Plant Manager

Critical Velocity Talent Solutions; Michigan; On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k) with Company Match

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Professional Development Opportunities

Job summary

Critical Velocity Talent Solutions is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead all manufacturing operations at a Michigan packaging facility. The role requires hands-on leadership to drive safety, throughput, quality, maintenance, scheduling, and cost control from the plant floor.

The successful candidate will develop supervisors, drive accountability, and implement operational systems to support growth while fostering a culture of safety and teamwork.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent leadership experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Lead all Production, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Scheduling, and Workforce Management activities.
• Develop supervisors and department leaders through coaching, mentoring, and accountability.
• Build strong working relationships with hourly and salaried employees.
• Foster a culture centered on safety, teamwork, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Improve throughput, productivity, quality, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Monitor KPIs and drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives across the facility.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Operational Excellence

Capacity Planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

This position offers a highly competitive compensation package designed to attract top manufacturing leadership talent.

Base Salary: $150,000+, commensurate with experience and demonstrated results

Performance-Based Annual Bonus

Relocation Assistance Available

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Development Opportunities

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Plant Manager to lead all aspects of manufacturing operations for a growing packaging manufacturer in Michigan. This role is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and day-to-day management of the facility, including safety, production, quality, maintenance, labor, scheduling, and cost control. The successful candidate will be a visible leader on the plant floor who can improve throughput, build accountability, develop supervisors and future leaders, and implement the operational systems needed to support future growth.

What Success Looks Like

During the first 12 months, key priorities will include:

Increasing throughput and production capacity

Improving operational efficiency and OEE

Implementing SOPs, work instructions, and accountability systems

Developing supervisors and leadership capability

Supporting future shift expansion and workforce growth

Increasing KPI visibility and performance management

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all Production, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Scheduling, and Workforce Management activities.
• Develop supervisors and department leaders through coaching, mentoring, and accountability.
• Build strong working relationships with hourly and salaried employees.
• Foster a culture centered on safety, teamwork, accountability, and operational excellence.

Operational Excellence

• Improve throughput, productivity, quality, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Monitor and analyze plant KPIs, including downtime, scrap, waste, labor efficiency, and output.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement corrective actions to improve operational performance.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the facility.

Systems & Accountability

• Develop and maintain SOPs, work instructions, and standardized work processes.
• Implement KPI reporting and visual management systems.
• Establish clear expectations and accountability throughout the organization.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action efforts.

Maintenance & Reliability

• Oversee preventative maintenance and equipment reliability programs.
• Partner closely with maintenance teams to minimize downtime and maximize production output.
• Support equipment upgrades, process improvements, and capital projects.

Business Performance

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Scheduling, Quality, and Maintenance teams to achieve production goals.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and retention efforts.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, quality, GMP, product safety, and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience

Previous Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Production Manager, General Manager, or Site Leader experience

Proven success improving throughput, productivity, OEE, quality, and overall operational performance

Experience implementing SOPs, KPI reporting, visual management systems, and accountability processes

Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, maintenance, quality systems, production scheduling, and workforce leadership

Demonstrated success leading both hourly and salaried employees

Excellent leadership, communication, and employee-development skills

Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent leadership experience will be considered

Strongly Preferred Industry Experience

Candidates from corrugated packaging, flexible packaging, paper converting, and related manufacturing environments will also be considered.

Preferred Equipment Experience

Rotary Die Cutters

Lithographic Printing Equipment

Flexographic Printing Equipment

Preferred Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Operational Excellence

Capacity Planning

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who:

Has experience in packaging, folding carton, printing, paperboard, or converting environments

Has successfully improved throughput and operational performance

Knows how to build accountability without sacrificing culture

Is comfortable leading from the plant floor and developing future leaders

Can implement systems, structure, and discipline while maintaining employee engagement

Has proven track record of driving sustainable operational improvement

This is an outstanding opportunity for a manufacturing leader who enjoys building high-performing teams, improving operations, and making a visible impact on plant performance and culture.