Plant Operations Manager

Plastic Executive Recruiters; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Plastic Executive Recruiters is seeking a Plant Operations Manager for a 24/7 plastics manufacturing facility in Wisconsin. The ideal leader brings deep plastics experience, Lean & continuous improvement expertise, and a track record of improving OEE, quality and productivity across multiple functions.

The role offers exposure to senior leadership, relocation assistance, and the chance to influence a high-visibility operation in a growing, financially stable company.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive plant/manufacturing leadership experience.
• Plastics manufacturing experience required.
• Demonstrated expertise in Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement.
• Proven examples of leading improvements in scrap, downtime, OEE, productivity, quality, or labor efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Drive plant performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, scrap, downtime, and efficiency.
• Lead manufacturing operations and collaborate across Production, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Warehouse functions.
• Build a culture of accountability, employee development, and continuous improvement.
• Use Lean tools including visual management, Pareto analysis, 5 Whys, root cause analysis, TPM, Kaizen, and corrective actions to identify and eliminate performance gaps.
• Develop plant leadership and strengthen execution across a multi-shift, 24/7 operation.
• Establish and monitor KPIs while turning manufacturing data into measurable improvements.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

OEE

TPS/Kaizen

5 Whys

Root Cause Analysis

Leadership

Plastics manufacturing

Cross-functional leadership

Six Sigma (certification)

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Plant Operations Manager – Plastics Manufacturing

Location: Wisconsin | Relocation Assistance Available

A growing, financially strong plastics manufacturer is seeking an experienced Plant Operations Manager to lead and continuously improve a 24/7 manufacturing operation in Wisconsin. This is a high-visibility leadership opportunity for someone who understands plastics manufacturing, Lean operations, and continuous improvement and wants to bring their experience and ideas to an already successful operation.

The company is profitable, financially stable, investing for long-term growth, and committed to a national and multinational expansion strategy. This position offers significant exposure to senior leadership and strong potential for continued career advancement as the business grows.

What You'll Lead

• Drive plant performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, scrap, downtime, and efficiency
• Lead manufacturing operations and collaborate across Production, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Warehouse functions
• Build a culture of accountability, employee development, and continuous improvement
• Use Lean tools including visual management, Pareto analysis, 5 Whys, root cause analysis, TPM, Kaizen, and corrective actions to identify and eliminate performance gaps
• Develop plant leadership and strengthen execution across a multi-shift, 24/7 operation
• Establish and monitor KPIs while turning manufacturing data into measurable improvements

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of progressive plant/manufacturing leadership experience
• Plastics manufacturing experience required
• Demonstrated expertise in Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement
• Proven examples of personally leading improvements in areas such as scrap, downtime, OEE, productivity, quality, or labor efficiency
• Experience leading multiple plant functions strongly preferred, including Production, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and/or Warehouse
• Experience leading managers, supervisors, and frontline manufacturing teams
• Lean or Six Sigma certification highly preferred
• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent manufacturing leadership experience considered
• Career history demonstrating stability and progressive responsibility

Why Consider It?

• Growing and profitable privately held manufacturer
• Financially stable business investing for long-term growth
• Strong company culture and employee retention
• Highly advanced manufacturing operation
• Significant opportunity to influence plant performance
• Strong long-term career advancement potential
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate

This position is located onsite in Wisconsin. The opportunity may be advertised in multiple geographic markets to reach qualified plastics manufacturing leaders. Candidates outside the area must be willing to relocate to Wisconsin; relocation assistance can be provided.

Keywords: Plant Operations Manager | Plant Manager | Operations Manager | Manufacturing Manager | Plastics Manufacturing | Plastic Extrusion | Extrusion | Lean Manufacturing | Continuous Improvement | Operational Excellence | Six Sigma | TPM | OEE | Visual Factory | Visual Management | Pareto | 5 Whys | Root Cause Analysis | Kaizen | Production | Quality | Engineering | Maintenance | Warehouse | Manufacturing Leadership

#PlantManager #OperationsManager #PlasticsManufacturing #ManufacturingLeadership #LeanManufacturing #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence #Six Sigma #TPM #OEE #Visual Factory #Visual Management #Pareto #5 Whys #Root Cause Analysis #Kaizen #Production #Quality #Engineering #Maintenance #Warehouse #Manufacturing Leadership