Plant Manager

Accentuate Staffing; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Accentuate Staffing is assisting a growing manufacturing company launching a new facility in the North Durham area to hire a Plant Manager. This is a strategic, hands-on operations leadership role to establish the startup and guide the facility through expansion.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership, strong planning, and the ability to build effective processes and teams for ramp-ups, with experience in greenfield startups and equipment commissioning.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations leadership experience.
• Proven ability to lead multiple manufacturing functions and manage complex plant operations.
• Experience developing teams, establishing operational structure, and scaling manufacturing capabilities.
• Strong understanding of production planning, equipment reliability, inventory management, maintenance, quality, and safety.
• Demonstrated financial, budgeting, and cost-control experience.
• Excellent leadership, communication, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.
• Ability to work onsite and provide leadership during startup, commissioning, and production periods.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall plant operations, including production, warehouse and inventory, engineering, maintenance, facilities, safety, and production planning.
• Develop and execute strategic operating plans to support facility startup, production readiness, and long-term growth.
• Oversee equipment installation, commissioning, testing, and transition into full production.
• Establish operational processes, performance metrics, and accountability standards to drive productivity, quality, safety, and on-time delivery.
• Collaborate with department leaders to identify production challenges, resolve bottlenecks, and improve workflow.
• Lead workforce planning and operational scaling to support production increases and staffing.
• Manage plant budgets, operating costs, capital expenditures, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with safety requirements, quality standards, and applicable regulations.
• Provide regular updates to executive leadership regarding plant performance, milestones, risks, and resource needs.
• Develop and mentor department managers, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and results-driven culture.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Operations management

Cross-functional leadership

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / related field

Tools

SAP ERP

Job description

Accentuate Staffing is assisting a growing manufacturing company, who is launching and developing a new Facility in the North Durham area, hire a Plant Manager to join their team. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic, hands-on operations leader to help establish a new manufacturing operation in the area and guide the facility through significant expansion. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in manufacturing leadership, operational planning, and team development, with the ability to build effective processes, drive accountability, and coordinate cross-functional teams. Experience with greenfield facility startups, equipment commissioning, and production ramp-ups is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall plant operations, including production, warehouse and inventory, engineering, maintenance, facilities, safety, and production planning.
• Develop and execute strategic operating plans to support facility startup, production readiness, and long-term growth.
• Oversee equipment installation, commissioning, testing, and transition into full production.
• Establish operational processes, performance metrics, and accountability standards to drive productivity, quality, safety, and on-time delivery.
• Collaborate with department leaders to identify production challenges, resolve operational bottlenecks, and improve workflow.
• Lead workforce planning and operational scaling to support significant increases in production volume and staffing.
• Manage plant budgets, operating costs, capital expenditures, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with safety requirements, quality standards, and applicable regulations.
• Provide regular updates to executive leadership regarding plant performance, progress toward milestones, operational risks, and resource needs.
• Develop and mentor department managers, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and results-driven culture.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations leadership experience required.
• Proven ability to lead multiple manufacturing functions and manage complex plant operations.
• Experience developing teams, establishing operational structure, and scaling manufacturing capabilities.
• Strong understanding of production planning, equipment reliability, inventory management, maintenance, quality, and safety.
• Demonstrated financial, budgeting, and cost-control experience.
• Excellent leadership, communication, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.
• Ability to work onsite and provide additional leadership support during critical startup, commissioning, and production periods.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience launching a new manufacturing facility or leading a greenfield operation.
• Background in equipment installation, commissioning, production ramp-up, and operational stabilization.
• Experience with SAP or similar ERP systems.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience working with international leadership teams.