Plant Manager (56653)

Mill Rock Packaging Inc; Hutchinson (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

PTO and company holidays

401(k) with employer match

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

Mill Rock Packaging Inc. seeks a Plant Manager for our Hutchinson, MN facility. You will lead day-to-day operations, drive safety, quality, and efficiency, and engage teams to sustain continuous improvement on the production floor.

The role demands 10+ years in industrial manufacturing with strong leadership, data-driven decision making, and a hands-on management style that motivates staff and aligns with our Core Behaviors.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in industrial manufacturing, preferably in paper/packaging.
• 5+ years in production/operations leadership.
• Experience leading frontline teams and developing people.
• Proven ability to drive safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills.
• Experience using data and metrics to identify opportunities and drive improvements.
• Experience with Lean, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis, 5S, Six Sigma, or similar.
• Ability to communicate and influence at all levels; hands-on on the factory floor.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of the Hutchinson facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality production.
• Build strong relationships with employees and foster accountability, engagement, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain presence on the production floor, coaching leaders and team members in real time.
• Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with safety, quality, environmental, and operational requirements.
• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Quality, and other functions to meet customer expectations and business goals.
• Drive continuous improvement, monitor key metrics, and implement solutions to improve productivity, quality, and service.
• Champion lean production and standard work across the plant.
• Manage labor, operating expenses, and resources to achieve business and financial targets.
• Support capital projects and equipment improvements to strengthen long-term performance.
• Lead through Mill Rock Packaging's Core Behaviors and serve as a visible leader for the facility.

Skills

Operations leadership

Safety leadership

Lean manufacturing

People development

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations/Business/Manufacturing or related field

Job description

Get To Know Us

Mill Rock Packaging (MRP) is a growing U.S.-based packaging company and a market leader in designing, engineering, and producing high-end, sustainable, and customized graphic paperboard, folding carton, and commercial printing products. We serve customers across industries including food and beverage, technology, health and beauty, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Get To Know Us

Mill Rock Packaging (MRP) is a growing U.S.-based packaging company and a market leader in designing, engineering, and producing high-end, sustainable, and customized graphic paperboard, folding carton, and commercial printing products. We serve customers across industries including food and beverage, technology, health and beauty, pharmaceuticals, and more.

What sets us apart? Our culture is built on five core behaviors that guide everything we do:

• Lead with Safety – We put people first, always.
• Build Trust – We keep our promises and act with integrity.
• Innovate and Be Resilient – We embrace challenges and create solutions that raise the bar.
• Include and Collaborate – We believe diverse perspectives make us stronger.
• Raise the Bar – We strive for excellence in every detail.

If you're looking for a place where your ideas matter, your leadership makes a visible impact, and your work directly contributes to company success, we'd love to meet you.

How You'll Make An Impact

As our Plant Manager, you'll be based at our Hutchinson, Minnesota facility and will be responsible for leading the day-to-day operations and financials of the plant. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role where you'll drive safety, operational performance, quality, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement while developing a culture of accountability and continuous improvement for long term success.

Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

We're looking for a leader who enjoys being on the manufacturing floor, building relationships with employees, solving problems alongside the team, and creating an environment where people and the business can thrive.

This is not a desk-only leadership role. Successful candidates will be highly visible on the production floor, willing to work side-by-side with the team to remove obstacles, solve challenges, and drive results.

If you're the type of leader who leads by example, takes ownership, develops people, and isn't afraid to jump in when needed, this could be the opportunity for you.

What You'll Do

• Lead the daily operations of the Hutchinson facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality production.
• Build strong relationships with employees at all levels and foster a culture of accountability, engagement, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain a strong presence on the production floor, directly engaging with employees, observing operations, identifying improvement opportunities, and coaching leaders and team members in real time.
• Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with all safety, quality, environmental, and operational requirements.
• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Quality, and other functional teams to meet customer expectations and business objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement, monitor key operational metrics, and implement solutions that improve productivity, quality, efficiency, and service.
• Champion lean production systems and standard work across the plant.
• Manage labor, operating expenses, and plant resources to achieve business goals and financial targets.
• Support capital projects, equipment improvements, and operational initiatives that strengthen long-term business performance.
• Lead through Mill Rock Packaging's Core Behaviors and serve as a visible, trusted leader for the facility.

Basic Qualifications

What it takes to succeed:

• 10+ years of experience in an industrial manufacturing environment. Experience within the paper, packaging, printing, converting, or related manufacturing industries is preferred.
• Minimum of 5+ years of production, operations, or manufacturing leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading frontline teams and developing people in a manufacturing setting.
• Proven ability to drive safety, quality, productivity, and employee engagement results.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills.
• Experience utilizing data and performance metrics to identify opportunities and drive operational improvements.
• Experience with continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis, 5S, Six Sigma, or similar disciplines.
• Ability to effectively communicate and influence at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated leadership style characterized by visibility, accountability, approachability, and hands-on engagement within a manufacturing operation.

Preferred Requirements

We value diverse experiences and perspectives—they help us innovate every day. While these qualifications are preferred, they're not required.

• Experience within the folding carton or related manufacturing industry, i.e., paper, packaging, printing, converting, etc.
• Prior experience leading a plant, department, business unit, or major operational function.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, Manufacturing, or a related field.

Why You'll Love Working Here

Our Culture

We're stronger together. Safety comes first, and we believe our people, customers, and investors are the foundation of our success. Collaboration and respect drive everything we do.

Competitive Compensation

Your base pay will reflect factors like market location, experience, and skills. Many roles also include performance bonuses as part of the total compensation package.

Benefits That Matter

We offer a full range of benefits designed to support you and your family, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and company holidays
• 401(k) with employer match
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• And more!

The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the position's duties, responsibilities, or requirements.

Mill Rock Packaging is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.