Plant Operations Manager – Industrial Manufacturing

Blue Signal Search; Fort Worth (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High-visibility with leadership

Hands-on leadership environment

Focused on data-driven improvement

Job summary

Blue Signal Search is seeking a Plant Operations Manager for an industrial manufacturing client in Fort Worth, TX. This on-site role requires a seasoned leader to own plant performance, translate demand into production schedules, and drive financial discipline across budgets, labor, inventory and equipment.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, experience managing 100+ employees, and a strong background in ERP-enabled operations and ISO 9001 environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing and operations experience.
• Experience leading a plant or large production operation with 100+ employees.
• Experience with a manufacturing business of roughly $50M+ annual activity.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen including budgeting, forecasting, revenue planning, labor hours, earned hours, headcount planning, variance analysis and operational reporting.
• Hands-on experience using ERP and manufacturing data to improve production performance, inventory accuracy, cycle counting, labor utilization and decision-making.
• Background in steel fabrication, structural steel, heavy steel products or related heavy manufacturing environment.
• Experience in ISO 9001 environments is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own plant performance across production, labor, materials, equipment, inventory and financial results.
• Translate customer demand and revenue expectations into executable production schedules, balancing capacity, staffing, materials, equipment and delivery requirements.
• Build and manage budgets and forecasts covering revenue, labor hours, earned hours, headcount, inventory and other key operating requirements, then drive performance against those commitments.
• Use KPIs including forecast accuracy, percent deviation, labor performance, schedule attainment, inventory accuracy, and throughput to identify issues and guide operating decisions.
• Leverage ERP and shop floor data to understand actual manufacturing performance, strengthen inventory controls, improve cycle count accuracy, and address operational variances.
• Lead and develop a large plant organization, establishing clear expectations around safety, accountability, productivity, execution and measurable results.
• Identify and resolve constraints involving labor, materials, equipment or process flow before they jeopardise production schedules or financial commitments.
• Partner across commercial, engineering, supply chain and corporate functions while providing senior leadership with clear reporting on plant performance, forecasts, risks and corrective actions.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Budgeting & forecasting

Data-driven decision making

Large workforce management

Production scheduling

Inventory control

Industrial manufacturing experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering / manufacturing / operations or related discipline

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Plant Operations Manager – Industrial Manufacturing

On-site, Fort Worth, TX

Our client is seeking an accomplished manufacturing leader to take ownership of a substantial industrial operation and bring greater predictability, financial discipline, and accountability to plant performance. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who knows how to run a complex manufacturing floor through the numbers, connecting customer demand, production capacity, labor, inventory, and financial expectations into one executable operating plan. The right leader will have the scale and credibility to guide a large workforce while giving senior leadership a clear, data-backed view of where the operation is headed.

This Role Offers:

• High visibility with corporate and executive leadership, with the ability to directly influence operational and financial performance.
• A hands-on leadership environment where decisions are driven by measurable results and reliable operating data.
• Opportunity to strengthen processes, develop manufacturing leaders, and create a more predictable operating rhythm across a complex production environment.

Focus:

• Take ownership of plant performance across production, labor utilization, materials, equipment availability, inventory, and financial results.
• Translate customer demand and revenue expectations into executable production schedules, balancing capacity, staffing, materials, equipment and delivery requirements.
• Build and manage budgets and forecasts covering revenue, labor hours, earned hours, headcount, inventory and other key operating requirements, then drive performance against those commitments.
• Use KPIs including forecast accuracy, percent deviation, labor performance, schedule attainment, inventory accuracy, and throughput to identify issues and guide operating decisions.
• Leverage ERP and shop floor data to understand actual manufacturing performance, strengthen inventory controls, improve cycle count accuracy, and address operational variances.
• Lead and develop a large plant organization, establishing clear expectations around safety, accountability, productivity, execution and measurable results.
• Identify and resolve constraints involving labor, materials, equipment or process flow before they jeopardise production schedules or financial commitments.
• Partner across commercial, engineering, supply chain and corporate functions while providing senior leadership with clear reporting on plant performance, forecasts, risks and corrective actions.

Skill Set:

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing and operations experience, including significant responsibility leading a plant or similarly complex production operation.
• Proven success managing a sizable manufacturing workforce, ideally including responsibility for 100 or more employees.
• Experience with the financial and operational complexity associated with a manufacturing business of approximately $50 million or more in annual activity is preferred.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, revenue planning, labor hours, earned hours, headcount planning, variance analysis and operational reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to create credible operating forecasts, build production schedules and consistently manage actual results against financial and operational commitments.
• Hands‑on experience using ERP and manufacturing data to improve production performance, inventory accuracy, cycle counting, labor utilisation and decision-making.
• Background in steel fabrication, structural steel, heavy steel products, fabricated building systems, oil and gas equipment or another complex heavy manufacturing environment.
• Experience within AISC and/or ISO 9001 environments is highly preferred. A bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, business, management or a related discipline.

About Blue Signal:

Blue Signal is an award‑winning, executive search firm specialising in various specialties. Our recruiters have a proven track record of placing top‑tier talent across industry verticals, with deep expertise in numerous professional services. Learn more at bit.ly/46Gs4yS