Description:
Alloy Engineering, a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company located in Berea, is seeking a Plant Manager to serve as the senior site leader responsible for the full operational performance of the facility. This role owns everything that happens within the four walls — production output, quality, safety, workforce, cost, and maintenance — and is the single accountable leader for the site's business results. The Plant Manager operates with a high degree of autonomy, escalating to the Director of Operations for cross-site, strategic, or policy-level decisions.
WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS
- Each AECo facility has distinct equipment, processes, workforce profiles, and customer requirements; dedicated site leadership ensures these nuances are managed with expertise and proximity.
- The Director of Operations cannot simultaneously manage daily operations at two facilities — the Plant Manager is the on-site decision-maker.
- Site-level speed, morale, and accountability require a single recognized leader who is physically present and operationally engaged.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Production & Delivery Performance
- Own the daily, weekly, and monthly production schedule — ensuring on-time, on-quality delivery of all customer orders; manage capacity constraints and adjust for bottleneck operations.
- Look forward forecasting one month out, planning for capacity and “open capacity” and predict bottlenecks.
- Manage production supervisors, lead dispatching decisions, and resolve constraints in real time.
- Implement and maintain visual management systems (production boards, flow indicators, WIP controls, morning production walks).
- Drive OEE improvement for critical production assets.
- In coordination with IOM, perform weekly ship planning and reporting to reach targeted ship plan.
- Evaluate monthly fall-outs and analyze data for trends and action planning.
2. Supply Chain Execution & Material Coordination
- Partner with IOM to ensure material availability aligns with the production schedule; escalate shortages or lead time risks as early as possible.
- Provide demand signals and material forecasts to IOM for purchasing planning — communicate schedule changes, priority shifts, and new order requirements promptly.
- Identify site-specific supply chain pain points (recurring shortages, problem vendors, quality escapes from suppliers) and escalate to the Director of Operations for strategic resolution.
3. Quality & Continuous Improvement
- Champion quality culture on the shop floor; hold supervisors and operators accountable for in-process inspection and product yield.
- Coordinate with Engineering & Quality on NCRs, corrective actions, and customer complaints; ensure timely root cause analysis and corrective action closure.
- Lead or support lean/continuous improvement projects at the site level.
- Coordinate with Quality department on inbound receiving quality checks in coordination with Shipping & Receiving; flag and segregate non-conforming material immediately.
4. Safety & Compliance
- All completed in coordination with the Corporate Compliance Specialist:
- Own site-level safety — daily hazard walks, incident response, near-miss reporting, and PPE compliance.
- Conduct all required safety inspections, lead incident reviews, and implement corrective actions for any recordable events.
- Ensure all applicable OSHA and regulatory requirements for the site are maintained.
5. Workforce & Labor Management
- Manage site headcount: scheduling, OT approval, labor efficiency, and daily attendance management.
- Conduct regular performance conversations with direct reports; develop front-line supervisors.
- Foster a positive, productive, and accountable shop floor culture.
6. Customer Interaction
- Act as the primary site-level contact for customers, ensuring timely communication, responsiveness, and issue resolution.
- Manage customer complaints, delivery issues, and quality concerns at the site level; escalate unresolved or strategic issues to the Director of Operations.
- Lead customer visit preparation and site tours; present operational capabilities and address customer questions.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers; proactively identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
- Coordinate with Engineering & Quality on customer requirements, specifications, and corrective actions.
7. Maintenance & Facilities
- Own the preventive maintenance program for all production equipment at the site.
- Manage, oversee, and direct maintenance personnel; prioritize corrective maintenance to minimize unplanned downtime.
- Manage facility expenses within approved budget; escalate capital needs to Director of Operations.
8. Financial Accountability
- Co-own P&L, Own site-level operational cost performance — labor efficiency, scrap, OT, and supply/consumable costs.
- Participate in budget development; provide variance explanations and corrective actions in monthly reviews.
- Identify cost reduction opportunities without compromising quality or delivery commitments.
Requirements:
- 7+ years of manufacturing experience, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.
- Hands-on job-shop, fabrication, or precision machining background strongly preferred (site dependent).
- Demonstrated ability to manage a shop floor through supervisors — not just hands-on production.
- Working knowledge of supply chain execution — able to read a production schedule, identify material shortages, and communicate with purchasing effectively.
- Comfortable with quality systems, basic data analysis, and financial reporting.
Follow our core values:
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Do Right – Always!
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Customer-Centric Teamwork
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Get it Done! – High Quality & Timely
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Drama-Free Work Environment
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Be Smart, Grow & Learn
Alloy Engineering is a 100% employee-owned company and an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans. Offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screen.
