Plastics Plant Director — Lean Operations Leader

Plastic Executive Recruiters; Indiana; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Plastic Executive Recruiters seeks a Director of Manufacturing Operations for a hands-on leadership role in a multi-shift plastics facility in Indiana. The position emphasizes improving safety, quality, productivity, and delivery while developing leaders and strengthening manufacturing systems.

The role requires extensive plastics experience, plant leadership across functions, and a strong track record in Lean and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Progressive plant leadership experience within plastics manufacturing.
• Experience leading an entire facility or multiple functions (Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Warehouse, or Supply Chain).
• Hands-on leadership in a multi-shift environment.
• Proven track record of Lean/manufacturing improvement.
• Experience managing KPIs (safety, quality, productivity, scrap, downtime, labor, cost, delivery).
• Experience developing manufacturing managers and supervisors.
• Knowledge of budgets, cost control, capital planning, and P&L management.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations in a multi-shift plastics manufacturing facility.
• Maintain a visible presence on the production floor and work with manufacturing leaders.
• Lead and develop manufacturing managers, supervisors, and production teams.
• Improve safety, quality, productivity, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, throughput, cost, and delivery.
• Establish manufacturing KPIs, operating expectations, and accountability systems.
• Lead Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving initiatives.
• Improve production planning, scheduling, workflow, capacity utilization, and resource allocation.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, Sales, and Finance.
• Evaluate automation, equipment improvements, capacity needs, and capital investments.
• Participate in budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and operational planning.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Multi-shift operations

KPIs management

Operational improvements

People development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Plastic Executive Recruiters seeks a Director of Manufacturing Operations for a hands-on leadership role in a multi-shift plastics facility in Indiana. The position emphasizes improving safety, quality, productivity, and delivery while developing leaders and strengthening manufacturing systems.

The role requires extensive plastics experience, plant leadership across functions, and a strong track record in Lean and continuous improvement.