Plant Manager

Aegis Worldwide; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Aegis Worldwide is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead daily operations at a manufacturing facility serving automotive and industrial markets. The role emphasizes safety, quality, and productivity in a hands-on leadership environment.

The ideal candidate will balance strategic planning with hands-on execution, manage budgets, and drive continuous improvement projects across production, maintenance, and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred.
• Significant experience in manufacturing/industrial operations with leadership impact.
• Previous Plant/Operations Manager experience in automotive or supplier environment preferred.
• Experience with OEMs or Tier 1/2 suppliers is a plus.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, 5S, and root-cause analysis.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all plant operations including production, quality, maintenance, safety, and facility performance.
• Develop and execute strategies to improve efficiency, productivity, cost, and profitability.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and output.
• Lead, develop, and mentor managers, supervisors, and plant personnel.
• Drive continuous improvement to reduce waste, downtime, and improve quality.
• Ensure production schedules and customer commitments are met in a fast-paced setting.
• Maintain compliance with customer specs and automotive industry requirements.
• Manage budgets, labor costs, and operating expenses.
• Promote accountability, collaboration, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, supply chain, and maintenance to address issues.
• Support customer satisfaction through reliable quality and on-time delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing

Quality systems

Production scheduling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Engineering

Tools

IATF 16949

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Plant Manager to oversee daily operations at a manufacturing facility serving the automotive and industrial markets. This individual will be responsible for driving operational performance, improving productivity, maintaining high standards for safety and quality, and developing a strong team culture.

About the Role

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in manufacturing operations, preferably within the automotive industry or an automotive supplier environment. This individual should understand the demands of automotive manufacturing, including production scheduling, customer quality requirements, cost control, continuous improvement, and on-time delivery. The successful candidate will be a hands-on leader capable of balancing strategic planning with day-to-day operational execution.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of plant operations, including production, quality, maintenance, safety, and overall facility performance.
• Develop and execute operational strategies to improve efficiency, productivity, cost, and profitability.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and production output.
• Lead, develop, and mentor department managers, supervisors, and other plant personnel.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste, minimize downtime, improve product quality, and optimize manufacturing processes.
• Ensure production schedules and customer commitments are consistently met in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Maintain high standards for product quality and ensure compliance with customer specifications and applicable automotive industry requirements.
• Oversee corrective action efforts related to quality concerns, production issues, customer complaints, and process inefficiencies.
• Manage plant budgets, labor costs, operating expenses, and resource allocation.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, employee engagement, workplace safety, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with engineering, quality, supply chain, maintenance, and other cross-functional teams to address operational challenges.
• Support customer satisfaction by maintaining consistent product quality, reliable delivery performance, and responsiveness to changing production requirements.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements, equipment upgrades, automation, and operational investments.
• Analyze plant performance and implement corrective actions to achieve operational and financial objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
• Significant experience in manufacturing or industrial operations, with a proven track record of leadership and operational improvement.
• Previous experience as a Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager, or in a similar leadership role.
• Automotive manufacturing or automotive supplier experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers is a plus.
• Strong understanding of production processes, quality systems, maintenance operations, and workplace safety.
• Familiarity with automotive quality standards and systems, such as IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, and structured corrective action processes, is beneficial.
• Demonstrated ability to manage production schedules, customer requirements, and delivery expectations in a high-volume or customer-driven manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing budgets, controlling operating costs, and improving overall plant performance.
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement methodologies, 5S, root-cause analysis, and performance management systems.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, analytical, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while balancing immediate operational needs with long-term business goals.

Required Skills

• Strong understanding of production processes, quality systems, maintenance operations, and workplace safety.
• Familiarity with automotive quality standards and systems, such as IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, and structured corrective action processes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage production schedules, customer requirements, and delivery expectations in a high-volume or customer-driven manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing budgets, controlling operating costs, and improving overall plant performance.
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement methodologies, 5S, root-cause analysis, and performance management systems.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving, analytical, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while balancing immediate operational needs with long-term business goals.