Plant Manager

Guided Search Partners; Staunton (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An executive search firm is seeking a Plant Manager for a manufacturing facility in Staunton, Virginia. The ideal candidate is a transformational leader skilled in creating a people-centered culture. Responsibilities include leading a 200-employee operation, mentoring managers, and championing safety initiatives. The role demands a capable leader to build trust, improve efficiency, and unify diverse teams, ensuring long-term growth and stability for the facility. This opportunity is not just about management; it's about inspiring change and fostering a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven success managing and developing teams.
• Strong background in offset printing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall operation of the manufacturing facility.
• Build a cohesive site leadership team.
• Champion safety and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Mentor department managers for leadership development.
• Act as a visible leader for the organization across teams.

Skills

Empathy

Leadership in manufacturing

Change management

Motivational leadership

Job description

Guided Search Partners (GSP)

Guided Search Partners is an Executive Search firm built on Trust, Transparency, Specialization, and Long‑term Relationships.
We connect high‑performing professionals with organizations that value people, performance, and growth—helping leaders find roles where they can make an impact and build meaningful careers.

About the Opportunity

Our client’s facility is a 24/7 operation serving major food and beverage customers through highly customized, relationship‑driven packaging solutions. The site was privately held for many years before being acquired approximately five years ago, and it now operates as part of a broader consumer products division with deep, long‑standing customer partnerships.

This Plant Manager role exists at a pivotal moment. The site has experienced leadership turnover, with prior styles skewing heavily toward command‑and‑control—creating friction, eroding trust, and leaving teams disengaged. Senior leadership has acknowledged this dynamic and is aligned around the need for a different kind of leader: one who is visible, empathetic, and genuinely invested in people.

What makes this opportunity compelling is the upside. The plant is not a turnaround, but there is meaningful room for improvement across safety, efficiency, collaboration, and engagement. Strong systems, data, and structures are already in place. What’s needed now is a transformational leader who can unify the site, set a clear direction, and help people believe in what’s possible again.

This environment is ideal for a people‑centered Plant Manager—someone who brings energy, vision, and accountability, and who thrives by building trust, developing leaders, and creating momentum.

What You’ll Do

This role sits at the center of culture, performance, and leadership for the site.

• Lead the overall operation of a 200‑employee, 24/7 manufacturing facility serving high‑profile food and beverage customers.
• Build and develop a cohesive site leadership team, shifting the culture from siloed execution to shared ownership and collaboration.
• Establish clear structure, accountability, and operating rhythms while reinforcing empathy and respect on the plant floor.
• Champion safety, efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives, building on recent progress while addressing historical gaps.
• Provide hands‑on coaching and mentorship to department managers, helping them grow as leaders and people developers.
• Act as a visible cheerleader for the organization—celebrating wins, reinforcing “true north,” and helping teams see the path forward.
• Partner closely with cross‑functional leaders, including maintenance, quality, safety, production control, HR, finance, and customer service.
• Navig­ate workforce diversity, including a large hourly population, temp labor, and Spanish‑speaking employees, with clarity and care.

Who You Are

You are a transformational, people‑first leader who believes that results follow trust—not the other way around. You bring structure and accountability, but you lead with empathy, presence, and authenticity.

You’re comfortable walking the floor, listening first, and addressing hard issues directly. You understand how to motivate teams through change, rebuild credibility between hourly employees and management, and create real team chemistry. You are energized by the opportunity to coach leaders, unify departments, and help a capable workforce perform at its best.

Preferred Experience & Attributes Century>

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a manufacturing environment; printing industry experience is strongly preferred.
• Background in offset printing is highly valuable; broader printing exposure is also relevant.
• Proven success managing and developing direct reports and leadership teams.
• Experience providing structure around organization, accountability, and execution.
• Change management capability with a clear, motivating leadership presence.
• Track record of leading or sponsoring CI initiatives at the site or departmental level.
• A motivational, vision‑oriented leader who can ಹೊಸ—...text… (idea for placeholder) .

Why This Role Matters

This Plant Manager role is central to the future of the facility. You will work closely with senior leadership to reset how leadership shows up on the floor—demonstrating that people truly are the organization’s most valuable resource.

Your impact will be felt across safety, efficiency, engagement, and customer confidence. By rebuilding trust, aligning leaders, and creating clarity of purpose, you will help unlock the potential of a proud, capable workforce and position the plant for long‑term stability and growth.

There is momentum here. The systems exist. The customers are strong. The people want to succeed. The right leader can bring it all together.

Reporting Structure

• Direct reports include:
  • Maintenance Manager
  • Quality Manager
  • Three Department Managers
  • Safety / HSE Manager
  • Production Control Manager
• Dotted‑line partnership with:
  • Human Resources
  • Controller
  • Customer ServiceSkin? (Placeholder)