Plant Operations Leader | Continuous Improvement & Safety

Aspire Talent Solutions; New Milford (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspire Talent Solutions is seeking an experienced Operations Manager for a manufacturing client. The role directs plant operations, including production, quality, purchasing, maintenance, logistics, supply chain, and inventory control to meet safety, delivery, and cost goals.

You will lead a high-performing team, optimize schedules and budgets, and partner with engineering and quality to drive continuous improvement while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in a manufacturing environment.
• At least 5 years of operations or supply chain management experience in a managerial or leadership capacity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to define problems, collect and analyze data, establish facts, and drive sound conclusions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with senior management and cross-functional teams.
• Valid driver's license.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or Epicor.
• Familiarity with production tracking, MRP, and data visualization tools such as Power BI is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead plant operations across production, quality assurance, purchasing, maintenance, logistics, and supply chain management.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that support productivity, safety, quality, delivery, and cost-efficiency goals.
• Monitor manufacturing KPIs, including throughput, yield, downtime, and on-time delivery, and initiate corrective improvements.
• Manage manufacturing schedules, staffing levels, and resource allocation to meet customer and production demand.
• Develop and execute production schedules to support timely order fulfillment and efficient utilization of labor and equipment.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with applicable OSHA and environmental requirements.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action processes for production issues and non-conformances.
• Partner with engineering, quality, and other functional teams to support seamless operations and continuous improvement.
• Develop, monitor, and control operating budgets and capital expenditures.
• Recruit, mentor, develop, and manage a high-performing operations team.
• Contribute to strategic planning related to production capacity, resource allocation, and process improvement.
• Maintain inventory accuracy and coordinate with supply chain teams to ensure timely procurement of materials.
• Lead operational audits and support compliance with internal policies and applicable external certifications, including ISO and FDA requirements where relevant.
• Perform other duties as required.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

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

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Epicor

Power BI

Job description

Aspire Talent Solutions is seeking an experienced Operations Manager for a manufacturing client. The role directs plant operations, including production, quality, purchasing, maintenance, logistics, supply chain, and inventory control to meet safety, delivery, and cost goals.

You will lead a high-performing team, optimize schedules and budgets, and partner with engineering and quality to drive continuous improvement while ensuring regulatory compliance.