Plant Operations Manager

Hawkins HR Consulting, LLC; Kentucky; On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) coverage beginning day one

Generous paid time off

Relocation assistance

Job summary

A leading manufacturing organization in Kentucky is seeking a Plant Operations Manager to elevate performance within a high-volume environment. This strategic leadership position focuses on championing a safety-first culture, driving continuous improvement, and delivering operational excellence. The successful candidate will possess a bachelor's degree and 3–5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, with a proven ability to inspire teams and transform cultures. This role offers comprehensive benefits, generous paid time off, and significant opportunities for career advancement.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in a high-volume environment.
• Experience in settings with heavy equipment and variable temperatures.
• Proven success in transforming work cultures through influencing and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Champion safety-first culture with ongoing training and safety practices.
• Support and develop a large team fostering accountability and respect.
• Deliver against operational KPIs and drive performance-focused culture.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Servant leadership

Data-driven decision making

Lean methodologies

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field

Job description

Hawkins HR Consulting, LLC provided pay range

This range is provided by Hawkins HR Consulting, LLC. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$125,000.00/yr - $145,000.00/yr

Plant Operations Manager Opportunity

High-Volume, Growth-Focused Manufacturing Environment

Our client, a rapidly expanding mid-sized, non-union manufacturing organization, is seeking an accomplished Plant Operations Manager to elevate performance, drive cultural transformation, and shape the future of a high-volume, fast-paced operation. This is a strategic leadership opportunity for a manager who leads with humility, empowers others, and makes people the priority.

Position Overview

Reporting directly to the General Manager, the Plant Operations Manager will provide both strategic direction and hands‑on leadership across daily manufacturing activities. The ideal candidate is a servant leader—someone who builds trust, removes barriers, develops people, and creates the conditions for teams to succeed. This leader will champion safety, operational excellence, and continuous improvement while driving results across quality, cost, and productivity targets.

Key Responsibilities

• Champion a best-in-class safety-first culture, ensuring training, equipment readiness, and safe work practices at all times.
• Operate as a servant leader—actively supporting, developing, and coaching a large team, fostering a culture of accountability, empowerment, and respect.
• Consistently deliver against operational KPIs, including quality, cost and profitability, inventory management, and revenue goals.
• Maintain strong leadership presence on the floor—modeling humility, listening, engaging, and driving a positive, performance-focused culture.
• Identify and execute cost improvement and process optimization initiatives that strengthen operational performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 3–5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in a high-volume environment.
• Experience working in settings with heavy equipment and variable temperatures.
• Proven success transforming and uplifting entrenched cultures through leadership principles—influence, empathy, trust, and accountability.
• Strong business acumen and a data-driven decision-making approach.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Critical thinker with the ability to self-manage, collaborate cross-functionally, pivot quickly, and thrive in change.
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, life, and 401(k) coverage beginning day one.
• Generous paid time off.
• Relocation assistance provided.
• Significant career advancement opportunities at this location and across the U.S. network.

If you are a servant-minded operational leader who inspires excellence, empowers teams, and is ready to make a transformative impact, we invite you to apply.

Seniority level

• Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Management and Manufacturing
• Manufacturing