Plant Site Manager - Hands-On Ops, Safety & CI Leader

Penta Search Group; Illinois; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Annual bonus

Competitive base salary

Job summary

Penta Search Group is partnering with an established manufacturing organization to recruit an experienced Site Manager to lead operations at a specialty chemical manufacturing facility in Illinois.

The role demands hands-on, people-centered leadership, driving operational excellence, safety, reliability, and continuous improvement across the site. You will build a high-performing leadership team and foster strong relationships with hourly and salaried employees.

Qualifications

• Significant progressive leadership experience within chemical manufacturing or related continuous-process environments.
• Proven track record in improving safety, reliability, and production efficiency.
• Ability to develop leaders and foster a culture of accountability.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills across hourly and salaried staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for site operations, aligned with safety and targets.
• Champion a proactive safety culture, ensuring compliance with EHS and PSM requirements.
• Drive improvements in equipment reliability, asset performance, and process efficiency.
• Establish and maintain operating practices, metrics, and accountability across the site.
• Build and mentor a high-performing leadership team and promote cross-functional collaboration.
• Develop relationships with employees and union representatives to ensure transparency.
• Identify opportunities to optimize processes, reduce downtime, and improve plant performance.
• Partner with maintenance, engineering, EHS, and other teams to implement improvements.
• Manage site budgets, resources, and capital priorities balancing safety and commercial goals.
• Maintain a visible leadership presence on the plant floor.

Skills

Leadership experience

Chemical manufacturing

Operations management

Union relations

Job description

Penta Search Group is partnering with an established manufacturing organization to recruit an experienced Site Manager to lead operations at a specialty chemical manufacturing facility in Illinois.

The role demands hands-on, people-centered leadership, driving operational excellence, safety, reliability, and continuous improvement across the site. You will build a high-performing leadership team and foster strong relationships with hourly and salaried employees.