Plant Manager

American Polymer Company; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

American Polymer Company (APC) seeks a Plant Manager for our Atascosa County, TX facility. You will lead all plant operations, drive safety, quality, and on-time delivery, and champion continuous improvement across production, maintenance, and engineering teams.

You will develop and execute production plans, manage budgets, and build a high-performing culture focused on accountability, teamwork, and customer satisfaction. This role requires strong leadership and Lean manufacturing expertise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years managing supervisors and production teams.
• Experience leading a manufacturing facility with multiple departments.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles.
• Experience managing production scheduling and capacity planning.
• Knowledge of OSHA regulations and manufacturing safety practices.
• Strong financial and analytical skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations to meet safety, quality, delivery, and financial objectives.
• Develop and execute production plans to meet customer demand while maximizing efficiency.
• Establish plant goals, KPIs, and performance metrics.
• Drive a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure production schedules are achieved while remaining flexible to meet changing needs.
• Coordinate activities between Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Shipping.
• Maximize production output and equipment utilization.
• Improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce waste.
• Optimize labor utilization and scheduling.
• Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure accurate production reporting and inventory transactions.
• Champion a safety-first culture and ensure OSHA compliance.
• Lead safety meetings, audits, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Maintain a clean, safe manufacturing environment.
• Ensure products meet APC quality standards and customer expectations.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to resolve issues and drive CAPAs.
• Promote a culture of quality built into the process.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives and drive continuous improvement.
• Improve throughput, cycle times, and productivity.
• Reduce scrap, rework, downtime, and costs.
• Identify automation and process improvement opportunities.
• Utilize data to drive operational decisions.
• Ensure preventive maintenance programs are executed and equipment uptime is maximized.
• Plan capital improvements and coordinate equipment investments.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing leadership

Lean manufacturing

Production scheduling

OSHA compliance

Financial & analytical

Communication

Organizational ability

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, Operations Management, or equivalent

Tools

ERP/MRP system

Six Sigma or Lean certification

Automation initiatives

Job description

Plant Manager

Location: Atascosa County, TX

Position Summary

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and profitability of the manufacturing facility. This role provides strategic and hands‑on leadership for all plant operations, including production, safety, quality, maintenance, inventory, shipping, workforce development, and continuous improvement.

The Plant Manager ensures the facility consistently meets production schedules while maintaining APC's commitment to quality, customer satisfaction, employee safety, and operational excellence. This position is responsible for building a high‑performing culture focused on accountability, teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement.

At American Polymer Company (APC), we manufacture innovative underground utility enclosure solutions that protect critical infrastructure across North America. We believe we are only as good as our last production shift, and we continually strive to improve every aspect of our business.

Essential Responsibilities

Leadership & Operations

• Lead all day‑to‑day manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and financial objectives.
• Develop and execute production plans to meet customer demand while maximizing efficiency.
• Establish plant goals, KPIs, and performance metrics.
• Drive a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure production schedules are achieved while maintaining flexibility to meet changing customer needs.
• Coordinate activities between Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Shipping.

Production Management

• Maximize production output and equipment utilization.
• Improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce waste.
• Optimize labor utilization and scheduling.
• Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Ensure accurate production reporting and inventory transactions.

Safety & Environmental

• Champion a safety‑first culture throughout the organization.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and all federal, state, and local regulations.
• Lead safety meetings, audits, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe manufacturing environment.

Quality

• Ensure products consistently meet APC quality standards and customer expectations.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality teams to resolve production issues.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions.
• Promote a culture of "quality built into the process."

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
• Improve throughput, cycle times, and productivity.
• Reduce scrap, rework, downtime, and manufacturing costs.
• Identify automation and process improvement opportunities.
• Utilize data to drive operational decisions.

Maintenance & Equipment

• Ensure preventive maintenance programs are executed.
• Maximize equipment uptime and reliability.
• Plan capital improvements and equipment investments.
• Coordinate equipment repairs and facility improvements.

People Leadership

• Recruit, hire, develop, and retain manufacturing personnel.
• Coach supervisors and department leaders.
• Conduct performance evaluations and establish employee development plans.
• Build a positive, high‑performance culture aligned with APC's core values.
• Promote teamwork, communication, and employee engagement.

Financial Responsibility

• Develop and manage plant operating budgets.
• Control manufacturing costs.
• Improve productivity while maintaining product quality.
• Monitor labor, material, and overhead expenses.
• Support strategic growth initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Plant Manager is accountable for achieving measurable improvements in:

• Safety performance.
• On‑time delivery.
• Production output.
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Scrap and rework reduction.
• Inventory accuracy.
• Manufacturing cost per unit.
• Labor productivity.
• Customer quality performance.
• Employee retention and engagement.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, Operations Management, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years managing supervisors and production teams.
• Experience leading a manufacturing facility with multiple departments.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles.
• Experience managing production scheduling and capacity planning.
• Knowledge of OSHA regulations and manufacturing safety practices.
• Strong financial and analytical skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational abilities.

Preferred

• Experience in polymer, composites, precast concrete, plastics, fiberglass, or related manufacturing.
• ERP/MRP system experience.
• Six Sigma or Lean certification.
• Experience with automation and process improvement initiatives.

Core Competencies

• Leadership
• Accountability
• Continuous Improvement
• Problem Solving
• Strategic Thinking
• Decision Making
• Communication
• Team Development
• Customer Focus
• Operational Excellence
• Change Management

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment.
• Frequent walking throughout the facility.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to stand for extended periods.
• Occasional travel to APC manufacturing facilities or customer locations.

Why Join APC

American Polymer Company is a growing American manufacturer of innovative underground utility enclosure products serving the water, telecommunications, electrical, gas, irrigation, transportation, and infrastructure markets. We are committed to delivering exceptional quality, innovative solutions, and outstanding customer service while investing in our employees, manufacturing capabilities, and the communities we serve.