Plant Manager

Australia-Employment; Janesville (WI); On-site; USD 105,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobot is seeking a Plant Manager in Janesville, WI to lead plant operations, safety, quality, and continuous improvement. This high-visibility role reports to senior leadership and drives production, maintenance, and financial performance.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years of manufacturing leadership, strong Lean/Six Sigma background, and hands-on ERP/MRP experience. You will build teams, manage capital projects, and shape long-term strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in plant/operations.
• Strong Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma background.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall plant operations including safety, quality, delivery, productivity and financial performance.
• Develop and execute plant strategies aligned with business growth.
• Build a culture of accountability and continuous development.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

People development

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Plant Manager

$105000 - $160000 per year | Janesville, WI | On-site | Permanent

A bit about us:

We are an established manufacturing organization producing highly engineered products for customers across demanding industries. Our operation combines skilled manufacturing, engineering, quality, and continuous improvement to deliver reliable products built to exacting standards.

We are continuing to invest in our people, processes, equipment, and operational capabilities and are looking for a Plant Manager who can help lead that next stage of growth. This is a highly visible leadership position with the opportunity to influence both day-to-day plant performance and the long-term direction of the operation.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity for an experienced manufacturing leader to take ownership of a broad plant operation and make a measurable impact. You will have responsibility across production, maintenance, quality, safety, people development, continuous improvement, and financial performance while working closely with senior leadership.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Lead meaningful operational and cultural change across the facility
• Build and develop a strong manufacturing leadership team
• Drive Lean, continuous improvement, TPM, and operational excellence initiatives
• Influence capital investment and long-term manufacturing strategy
• Improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and customer satisfaction
• Join an organization investing in sustainable growth and stronger manufacturing capabilities

Job Details

The Role

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, direction, and performance of plant operations, including manufacturing, maintenance, quality, safety, and continuous improvement.

This leader will manage people, processes, equipment, and resources to improve productivity, profitability, quality, delivery, and customer satisfaction. The Plant Manager will also oversee budgeting, capital planning, workforce development, and operational strategy while building a culture centered around safety, accountability, employee development, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

Leadership & Strategy

• Partner with senior leadership to establish operational goals, performance metrics, and long-term priorities
• Develop and execute plant strategies aligned with broader business and growth objectives
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and employee development
• Communicate organizational priorities and initiatives effectively across all levels of the plant

Manufacturing & Operational Excellence

• Lead manufacturing, maintenance, and overall plant operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives
• Optimize plant workflows, production processes, takt time, and resource allocation
• Establish and monitor real-time operational metrics and key performance indicators
• Improve first-pass yield, throughput, equipment utilization, delivery performance, and customer satisfaction
• Develop and standardize processes that improve overall plant performance

Financial & Business Performance

• Develop, manage, and forecast operating budgets, capital expenditures, labor costs, and cost-of-sales objectives
• Maintain appropriate controls around operating expenses, inventory, labor utilization, capital investments, and wage management
• Identify and execute cost-reduction initiatives without compromising safety, quality, or customer service
• Drive operational performance that supports profitability and long-term business growth

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and company requirements
• Lead continuous improvement of plant safety programs and 6S practices
• Monitor performance against applicable quality systems, certifications, and customer requirements
• Support standards including ISO 9001, ASME, QMS, and other applicable manufacturing requirements
• Proactively identify and reduce safety, quality, and environmental risks

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, strategy deployment, and structured problem-solving initiatives
• Identify opportunities to eliminate waste and improve process flow
• Reduce overtime, scrap, rework, downtime, and other non-value-added activity
• Establish standardized processes and performance expectations throughout the operation
• Lead change-management initiatives that improve plant effectiveness and scalability

Maintenance & Asset Reliability

• Develop and drive preventive maintenance and Total Productive Maintenance strategies
• Improve equipment reliability, uptime, and overall utilization
• Monitor maintenance performance and repair costs
• Partner on capital planning, equipment investments, and facility improvements

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop plant managers, supervisors, and other operational leaders
• Establish workforce and succession-planning strategies
• Develop employees through training, mentorship, and clearly defined performance expectations
• Recruit and retain high-performing manufacturing talent
• Build an environment focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous development

Cross-functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Sales, Customer Service, and other functions
• Improve coordination across the organization to support efficient end-to-end business processes
• Serve as a key connection between plant operations, customers, suppliers, and senior leadership
• Use operational excellence and responsiveness to improve the overall customer experience

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within plant management, operations management, or general manufacturing management
• Demonstrated success leading manufacturing operations with responsibility for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and financial performance
• Experience managing operating budgets, capital projects, labor, and operational improvement initiatives
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, Strategy Deployment, and operational excellence methodologies
• Experience implementing or improving preventive maintenance and TPM programs
• Strong understanding of ERP/MRP systems and data-driven manufacturing performance management
• Proven ability to coach and develop leaders and build high-performing teams
• Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on operational execution
• Ability to analyze operational and financial data, identify root causes, and translate findings into measurable improvements

Jobot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide an inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Jobot also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. It is Jobot’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

Sometimes Jobot is required to perform background checks with your authorization. Jobot will consider qualified candidates with criminal histories in a manner consistent with any applicable federal, state, or local law regarding criminal backgrounds, including but not limited to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Information collected and processed as part of your Jobot candidate profile, and any job applications, resumes, or other information you choose to submit is subject to Jobot's Privacy Policy, as well as the Jobot California Worker Privacy Notice and Jobot Notice Regarding Automated Employment Decision Tools which are available at jobot.com/legal.

By applying for this job, you agree to receive calls, AI-generated calls, text messages, or emails from Jobot, and/or its agents and contracted partners. Frequency varies for text messages. Message and data rates may apply. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. You can reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. You can access our privacy policy here: jobot.com/privacy-policy