Plant Manager

Appleton Finn; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Appleton Finn is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead our manufacturing facility and off-site warehouse operations. The role requires a hands-on leader who can drive safety, quality, and continuous improvement while scaling production capacity.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, a track record of growing plants, and strong experience in warehousing, maintenance, and logistics. Excellent communication and strategic planning skills are essential for success.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive manufacturing operations experience with plant leadership.
• Proven track record of growing plant operations and increasing capacity.
• Experience managing manufacturing, warehousing, maintenance, and logistics.
• Strong safety program development and regulatory compliance background.

Responsibilities

• Lead the manufacturing facility and off-site warehouse operations.
• Align production schedules with demand, inventory, and growth.
• Drive Lean/Six Sigma and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and manage budgets, KPIs, and cost controls.
• Build and mentor a high-performing leadership team.
• Ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance across site.

Skills

10+ years manufacturing leadership

Plant operations growth

Safety program development

Lean/Six Sigma knowledge

Executive or cross-functional team 领导

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Production scheduling software

Inventory management systems

Job description

We are seeking a highly experienced, results-driven Plant Manager to lead all aspects of our manufacturing facility and off-site warehouse operations.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, with a proven track record of successfully growing plant operations, increasing production capacity, improving operational efficiency, and building high-performing teams.

This is a hands-on leadership position with full responsibility for the day-to-day performance, safety, productivity, quality, and continuous improvement of the entire site and off-site warehouse.

The successful candidate must demonstrate exceptional leadership capabilities, strong operational discipline, and an unwavering commitment to workplace safety.

Key Responsibilities

1. Plant Leadership & Operational Management

• Provide overall leadership and management of the entire manufacturing facility and off-site warehouse.
• Direct daily operations across production, manufacturing, warehousing, shipping, receiving, maintenance, and facility management.
• Establish clear operational objectives, performance standards, and accountability across all departments.
• Ensure manufacturing schedules align with customer demand, inventory requirements, and business growth objectives.
• Develop and execute strategies to increase production capacity while maintaining quality, safety, and cost efficiency.
• Build a culture of operational excellence, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

2. Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS)

• Maintain full leadership accountability for workplace safety throughout the manufacturing facility and off-site warehouse.
• Develop, implement, and enforce comprehensive safety policies, procedures, and training programs.
• Ensure compliance with applicable OSHA, EPA, and other federal, state, and local regulatory requirements.
• Oversee safe handling, storage, and movement of raw materials, chemicals, and finished products.
• Conduct regular safety inspections, risk assessments, incident investigations, and corrective action reviews.
• Establish measurable safety performance objectives and proactively reduce workplace hazards.
• Promote a safety-first culture in which every employee understands their responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment.

3. Manufacturing Growth & Continuous Improvement

• Demonstrate the ability to successfully scale manufacturing operations to support increased sales and customer demand.
• Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and unnecessary operating costs.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Improve labor productivity, equipment utilization, manufacturing throughput, and on-time delivery performance.
• Develop long-term production capacity plans, including staffing, equipment, facility utilization, and capital investment requirements.
• Lead operational improvement projects with clearly measurable financial and performance results.

4. Warehouse & Inventory Management

• Assume full operational responsibility for on-site and off-site warehouse operations.
• Ensure accurate inventory management, material handling, storage, and distribution processes.
• Optimize warehouse space utilization, inventory accuracy, and material flow.
• Coordinate production and warehouse activities to ensure efficient movement of raw materials and finished goods.
• Establish controls to reduce inventory discrepancies, material damage, waste, and shipping errors.
• Ensure warehouse operations maintain the same safety, quality, and performance standards as the manufacturing facility.
• Lead, mentor, and develop production supervisors, warehouse leadership, maintenance personnel, and other operational employees.
• Establish clear expectations, performance objectives, and accountability throughout the organization.
• Build a strong management team capable of supporting continued business expansion.
• Develop succession plans and employee training programs.
• Partner with Human Resources on staffing, recruitment, employee development, and performance management.
• Foster a professional, respectful, results-oriented workplace culture.

6. Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure manufacturing and warehouse operations consistently meet established product quality standards.
• Work closely with Quality Assurance and technical departments to address production issues and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain operational compliance with applicable safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Support standard operating procedures, process documentation, and continuous quality improvements.

7. Financial & Performance Management

• Develop and manage plant operating budgets, labor costs, and operating expenses.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising safety, quality, or customer service.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) across all operational departments.
• Provide regular reporting to executive leadership regarding plant performance, operational challenges, and improvement initiatives.
• Evaluate and recommend capital expenditures, equipment investments, and facility improvements.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including significant plant leadership and management responsibility.
• Proven track record of successfully growing manufacturing operations, increasing production capacity, and improving operational performance.
• Demonstrated experience managing an entire manufacturing facility, including production, warehousing, maintenance, and logistics.
• Strong, documented background in workplace safety, regulatory compliance, and the development of effective safety programs.
• Experience leading large, diverse teams and developing effective supervisors and department managers.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, inventory management, production planning, and operational cost controls.
• Demonstrated success implementing continuous improvement initiatives and measurable productivity improvements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively with executive leadership and employees at all levels.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with changing production priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Experience in fragrance manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, specialty chemicals, or related process manufacturing industries.
• Knowledge of OSHA requirements, chemical handling, hazardous materials, and environmental compliance.
• Experience with ERP systems, production scheduling, and inventory management systems.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification.
• Experience managing multiple operational locations or off-site warehouse facilities.
• Demonstrated involvement in plant expansion, equipment modernization, or major operational transformation projects.

Key Performance Indicators

The Plant Manager will be evaluated against measurable results, including:

• Workplace safety performance and regulatory compliance.
• Manufacturing output, throughput, and capacity growth.
• Production efficiency and labor productivity.
• On-time production completion and customer delivery.
• Inventory accuracy and warehouse efficiency.
• Manufacturing costs, waste reduction, and operating budget performance.
• Product quality and reduction of manufacturing errors.
• Employee retention, development, and departmental accountability.
• Successful execution of continuous improvement and capital improvement initiatives.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Looking for a strong operational leader- not simply an administrator.

The successful candidate will have personally led manufacturing growth, improved production performance, implemented meaningful safety improvements, and demonstrated the ability to hold teams accountable for results.

We are seeking an individual who is comfortable spending significant time on the manufacturing floor, identifying problems firsthand, developing practical solutions, and driving measurable improvements.

The ability to build and lead a safe, efficient, scalable manufacturing operation is essential to success in this position.