Plant Manager - Sardis, MS

ZipRecruiter; Sardis (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in manufacturing is seeking a Plant Manager to oversee daily operations, ensuring safety, quality, and productivity. The role includes managing KPIs, driving continuous improvement, and leading a team to achieve operational excellence.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of plant or operations management experience.
• Experience with injection molding and automation equipment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all production and warehousing operations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing throughput.
• Manage annual budgeting and financial performance for operational costs.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical Skills

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Job DescriptionJob Description

CREO Group

Job Title: Plant Manager

Job Summary: The Plant Manager is responsible for the daily leadership, management, and coordination of all manufacturing and warehousing operations within the plant. This role ensures performance goals are met in safety, quality, productivity, cost, and employee engagement. The Plant Manager is directly accountable for the plant’s overall performance and is expected to drive a culture of safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. This role includes oversight of production KPIs, including all three components of OEE: Availability, Performance, and Quality.

Hours Required

• Full-time | 40+ hours per week
• Availability for extended or off-shift hours as necessary

Major Responsibilities

1. Lead, plan, schedule, and coordinate all production and warehousing operations.
2. Champion a culture of safety, ensuring a compliant, OSHA-regulated workplace and enforcing all company policies.
3. Guide and mentor the processing team in injection molding best practices, including robotics and auxiliary equipment.
4. Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on increasing throughput, reducing downtime, and minimizing waste.
5. Establish, track, and act upon plant KPIs with a focus on improving OEE (Availability, Performance, Quality).
6. Analyze plant performance metrics and drive corrective actions to improve cost-efficiency and product quality.
7. Implement visual management systems and standard work to promote operator engagement and process consistency.
8. Manage annual budgeting, forecasting, CAPEX planning and financial performance for operational costs; identify cost reduction opportunities.
9. Oversee production capacity planning and resource alignment to support business growth.
10. Lead SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) and other initiatives to reduce tool changeover times.
11. Direct cross-functional teams and manage multiple high-priority projects to successful completion.
12. Strengthen and standardize quality control protocols to ensure compliance with internal and external standards.
13. Participate in tooling and product design reviews to ensure manufacturability and efficiency.
14. Lead R&D initiatives to implement new molding technologies, resin handling systems, and cooling strategies.
15. Manage vendor and supplier relationships and coordinate technical services as needed.
16. Oversee warehouse operations, including inventory accuracy, layout optimization, and process control.
17. Develop and implement standardized work procedures and visual controls across plant and warehouse.
18. Train, coach, and develop employees at all levels; lead workforce engagement and succession planning.
19. Perform additional duties as assigned to support company objectives.

Skills Required

1. Bachelor’s degree (Engineering, Operations, or related field).
2. 10+ years of plant or operations management experience, preferably in injection molding.
3. Experience with injection molding, auxiliary equipment, automation equipment, resin delivery systems and warehousing.
4. Proven experience leading Lean, Kaizen, or Six Sigma initiatives (certification a plus)
5. Proficient in Microsoft Office; experience with ERP/MRP systems.
6. Must be able to travel domestically.
7. Personal Leadership – Leads by envisioning the future, engaging others, motivating employees, and enabling self and others to develop and execute plans to deliver Strategy.
8. Strong analytical and financial skills, including budget and P&L responsibility
9. Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze root causes and implement long-term solutions.
10. Comfortable with data-driven decision making and using production metrics to guide operational decisions.

Physical Demands

1. Long extended periods of work that includes both standing, sitting, and walking
2. Light work that includes moving objects up to 25 pounds