Plant Manager

TriSearch; Kalamazoo (MI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

TriSearch is seeking a senior Plant Manager in Kalamazoo, MI to lead and scale a specialized manufacturing operation. The role requires hands-on leadership and strategic thinking to evolve production processes, workforce development, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The ideal candidate will bring 10+ years in manufacturing with 5+ years in plant leadership, strong Lean experience, and proficiency with ERP/MES systems to drive operational excellence.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of manufacturing experience with 5+ years in plant/production leadership.
• Hands-on leadership with experience building and scaling teams in production environments.
• Background in electrical, electromechanical, engineered-product, or related assembly manufacturing.
• Experience launching or improving manufacturing operations and facilities.
• Strong knowledge of production flow, labor management, quality, and KPIs.
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience.
• Experience with ERP, MES, or similar systems.
• Ability to use data to identify problems and drive improvements.
• Strong people leadership and development of supervisors and frontline staff.
• Hands-on, player-coach leadership style for growing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day plant operations with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and workforce performance.
• Establish and continuously improve production processes, workflows, operating procedures, and performance standards.
• Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve throughput, cycle time, labor efficiency, quality, and overall operational performance.
• Develop and manage plant KPIs and use production data to identify opportunities and drive accountability.
• Oversee production planning, scheduling, capacity planning, resource allocation, and bottleneck resolution.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions to address operational and quality issues.
• Support the evaluation and implementation of manufacturing equipment, technology, and automation as the operation grows.
• Utilize ERP/MES and other manufacturing systems to improve production visibility, planning, and decision-making.
• Recruit, coach, develop, and lead the manufacturing organization as production volume and headcount increase.
• Establish scalable work instructions, process documentation, quality controls, and visual management systems.
• Partner closely with engineering, quality, supply chain, commercial, and other functions to support new product introductions and operational growth.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Lean manufacturing

ERP/MES experience

Operational analytics

Team development

Tools

ERP systems

MES systems

Automation tech

Job description

Plant Manager

Location: Kalamazoo, MI | On-site

Compensation: ~$200K Base + Bonus

The Opportunity

A growing manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead and help scale a specialized manufacturing operation.

This is an opportunity for a hands-on manufacturing leader who enjoys more than maintaining an established operation. The Plant Manager will have meaningful influence over how the facility evolves, including its production processes, operating systems, workforce development, continuous improvement initiatives, and overall manufacturing strategy.

The ideal candidate combines strong day-to-day operational leadership with the ability to think strategically, build structure, and prepare an organization for significant growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day plant operations with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and workforce performance.
• Establish and continuously improve production processes, workflows, operating procedures, and performance standards.
• Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve throughput, cycle time, labor efficiency, quality, and overall operational performance.
• Develop and manage plant KPIs and use production data to identify opportunities and drive accountability.
• Oversee production planning, scheduling, capacity planning, resource allocation, and bottleneck resolution.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions to address operational and quality issues.
• Support the evaluation and implementation of manufacturing equipment, technology, and automation as the operation grows.
• Utilize ERP/MES and other manufacturing systems to improve production visibility, planning, and decision-making.
• Recruit, coach, develop, and lead the manufacturing organization as production volume and headcount increase.
• Establish scalable work instructions, process documentation, quality controls, and visual management systems.
• Partner closely with engineering, quality, supply chain, commercial, and other functions to support new product introductions and operational growth.

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in plant, production, or operations leadership.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing manufacturing teams in a hands-on production environment.
• Background in electrical, electromechanical, engineered-product, or similar assembly manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Experience launching, scaling, transforming, or significantly improving a manufacturing operation, production line, or facility.
• Strong understanding of production flow, labor management, quality, equipment, capacity planning, and operational KPIs.
• Demonstrated Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience.
• Experience working with ERP, MES, or similar manufacturing systems.
• Ability to use operational data and metrics to identify problems, establish priorities, and drive measurable improvements.
• Strong people leadership skills with experience developing supervisors, production leaders, and frontline employees.
• A hands-on, player-coach leadership style with the ability to operate effectively in a growing and evolving environment.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position provides the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the future of a growing manufacturing operation.

Rather than simply inheriting established processes, the Plant Manager will help determine how the operation evolves and scales—strengthening processes, developing the team, improving systems, increasing operational discipline, and building the infrastructure necessary to support future growth.

It is an opportunity for a manufacturing leader who enjoys building, improving, and scaling operations and wants the ability to directly influence the direction and performance of a plant.

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