Plant Manager

Bluewater Hayes Inc.; Michigan; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Bluewater Hayes Inc. in West Michigan is seeking a hands-on Plant Manager to lead a large manufacturing operation.

You will direct approximately 150 production and office staff, drive Lean initiatives, manage safety, quality, and cost, and partner with Finance to optimize profitability. The ideal candidate will balance strategic planning with day-to-day execution, coach teams, and foster a culture of continuous improvement across the site.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field.
• 5+ years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong Lean manufacturing experience and continuous improvement mindset.
• Solid understanding of production planning, quality, cost control, and operational performance.
• Excellent communication and ability to coach, mentor and develop teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership for plant operations across production, quality, maintenance, materials, shipping/receiving, and planning.
• Lead and develop a team of ~150 employees, building a culture of accountability and high performance.
• Establish and execute operational strategies to drive growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Drive Lean initiatives to improve productivity, reduce costs, and shorten lead times.
• Monitor KPIs and manage budget with cross-functional partners (Finance, HR, Quality, Engineering).
• Foster safety and build a positive, collaborative working environment.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure effective scheduling, inventory management, and process discipline.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Operations Management

Financial Acumen

Data-driven Decisions

Cross-functional Collaboration

Safety & Compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, Manufacturing, or related discipline

Job description

We are partnering with a well-established manufacturing organization to identify a Plant Manager to lead operations at a growing West Michigan manufacturing facility. This leader will oversee approximately 150 production and office employees and will have broad responsibility for plant performance, people leadership, operational execution, and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity for a hands-on, strategic operations leader who enjoys developing teams, improving processes, and driving measurable results. The Plant Manager will work closely with cross-functional leaders to ensure the facility operates safely, efficiently, and profitably while consistently meeting customer expectations.

What You'll Do

• Provide overall leadership for plant operations, including production, quality, maintenance, materials, shipping/receiving, and production planning.
• Lead and develop a team of approximately 150 production and office employees, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and high performance.
• Establish and execute operational strategies that support business growth, profitability, customer satisfaction, and long-term plant performance.
• Drive continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing initiatives throughout the facility, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, reduce costs, shorten lead times, and improve quality.
• Establish and monitor key performance metrics to ensure the plant consistently achieves daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual objectives.
• Partner with Finance to develop and manage the plant budget, understand cost drivers, and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Collaborate closely with Human Resources, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, Safety, Supply Chain, Finance, and other functional leaders to ensure strong cross-functional execution.
• Ensure appropriate production planning, inventory management, scheduling, logistics, quality systems, and operational processes are in place and consistently followed.
• Foster a positive, team-oriented work environment through effective communication, coaching, mentoring, talent development, and performance management.
• Develop and execute improvement plans when performance falls short of expectations, using data and structured problem-solving to identify root causes and drive sustainable solutions.
• Promote a culture of safety and ensure employees have the resources, training, and support needed to perform their jobs safely and effectively.
• Participate in strategic planning and identify opportunities to leverage technology, processes, and capabilities to support profitable growth.
• Make sound, timely decisions while building alignment across the organization and ensuring effective implementation.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, Manufacturing, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of leadership experience within a manufacturing environment, with increasing responsibility for operations and people leadership.
• Experience leading a manufacturing facility, production operation, or significant portion of a plant is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience implementing Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, production planning, quality, cost management, and operational performance.
• Working knowledge of financial and cost accounting principles, with the ability to understand how operational decisions impact profitability.
• Proven ability to develop, coach, and retain high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to identify opportunities and make sound business decisions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate with employees at all levels of an organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while maintaining focus on safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Six Sigma certification or other formal continuous improvement training is a plus.

The Ideal Candidate

The right person will be a visible and engaged leader who can balance strategic thinking with day-to-day operational execution. They will be comfortable spending time on the plant floor, asking questions, developing people, and holding teams accountable for results.

We're looking for someone who can build trust quickly, bring structure and consistency to operations, and create an environment where people are empowered to identify problems and improve the way work gets done.

Why This Opportunity?

• Lead a sizeable manufacturing operation with significant visibility and impact.
• Play a key role in driving operational performance and profitable growth.
• Work with an experienced, cross-functional leadership team.
• Opportunity to influence culture, develop talent, and implement meaningful operational improvements.
• Join a stable, established organization with a strong reputation in its industry.

Additional Requirement: This position may be subject to U.S. export compliance requirements. Candidates must meet applicable U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or other eligibility requirements.