Plant Manager: Magnet Wire Manufacturing Leader

Rea-Magnet-Wire; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Rea-Magnet-Wire in Lafayette, IN seeks a results-driven plant leader to oversee magnet wire manufacturing, directing safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement while guiding cross-functional teams across production, maintenance, engineering, quality, and supply chain to meet business objectives.

This role requires a disciplined problem-solving approach, lean manufacturing expertise, data-driven decision making, budgeting and capital planning, and a proven ability to develop a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including leading teams in a plant or large production environment.
• Magnet wire and/or copper forming into shaped wire manufacturing experience preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing safety, quality, production, maintenance, and cost performance in a manufacturing setting.
• Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Experience with budgeting, financial performance management, and capital planning.
• Strong leadership, communication, coaching, and team development skills.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make sound operational decisions.
• Working knowledge of quality systems, process control, and manufacturing compliance requirements.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and standard business software.

Responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations with full accountability for safety, environmental compliance, quality, productivity, delivery performance, and cost management.
• Drive a strong safety culture by ensuring compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, company policies, and safe work practices; lead incident prevention, investigation, and corrective actions.
• Oversee the production of magnet wire products, including coordination of drawing, annealing, insulating, enameling, winding, packaging, and related support processes, as applicable to the facility.
• Ensure production schedules are achieved while maintaining customer specifications, quality standards, and on-time delivery requirements.
• Direct plant leadership across production, maintenance, engineering, quality, warehousing, and support functions to achieve operational goals.
• Develop and execute plant operating plans, budgets, capital plans, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with company strategy.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators such as safety performance, scrap, yield, throughput, downtime, labor efficiency, customer complaints, and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Lead efforts to reduce waste, improve process capability, optimize equipment utilization, and control manufacturing costs.
• Partner with engineering and quality teams to maintain process discipline and product consistency for magnet wire applications requiring precise electrical, dimensional, and coating performance.
• Ensure preventive and predictive maintenance systems are effective and that critical equipment reliability is sustained.
• Support new product introductions, process changes, and capital projects to improve capacity, quality, and operational performance.
• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, communication, and employee involvement through visible leadership and regular plant presence.
• Hire, coach, develop, and evaluate plant leadership and workforce talent to strengthen bench depth and succession planning.
• Collaborate with supply chain, customer service, finance, human resources, and corporate leadership to align plant performance with business needs.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts for operational issues, quality concerns, and customer escalations.
• Ensure compliance with company systems, audits, documentation requirements, and applicable customer or industry standards.
• Prepare and present plant performance updates, forecasts, and improvement plans to senior leadership.
• Promote housekeeping, 5S, and disciplined operating standards across the facility.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Data analysis

Budgeting

Leadership

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Rea-Magnet-Wire in Lafayette, IN seeks a results-driven plant leader to oversee magnet wire manufacturing, directing safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement while guiding cross-functional teams across production, maintenance, engineering, quality, and supply chain to meet business objectives.

This role requires a disciplined problem-solving approach, lean manufacturing expertise, data-driven decision making, budgeting and capital planning, and a proven ability to develop a