Plant Manager

NPAworldwide; Rockingham (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

We are seeking a seasoned Plant Manager to lead a tissue/paper manufacturing operation in Rockingham, NC. You will be responsible for safety, quality, production, reliability, and financial performance, driving continuous improvement and leadership development.

The ideal candidate has deep papermaking expertise, proven leadership of paper machines, and a track record of improving underperforming operations through disciplined execution and data-driven problem solving.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or related field preferred.
• 10-15+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Paper manufacturing industry experience with paper machine operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations to achieve safety, quality, production and financial objectives.
• Drive safety culture with visible leadership, clear expectations and accountability.
• Improve equipment reliability via preventive/predictive maintenance and root cause analysis.
• Optimize paper machine performance, uptime, productivity and product quality.
• Manage plant financial performance including cost per ton, labor, materials and energy.
• Lead continuous improvement using data-driven problem solving for measurable results.
• Develop leadership and hourly teams through coaching, succession planning, and development.
• Build and execute recovery plans for underperforming operations with clear milestones.

Skills

Leadership experience

Data-driven problem-solving

Continuous improvement

Accountability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations/Manufacturing

Job description

• Lead all plant operations to achieve safety, quality, production, and financial objectives.
• Drive a strong safety culture through visible leadership, clear expectations, and accountability at every level of the organization.
• Improve equipment reliability through preventive and predictive maintenance, disciplined planning and scheduling, and root cause analysis.
• Optimize paper machine performance, equipment uptime, productivity, and product quality.
• Manage plant financial performance, including cost per ton, labor, maintenance, fiber, chemical, and energy costs.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using data-driven problem-solving methods to deliver measurable operational and financial results.
• Develop and strengthen leadership, technical, and hourly teams through coaching, accountability, succession planning, and employee development.
• Build and execute recovery plans for underperforming operations, establishing clear priorities, milestones, ownership, and measurable business impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations to achieve safety, quality, production, and financial objectives.
• Drive a strong safety culture through visible leadership, clear expectations, and accountability at every level of the organization.
• Improve equipment reliability through preventive and predictive maintenance, disciplined planning and scheduling, and root cause analysis.
• Optimize paper machine performance, equipment uptime, productivity, and product quality.
• Manage plant financial performance, including cost per ton, labor, maintenance, fiber, chemical, and energy costs.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using data-driven problem-solving methods to deliver measurable operational and financial results.
• Develop and strengthen leadership, technical, and hourly teams through coaching, accountability, succession planning, and employee development.
• Build and execute recovery plans for underperforming operations, establishing clear priorities, milestones, ownership, and measurable business impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or a related field preferred.
• 10-15+ years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Must have paper manufacturing industry experience and demonstrated technical knowledge of paper machine operations.
• Proven experience leading paper machine operations and delivering sustainable performance improvements.
• Demonstrated success managing operational turnarounds and improving underperforming facilities.
• Strong knowledge of papermaking processes, maintenance and reliability systems, continuous improvement, and plant financial management.
• Proven ability to lead large teams, develop talent, drive accountability, and successfully guide organizational change.

Why Is This a Great Opportunity

We are seeking an accomplished Plant Manager to lead all operations within a tissue and paper manufacturing facility in the Rockingham, North Carolina area. This highly visible leadership role is responsible for safety, quality, production, reliability, financial performance, and talent development. The ideal candidate brings deep papermaking expertise, proven leadership of paper machines, and a track record of improving underperforming operations through disciplined execution, data-driven problem-solving, and strong team development.