Plant Manager

People Capital Executive Search; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Our client seeks a Plant Manager to provide strategic and day-to-day leadership for production and operating processes within a single plant of moderate complexity. You will drive safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant operations while delivering results across safety, quality, production, cost, and operational effectiveness.

You will lead and develop operations and maintenance teams, set priorities, drive accountability, and identify opportunities to improve plant reliability and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent experience considered.
• Minimum of 10 years in Operations with at least 5 years in a Plant Manager role.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for plant operations, setting priorities aligned to safety, quality, production, and financial targets.
• Champion a strong safety culture and enforce safety standards and goals.
• Ensure compliance with internal/external procedures and regulatory standards.
• Lead and hold teams accountable for safety, quality, production, cost, reliability and performance targets.
• Set operational priorities for a moderate-complexity plant balancing short-term needs with longer-term objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across plant processes including manufacturing, quality control, safety and maintenance.
• Develop and coach operations and maintenance staff, building capability and accountability.
• Make talent decisions related to hiring, development, performance management, and succession planning.
• Collaborate with maintenance, quality, safety, supply chain, engineering and other partners to resolve challenges and achieve site objectives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Operations / Supply Chain / Food Science / Business or related field

Job description

Our client is a family company committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. We sit at the heart of the supply chain, partnering with producers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. By providing customers with life’s essentials, we enable businesses to grow, communities to prosper, and consumers to live well.

Job Purpose and Impact

The Plant Manager will provide strategic and day-to-day operational leadership for production and operating processes within a single plant of moderate complexity. This role is responsible for driving safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant operations while delivering results across safety, quality, production, cost, and operational effectiveness.

The Plant Manager will lead and develop operations and maintenance teams, establish operational priorities, drive accountability for performance, and identify opportunities to improve plant reliability and efficiency. This role requires the ability to lead through others, make sound operational decisions, manage competing priorities, and drive continuous improvement in a plant environment.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for plant operations, establishing priorities and ensuring execution aligns with business, production, safety, quality, and financial objectives.
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure employee, product, process, and environmental safety standards and goals are consistently implemented and maintained.
• Ensure compliance with internal and external operating procedures, regulatory requirements, and corporate environment, health, safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Lead and hold teams accountable for operational performance, including safety, quality, production, cost, reliability, and established performance targets.
• Establish and deploy operational priorities for a single plant of moderate complexity, balancing short-term production requirements with longer‑term operational objectives.
• Lead strategic and tactical operations and quality initiatives to ensure customer requirements, product specifications, and quality standards are consistently achieved.
• Manage and control operating expenses, ensuring direct reports understand performance expectations and are accountable for achieving established financial and operational targets.
• Identify and lead operational efficiency and continuous improvement initiatives across plant processes, including manufacturing systems, quality control, safety, production reliability, maintenance, and operator best practices.
• Lead, coach, and develop operations and maintenance employees and leaders, building team capability and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Make and influence talent decisions related to hiring, development, performance management, succession planning, and disciplinary actions for operations and maintenance personnel.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with maintenance, quality, safety, supply chain, engineering, and other business partners to resolve operational challenges and achieve site objectives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE,TRAINING & EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Food Science, Business or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• Minimum of 10 years in Operations with 5 years of Plant Manager experience