Plant Manager

International Search Consultants; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

International Search Consultants is seeking a Plant Manager in Fort Wayne, IN to lead all plant operations, including production, scheduling, quality, safety, and maintenance. This hands-on leader will drive continuous improvement, manage budgets and staff, and ensure material availability to meet targets.

The ideal candidate brings 3+ years in plant leadership, experience with steel fabrication, BOMs, ERP systems, and a proven track record of KPI-driven results on the plant floor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or related field.
• 3+ years' Plant Manager or equivalent manufacturing leadership experience.
• Steel fabrication/manufacturing experience converting raw materials into a tangible finished product.
• Experience with configured products, Bills of Material (BOMs), and labor management.
• Basic P&L and financial understanding, including plant costs and the financial impact of operational decisions.
• Experience leading approximately 3-5 direct employees and 35-60 indirect employees.
• Hands-on, 'get your hands dirty' leadership style; visible and engaged on the plant floor.
• Proven people leadership, including coaching, developing, and holding manufacturing employees accountable.
• KPI-driven; able to show how metrics were implemented and used to improve business performance.
• Lean / Continuous Improvement experience with demonstrated process and operational improvements.
• Experience with manufacturing software and ERP systems.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan and oversee daily production activities to ensure timely and efficient manufacturing processes.
• Manage production schedules, budgets, staffing, and resources to achieve production targets.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity and reduce production costs.
• Champion a safe working environment through policy enforcement, safety audits, regulatory compliance, and corrective actions.
• Recruit, train, supervise, coach, and evaluate production staff, including supervisors and line employees.
• Monitor inventory levels and partner with procurement, logistics, and supply chain teams to ensure material availability and efficient flow.
• Prepare and communicate plant KPIs, production metrics, operational challenges, and opportunities to senior leadership.
• Maintain strict quality standards and promptly address issues to protect product integrity.

Skills

Leadership

KPI-driven

Data-driven

Problem-solving

Communication

Multitasking

Hands-on leadership

Roll-up-your-sleeves

Team development

Decisive

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations Management/Business or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Manufacturing software

Labor management software

Job description

ISC's team of Manufacturing Recruiters is partnering with a well-established manufacturing organization seeking an accomplished Plant Manager to lead all aspects of plant operations.

Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, this leader will oversee production, production scheduling, quality control, safety, maintenance, inventory coordination, and personnel management. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on manufacturing leader who combines strong operational discipline with a collaborative, team-focused leadership style.

• Plan and oversee daily production activities to ensure timely and efficient manufacturing processes.
• Manage production schedules, budgets, staffing, and resources to achieve production targets.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity and reduce production costs.
• Champion a safe working environment through policy enforcement, safety audits, regulatory compliance, and corrective actions.
• Recruit, train, supervise, coach, and evaluate production staff, including supervisors and line employees.
• Manage staffing levels and employee schedules to support production demands.
• Monitor inventory levels and partner with procurement, logistics, and supply chain teams to ensure material availability and efficient flow.
• Prepare and communicate plant KPIs, production metrics, operational challenges, and opportunities to senior leadership.
• Maintain strict quality standards and promptly address issues to protect product integrity.

Plant Manager - Must-Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field - strongly preferred.
• 3+ years of Plant Manager or comparable manufacturing leadership experience.
• Steel fabrication/manufacturing experience, including converting raw materials into a tangible finished product.
• Experience with configured products, Bills of Material (BOMs), and labor management.
• Basic P&L and financial understanding, including plant costs and the financial impact of operational decisions.
• Experience leading approximately 3-5 direct employees and 35-60 indirect employees.
• Mechanically inclined, with a practical understanding of manufacturing equipment and production processes.
• Hands-on, 'get your hands dirty' leadership style; visible and engaged on the plant floor.
• Proven people leadership, including coaching, developing, and holding manufacturing employees accountable.
• KPI-driven; able to show how metrics were implemented and used to improve business performance.
• Lean / Continuous Improvement experience with demonstrated process and operational improvements.
• Experience with manufacturing software and ERP systems.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Plant Manager - Nice to Have:

• Experience with quality systems and disciplined quality processes.
• Six Sigma certification or comparable formal Continuous Improvement training.
• Safety and/or environmental leadership experience, including OSHA-related exposure.
• Experience with inventory and material flow.
• Procurement and supply chain exposure.
• Experience overseeing maintenance and preventive maintenance programs.
• Experience with plant expansion, modernization, or capital projects.
• Strong supervisor development and succession-planning experience.

Plant Manager - Desired Soft Skills:

• Thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong multitasker with demonstrated ability to juggle competing priorities.
• Data-driven and metrics-focused; comfortable managing the business through KPIs.
• Thick-skinned, resilient, and able to stay steady under pressure.
• Strong sense of urgency and bias toward action.
• Decisive and comfortable making tough decisions.
• Accountable and willing to hold the team accountable.
• Adaptable and flexible as priorities change.
• Strong communicator from the plant floor through senior leadership.
• Approachable but firm; builds relationships while maintaining expectations.
• Problem-solver with a root-cause mindset.
• Hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves mentality.

Plant Manager - Ideal Candidate:

The successful candidate is a visible, hands-on manufacturing leader who thrives in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment. This person is data-driven, mechanically inclined, resilient, and comfortable balancing competing priorities while staying close to both the operation and the people. The right leader is approachable but firm, communicates clearly at every level, uses KPIs to drive accountability and improvement, and brings a practical, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to solving problems and developing teams.