability to work on-site in DeKalb, Illinois.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for daily plant operations, including production, safety, quality, maintenance, staffing, and customer delivery.
• Establish clear operating priorities and ensure supervisors and employees understand performance expectations.
• Build a culture focused on safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor plant performance using metrics such as throughput, schedule attainment, scrap, labor efficiency, downtime, quality, and OEE.
• Identify production constraints and implement practical solutions that improve flow, capacity, and equipment utilization.
• Partner with Maintenance to strengthen preventive maintenance, improve equipment reliability, and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Work closely with Quality to ensure products consistently meet customer specifications and internal standards.
• Coordinate with planning and scheduling teams to align customer demand with labor, materials, equipment capacity, and production priorities.
• Develop supervisors and other plant leaders through coaching, performance management, and clear expectations.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, retention, and workforce planning for hourly and salaried employees.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, 5S, root cause analysis, and other continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluate staffing, equipment, layout, and capital needs required to improve performance and support future growth.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements, company policies, and established manufacturing practices.
• Communicate plant performance, operating risks, and improvement priorities to senior leadership.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient manufacturing environment.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing KPIs

Lean Manufacturing

5S

Problem solving

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/related field

Job description

Our client, an established U.S. wire and cable manufacturer, is seeking two Plant Managers to lead manufacturing operations in the DeKalb, Illinois area.

Each Plant Manager will be responsible for the safety, quality, delivery, cost, and workforce performance of an assigned facility. These are hands‑on leadership roles for manufacturing professionals who are comfortable spending time on the plant floor, developing supervisors, solving operational problems, and creating accountability across the organization.

The ideal candidate understands complex manufacturing operations and can balance immediate production demands with longer‑term improvements in equipment reliability, workforce capability, operating discipline, and customer service.

The Environment

The company manufactures copper and aluminum wire products used in electrical infrastructure, telecommunications, construction, and OEM applications.

Its facilities operate in a complex, multi‑step manufacturing environment where safety, equipment uptime, production flow, material availability, and quality must remain closely aligned. The Plant Manager will work across production, maintenance, quality, scheduling, procurement, engineering, and human resources to improve performance and meet customer requirements.

This opportunity is well suited for a visible, floor‑focused leader who can build trust with employees while setting clear expectations and holding teams accountable for results.

Key Focus Areas

• Provide overall leadership for daily plant operations, including production, safety, quality, maintenance, staffing, and customer delivery.
• Establish clear operating priorities and ensure supervisors and employees understand performance expectations.
• Build a culture focused on safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor plant performance using metrics such as throughput, schedule attainment, scrap, labor efficiency, downtime, quality, and OEE.
• Identify production constraints and implement practical solutions that improve flow, capacity, and equipment utilization.
• Partner with Maintenance to strengthen preventive maintenance, improve equipment reliability, and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Work closely with Quality to ensure products consistently meet customer specifications and internal standards.
• Coordinate with planning and scheduling teams to align customer demand with labor, materials, equipment capacity, and production priorities.
• Develop supervisors and other plant leaders through coaching, performance management, and clear expectations.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, retention, and workforce planning for hourly and salaried employees.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, 5S, root cause analysis, and other continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluate staffing, equipment, layout, and capital needs required to improve performance and support future growth.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements, company policies, and established manufacturing practices.
• Communicate plant performance, operating risks, and improvement priorities to senior leadership.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient manufacturing environment.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role includes:

• A safe and disciplined plant environment with clear standards and consistent accountability.
• Reliable achievement of production schedules and customer delivery commitments.
• Improved throughput, equipment uptime, labor efficiency, and schedule performance.
• Reduced scrap, downtime, quality issues, and operating disruptions.
• Supervisors who lead effectively, develop their teams, and address performance concerns.
• Strong coordination among production, maintenance, quality, scheduling, and procurement.
• Continuous improvement initiatives that produce measurable operational results.
• A stable and engaged workforce prepared to support ongoing production needs.
• Greater visibility into plant performance, priorities, and operating risks.

Candidate Profile

• Significant manufacturing leadership experience with responsibility for plant or production operations.
• Previous experience as a Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Production Manager, or similar operational leader.
• Experience leading supervisors and hourly employees in a fast‑paced manufacturing facility.
• Strong understanding of production, safety, quality, maintenance, labor management, and customer delivery.
• Experience using operational KPIs to identify problems, establish priorities, and improve results.
• Background in continuous, process‑oriented, or complex multi‑step manufacturing is strongly preferred.
• Experience in wire and cable, metals, extrusion, drawing, stranding, cladding, or a related manufacturing environment is a plus.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, root cause analysis, and structured continuous improvement methods.
• Experience improving equipment reliability, production flow, labor performance, and operating discipline.
• Strong leadership, communication, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to balance urgent production needs with longer‑term operational improvements.
• Ability to influence cross‑functional teams and communicate effectively with plant employees and senior leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, manufacturing, business, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience may also be considered.
• Ability to work on‑site in DeKalb, Illinois.

About Index Search

Index Search is an executive and professional search firm exclusively focused on manufacturing, distribution, and industrial technology. We use proactive search, industry expertise, and recruiters aligned to specific functions and role types to connect experienced professionals with opportunities where they can make a meaningful impact.