Plant Manager

Redline Recruits; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Redline Recruits is seeking a Plant Manager to provide overall leadership for a union manufacturing facility in Southeast Iowa, overseeing production, safety, quality, engineering, maintenance, financial performance, and employee development.

The ideal candidate will assess opportunities, identify root causes, and implement sustainable improvements across people, processes, and equipment while partnering with site leadership to achieve operational excellence and a culture of safety and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering required.
• Experience leading a manufacturing facility with full operational and financial responsibility.
• Previous leadership experience in a union manufacturing environment.
• Background in regulated manufacturing (chemical, food, pharmaceutical, or similar).
• Experience managing facilities with 75-100+ employees.
• Demonstrated P&L and operating budget responsibility.
• Willingness to relocate to Southeast Iowa.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for all plant operations.
• Manage production, maintenance, engineering, quality, EH&S, and supporting departments.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase productivity and reduce costs.
• Develop annual operating plans and manage site financial performance, including budget and P&L.
• Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead labor relations in a union environment.
• Develop succession plans and mentor future leaders.
• Utilize operational metrics and data to improve plant performance.
• Partner with corporate leadership on strategic initiatives and capital investments.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Lean Manufacturing

Operations management

P&L management

Union environments

Safety and compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Job description

The Plant Manager will provide overall leadership for a union manufacturing facility, overseeing all aspects of plant operations including production, safety, quality, engineering, maintenance, financial performance, and employee development.

The successful candidate will be someone who can quickly assess operational opportunities, identify root causes behind performance gaps, and implement sustainable improvements across people, processes, and equipment. This individual will foster a high-performance culture while partnering with site leadership to achieve operational excellence.

The ideal leader will:

• Evaluate the operation holistically to identify opportunities that improve safety, reliability, productivity, and overall plant performance.
• Build a culture focused on accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Develop frontline leaders and create an environment where employees are empowered to succeed.
• Strengthen operational systems, performance metrics, and standard work processes.
• Partner with engineering, maintenance, and capital project teams to improve equipment reliability and manufacturing efficiency.
• Lead the facility with a strong focus on safety, compliance, quality, and cost performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for all plant operations.
• Manage production, maintenance, engineering, quality, EH&S, and supporting departments.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve operational performance.
• Develop annual operating plans and manage the site's financial performance, including budget and P&L accountability.
• Ensure compliance with all environmental, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead labor relations while fostering positive partnerships within a union environment.
• Develop succession plans and mentor future leaders throughout the organization.
• Utilize operational metrics and data to make informed business decisions and improve plant performance.
• Partner with corporate leadership on strategic initiatives and long-term capital investments.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience leading a manufacturing facility with full operational and financial responsibility.
• Previous leadership experience in a union manufacturing environment.
• Background in highly regulated manufacturing such as chemical processing, food manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or similar process industries.
• Experience managing facilities with approximately 75-100+ employees.
• Demonstrated P&L and operating budget responsibility.
• Proven track record of improving operational performance through leadership, process improvement, and team development.
• Willingness to relocate to Southeast Iowa.

Preferred

• Experience working in Process Safety Management (PSM) regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, or other operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience leading cultural transformation and organizational change.
• History of improving reliability, productivity, safety, and employee engagement.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build credibility across all levels of the organization.