The Plant Manager is responsible for leading all aspects of a manufacturing facility producing needle-punched nonwoven products for automotive applications. This individual will drive operational excellence in safety, quality, productivity, delivery, and cost while developing a high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
Essential Responsibilities
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Direct and manage all plant operations including production, maintenance, quality, warehousing, and shipping.
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Lead a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with all environmental, health, and safety regulations.
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Drive operational performance through KPI management and continuous improvement initiatives.
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Develop and mentor plant leadership teams, supervisors, and production personnel.
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Improve manufacturing efficiency, equipment utilization, throughput, and overall profitability.
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Ensure compliance with automotive customer requirements and quality standards.
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Lead root cause analysis and corrective action activities related to quality, delivery, and operational issues.
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Manage plant budgets, labor planning, inventory control, and capital expenditure projects.
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Collaborate with engineering, supply chain, sales, and customer service teams to support business objectives.
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Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and waste reduction initiatives.
Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
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7+ years of manufacturing leadership experience with increasing responsibility.
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Previous Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Production Manager, or Manufacturing Manager experience.
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Strong experience in needle punch nonwovens, textiles, engineered materials, or automotive interior products.
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Demonstrated success leading multi-shift manufacturing operations.
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Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
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Needle punch, carding, cross-lapping, fiber blending, and finishing operations.
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Automotive acoustical insulation, trunk liners, carpet systems, headliners, and interior components.
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Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, TPM, and continuous improvement methodologies.
