PLANT MANAGER

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc.; Rockingham (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc. is seeking an experienced Plant Manager for a tissue and paper manufacturing operation in Rockingham, NC.

The role requires hands-on leadership to drive safety, reliability, quality and cost performance across a large facility. Ideal candidates will have 10–15+ years in manufacturing leadership with direct papermaking and paper machine operations experience, and a track record of operational turnarounds.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing or a related field.
• 10–15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Must have direct paper manufacturing experience, including demonstrated knowledge of paper machine operations.
• Proven experience delivering sustainable improvements in performance, reliability and quality.
• Demonstrated success leading plant turnaround/recovery initiatives.
• Strong understanding of papermaking processes, maintenance and reliability systems, plant operations and financial management.
• Experience managing key manufacturing metrics, including productivity, equipment uptime and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations to achieve established safety, quality, production, reliability and financial objectives.
• Build and reinforce a strong safety culture through visible leadership, coaching and accountability at all levels.
• Oversee plant performance and ensure operations are aligned with productivity, quality and cost targets.
• Optimize paper machine performance, equipment uptime, production output and finished-product quality.
• Improve equipment reliability through preventive and predictive maintenance, planning and scheduling, and root cause analysis.
• Manage and improve plant financial performance, including cost-per-ton, labour, maintenance, fibre, chemical and energy costs.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts using structured, data-driven problem-solving methodologies.
• Develop and execute recovery or turnaround plans for underperforming operations with clear milestones and measurable outcomes.
• Build, coach and strengthen plant leadership, technical and hourly teams through development and accountability.
• Partner with maintenance, production, quality and leadership teams for cross-functional alignment.

Skills

Leadership

Safety culture

Operations management

Paper manufacturing

Paper machine operations

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing

Tools

Maintenance systems

Job description

Location: Rockingham, North Carolina, USA

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc. is currently recruiting for an experienced PLANT MANAGER on behalf of our client, a well-established tissue and paper manufacturing operation located in the Rockingham, North Carolina area.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for a proven manufacturing executive with deep paper manufacturing and paper machine operations experience. Our client is seeking a hands‑on, results‑driven leader who can take full ownership of plant performance, strengthen operational discipline, and lead the facility to improved results across safety, quality, production, reliability, cost and people development.

The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of plant operations and will play a key role in driving performance improvements, stabilizing underperforming areas, and building a strong culture of accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This role is ideal for a seasoned Plant Manager or senior operations leader who understands the complexity of paper manufacturing and has a track record of improving plant performance through strong leadership, technical knowledge, disciplined execution and data‑driven decision‑making.

The Plant Manager will oversee the day‑to‑day and strategic leadership of the facility, ensuring the plant operates safely, efficiently and profitably while developing both leadership and frontline teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead all plant operations to achieve established safety, quality, production, reliability and financial objectives.
• Build and reinforce a strong safety culture through visible leadership, clear expectations, coaching and accountability at all levels of the organization.
• Oversee plant performance and ensure operations are aligned with productivity, quality and cost targets.
• Optimize paper machine performance, equipment uptime, production output and finished‑product quality.
• Improve equipment reliability through strong maintenance systems, including preventive and predictive maintenance, planning and scheduling, and root cause analysis.
• Manage and improve plant financial performance, including cost‑per‑ton, labour, maintenance, fibre, chemical and energy costs.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts using structured, data‑driven problem‑solving methodologies to improve operational and financial results.
• Develop and execute recovery or turnaround plans for underperforming operations, establishing clear priorities, ownership, milestones and measurable outcomes.
• Build, coach and strengthen plant leadership, technical and hourly teams through employee development, performance management, succession planning and accountability.
• Partner with maintenance, production, quality and leadership teams to ensure cross‑functional alignment and effective execution of plant priorities.
• Establish a culture focused on performance, engagement, ownership and continuous improvement.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a strong plant leader with deep technical and operational knowledge of paper manufacturing, particularly paper machine operations, who can lead a large team and drive measurable business results.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing or a related field is preferred.
• 10–15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Must have direct paper manufacturing experience, including demonstrated technical knowledge of paper machine operations.
• Proven experience leading paper machine operations and delivering sustainable improvements in performance, reliability and quality.
• Demonstrated success improving underperforming facilities or leading plant turnaround/recovery initiatives.
• Strong understanding of papermaking processes, maintenance and reliability systems, plant operations and financial management.
• Experience managing key manufacturing metrics, including productivity, equipment uptime, cost control and quality performance.
• Proven ability to lead large teams, develop talent, drive accountability and guide organizational change effectively.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence performance at all levels of the plant.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on Plant Manager who combines strong technical knowledge of papermaking with the leadership capability to improve results, develop people and create operational stability.

You are someone who:

• Leads from the front and creates credibility on the plant floor.
• Understands the operational and financial drivers of a paper manufacturing facility.
• Knows how to improve reliability, productivity and quality through disciplined execution.
• Uses data to identify issues, solve problems and drive decisions.
• Can build structure, accountability and consistency within an operation.
• Develops leaders and teams rather than simply managing day‑to‑day performance.
• Has the confidence and experience to lead change in an underperforming or evolving environment.

WHY CONSIDER THIS OPPORTUNITY?

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a tissue and paper manufacturing operation in a high‑visibility plant leadership role where you will have direct influence over the performance and future success of the facility.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Take full leadership responsibility for a tissue and paper manufacturing operation.
• Lead meaningful improvements in safety, reliability, quality and cost performance.
• Drive measurable operational turnaround and business results.
• Build and strengthen leadership and frontline teams.
• Make a visible impact in a key manufacturing facility.

Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc. may use artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to support certain aspects of our recruitment process, including the screening and assessment of applications. These tools are used to assist with organizing, reviewing and evaluating candidate information and do not replace human judgment or decision‑making.