Plant Manager

Strategic Talent Partners; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

HM Cragg in Minnesota is seeking a Plant Manager to lead electrical manufacturing and high‑mix/low‑volume assembly operations, accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost and inventory. You will partner with Engineering, Sales, Project Management, Finance and Supply Chain to translate customer requirements into safe, high‑quality, manufacturable solutions delivered on time and at planned margin.

This role demands strong Lean leadership, hands‑on continuous improvement, and building a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of progressive manufacturing/operations experience, preferably within electrical, industrial equipment, engineered products, or complex assembly.
• Experience leading an ETO, high-mix/low-volume manufacturing organization strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for plant operations and performance.
• Own plant financial performance, including budgets and cost control.
• Develop operating and capital plans to support growth, safety, and capacity requirements.
• Lead Lean, continuous improvement and SQDCI metrics.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Sales, Project Management, Finance, and Supply Chain.
• Ensure production planning, inventory management, and quality systems meet customer commitments.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Operations leadership

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

ERP-driven manufacturing

Finance & cost planning

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

At HM Cragg, you're more than an employee, you're an owner. Through our ESOP, every team member has a stake in the company's success and the opportunity to share in the value we create together. As we continue to grow and serve some of the biggest names in critical power, we're looking for people who want to make a difference, grow their careers, and help shape what's next.

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and continuous improvement of HM Cragg's electrical manufacturing and assembly operations. This role has accountability for plant-level financial and operational performance, including Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Inventory (SQDCI), while ensuring the organization consistently meets customer commitments in an Engineered-to-Order (ETO), high-mix manufacturing environment.

The Plant Manager provides leadership across manufacturing and assembly, production planning, supply chain, inventory and warehouse operations, quality, safety, and continuous improvement. The role works closely with Engineering, Sales, Project Management, Finance, Supply Chain, and other functional leaders to translate customer requirements into safe, high-quality, manufacturable solutions delivered on time and at planned margin.

Reporting Relationship: The Plant Manager reports to the Chief Growth Officer

Responsibilities:

Plant Leadership & Business Performance

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for plant operations and performance.
• Own plant financial performance, including operating budget, labor productivity, manufacturing costs, overhead, inventory, capital expenditures, and cost improvement.
• Establish a disciplined operating cadence utilizing SQDCI metrics, daily management, visual management, tiered accountability, and structured problem solving.
• Develop annual operating and capital plans that support growth, productivity, quality, safety, and capacity requirements.

Engineered-to-Order Manufacturing & Assembly

• Lead electrical manufacturing and assembly operations in a high-mix, low-volume, Engineered-to-Order environment.
• Strengthen engineering-to-manufacturing handoffs, including drawing release, BOM accuracy, routing accuracy, work instructions, configuration control, and engineering change management.
• Establish appropriate production controls for electrical assembly, wiring, mechanical assembly, testing, inspection, packaging, and shipment.
• Lead operational readiness for new products and new product introductions.

Safety & Environmental Performance

• Establish and maintain a culture in which employee safety is a core operating value.
• Maintain effective environmental, health, and safety systems consistent with applicable OSHA and environmental requirements.

Quality Management

• Build a strong quality-at-the-source culture and ensure compliance with HM Cragg's Quality Management System.
• Support and maintain processes consistent with ISO 9001 principles, including document control, corrective actions, nonconformance management, internal audits, and continuous improvement.
• Improve first-pass yield and reduce defects, rework, scrap, warranty exposure, and customer quality issues. Utilize structured root-cause methodologies such as 5 Whys, A3, PDCA, and corrective/preventive action.
• Ensure appropriate electrical inspection, functional testing, documentation, traceability, and final product verification.

Production Planning, Capacity & S&OP

• Ensure production schedules appropriately balance customer priorities, available materials, labor capacity, engineering readiness, and manufacturing constraints.
• Participate in the monthly S&OP process, providing accurate information regarding capacity, constraints, backlog, material availability, labor requirements, and operational risks.
• Improve schedule adherence, throughput, flow, and predictability.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Champion HM Cragg's Lean and operational excellence initiatives.
• Develop a continuous-improvement culture focused on eliminating waste and improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and inventory performance.
• Implement and sustain appropriate Lean practices, including:
• Develop internal problem-solving capability rather than relying solely on management intervention.

Supply Chain, Inventory & Materials Management

• Improve inventory accuracy, material flow, point-of-use availability, warehouse discipline, and inventory productivity.
• Ensure effective execution of cycle counting, material transactions, receiving, picking, staging, WIP management, and shipping processes.
• Establish effective controls around shortage management, substitutions, supplier quality, and material constraints.

ERP & Manufacturing Systems

• Champion disciplined utilization of the company ERP system as the system of record for manufacturing.
• Ensure accuracy and execution of BOMs, routings, work orders, inventory transactions, labor reporting, material consumption, and production completion.
• Improve operational data integrity so leaders can make decisions using timely and reliable information.

People Leadership & Organizational Development

• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a high-performing operations organization.
• Establish clear expectations, roles, responsibilities, decision rights, and performance standards.
• Develop frontline supervisors and operations leaders capable of running the business through effective daily management.
• Build workforce flexibility through cross-training, skills matrices, succession planning, and employee development.
• Ensure staffing and organizational capabilities evolve appropriately as the business grows.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success leading manufacturing or complex assembly operations with significant operational and financial accountability.
• Strong experience within Engineered-to-Order, Configure-to-Order, high-mix/low-volume, or project-based manufacturing environments.
• Electrical manufacturing, electrical equipment, controls, power systems, switchgear, UPS, industrial equipment, or related electrical assembly experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing finance, including labor and overhead management, variance analysis, budgeting, forecasting, inventory, cost accounting, and capital planning.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement practices.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality systems, OSHA requirements, and applicable environmental and workplace safety regulations.
• Strong understanding of ERP-driven manufacturing processes, including BOMs, routings, work orders, inventory transactions, production scheduling, and manufacturing costing.

Measures of Success

The Plant Manager will be successful when the operation consistently demonstrates:

Safety

• Strong safety culture and employee engagement
• Reduction in safety incidents and identified workplace hazards
• Timely completion of corrective actions

Quality

• Improving first-pass yield; effective corrective-action closure
• Reduction in defects, rework, scrap, and customer quality issues
• Robust adherence to the Quality Management System

Delivery

• Improved on-time delivery
• Improved production schedule adherenceReduced manufacturing lead time

Cost & Productivity

• Achievement of plant financial commitments
• Improved labor productivity and utilization
• Improved manufacturing efficiency and throughput
• Improved inventory accuracy
• Reduction in shortages and material-related production disruption
• Improved inventory turns and working‑capital performance

Operational Excellence

• Effective implementation and sustainment of Lean practices using standard work
• Strong daily management and visual performance systems
• Improved ERP transaction and manufacturing data accuracy

People

• Development of capable operations leadersImproved cross-training and workforce flexibility
• Strong employee engagement, retention, and succession capability

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or a related discipline preferred. Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of progressive manufacturing/operations experience, preferably within electrical, industrial equipment, engineered products, or complex assembly.
• Experience leading an ETO, high-mix/low-volume manufacturing organization strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with Lean manufacturing and continuous-improvement methodologies.
• Approximately 10-15% travel, primarily to other HM Cragg facilities, suppliers, customers, or business meetings