Plant Manager

Wakefield Midwest, Inc.; Town of Withee (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Wakefield Thermal, part of The Heico Companies, seeks an experienced plant leader to direct daily extrusion operations, safety, quality, and finance initiatives. You will drive Lean/Six Sigma projects, manage budgets, and build high-performing teams to meet aggressive delivery and efficiency targets.

The role requires deep extrusion expertise, ERP/MRP familiarity, and a track record of strategic plant leadership in a manufacturing setting.

Qualifications

• 15+ years progressive management/leadership experience in an extrusion environment.
• Strong understanding of extrusion processes, tooling, and materials.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement tools.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production planning (Dynamics AX) a plus.
• Proficient use of MS Office, Exceptional Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA and environmental regulations.
• Direct and manage daily plant operations, including extrusion, fabrication, secondary processes, maintenance, quality, and logistics.
• Ensure production schedules are met while optimizing throughput, yield, and efficiency.
• Monitor KPIs and implement corrective actions.
• Develop and manage plant budget, identify cost-saving opportunities, and support capital planning.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of leaders and individual contributors.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Sales and plant leadership to ensure customer satisfaction and on-time delivery.

Skills

Extrusion leadership

Lean Six Sigma

ERP/MRP familiarity

MS Excel proficiency

Strategic leadership

Education

BA/BS in business or operations management

Advanced degree desirable

Tools

Dynamics AX

MS Office

Job description

Wakefield Thermal is part of the Heico Companies, and in aggregate, Heico's businesses generate more than $3.2 billion in revenues. Wakefield Thermal is a global leader in innovative thermal management solutions for a diverse range of markets. Building on over four decades of leadership and experience, Wakefield Thermal designs, manufactures, and sells thermal management products that remove excess heat generated by electronic components.

Our Mission: Our businesses have made an all-encompassing commitment across all levels of the organization to never sacrifice safety. Deliver industry leading quality, and on-time delivery while providing an exceptional customer experience. Position ourselves as a leader in the industry through technological advancements and supply chain excellence. Promote a culture of success and excellence through accountability, collaboration, engagement, and shared belief in our vision.

Note: This job description provides an outline of the essential functions and qualifications necessary for this position. It is not all inclusive and duties may change, be added or deleted according to business needs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA and environmental regulations
• Lead incident investigations and implement preventative measures
• Maintain compliance with all regulatory, company, and industry standards
• Champion HEICO EH&S initiatives and training programs

Operational Leadership

• Direct and manage daily plant operations, including extrusion, fabrication, secondary processes, maintenance, quality, and logistics
• Ensure production schedules are met while optimizing throughput, yield, and efficiency
• Monitor essential KPIs (OTD, scrap, equipment downtime, labor efficiency) and implement corrective actions

Quality Management

• Ensure products meet customer specifications and quality standards
• Collaborate with Quality team on root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions
• Drive continuous improvement in scrap reduction and process capability

Financial Performance

• Develop and manage plant budget, including labor, materials, and overhead costs
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and improve operational efficiency
• Support capital planning, including equipment upgrades and expansion projects
• Be an active participant in the annual strategic planning process and drive the business towards those goals and objectives

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of leaders and individual contributors
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement
• Oversee hiring, training, performance management, and succession planning

Process & Continuous Improvement

• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar initiatives
• Optimize extrusion processes (temperature control, die design, material flow, etc.)
• Implement best practices to improve productivity and reduce waste

Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales and plant leadership team to ensure customer satisfaction
• Participate in customer visits, audits, and technical discussions
• Ensure on-time delivery and responsiveness to customer needs
• Work with other business unit leaders within TSS on cross functional projects/initiatives

EXPERIENCE:

• BA/BS business or operations management preferred, advanced degree highly desirable
• 15+ years progressive management/leadership experience in an extrusion environment
• Strong understanding of extrusion processes, tooling, and materials
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement tools
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production planning (Dynamics AX) a plus
• Proficient use of MS Office, Exceptional Excel skills

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Building Effective Teams
• Customer Focus
• Drive for Results
• Managing with vision and purpose
• Strategic Agility

E/O/V

Heico has a history of success. Since its founding over 40 years ago The Heico Companies has grown from a single business to over 80 separate companies through a strategic acquisition policy, and by reinvesting its earnings into internal growth and new prospects. Historically talented at restoring distressed companies, Heico now strategically targets acquisitions that will complement its ever-growing portfolio of companies in manufacturing, construction, and industrial services.

These four core operations are organized into groups: Metal Processing Group, Construction Solutions Group, Applied Solutions Group, and Industrial Technologies Group. Once acquired, new Heico companies are assigned to a group and run on a stand-ase basis, allowing for great independence as well as the opportunity to share knowledge about markets, production processes, and management practices across other Heico groups and companies. Each Group has its own corporate team.

Heico continues to seek out new opportunities and maintain its standard of success. The Heico Companies has remained a privately held company since its creation and maintains a majority ownership in each of its operations, which generates more than $3.3 billion dollars in revenues. Many of our businesses are certified Woman-owned Business Enterprises (WBE).

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.