Plant Manager

Plant Manager Department: Manufacturing & Distribution - Skilled Jobs Employment Type: Full Time Location: Ashtabula, OH

Description: ASC Engineered Solutions is seeking a Plant Manager to support the overall operational performance and profitability of our manufacturing facility in Ashtabula, OH. This role directs the site-level management team and collaborates closely with cross-functional leaders across the organization to ensure alignment and operational success. The Plant Manager maintains safe, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing processes while driving workforce expansion, continuous improvement, and scalable operations that meet evolving customer demand. Additionally, the Plant Manager holds full profit-and-loss responsibility for the site and leads strategic initiatives that enhance operational excellence, strengthen workforce capability, and increase production capacity to support long-term business objectives.

How You Will Help:

• Provide strategic leadership to ensure a strong and proactive safety culture throughout the facility.
• Oversee all plant operations to maintain safe, efficient, and high-quality manufacturing processes.
• Direct and manage all operational functions, including production, laboratory operations, maintenance, quality, scheduling, engineering, and logistics.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial metrics to ensure operational performance aligns with organizational profitability goals.
• Lead capacity-planning efforts to ensure the facility can support current demand and future growth.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities to drive seamless and efficient plant operations.
• Oversee inside sales functions, including customer relations, strategy, pricing initiatives, account management, and customer retention efforts.
• Maintain full profit-and-loss (P&L) responsibility for all plant operations.
• Partner with finance leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and capital investment planning.
• Manage annual operating budgets, labor plans, and cost-control strategies.
• Ensure production schedules and customer demand requirements are achieved while optimizing operational efficiency.
• Lead, mentor, and develop department managers and operational leaders to build a high-performing team.
• Champion lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives across the plant.
• Oversee the planning, justification, and implementation of capital equipment investments and facility improvement projects.

What You Will Bring:

• Bachelors degree (B.S.) in Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 7-10 years of manufacturing or operations leadership experience, with at least 3-5 years in a supervisory or management role overseeing production teams.
• Proven success managing day-to-day plant operations, including production scheduling, quality control, safety, and maintenance.
• Prior experience in continuous improvement methodologies, Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and driving measurable operational improvements.
• Background in budget planning, cost control, and KPI management for plant performance.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams, including Production, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain.
• Prior oversight of regulatory compliance, such as OSHA, EPA, ISO, or other industry-specific standards.
• History of improving productivity, safety culture, and process efficiency through structured problem-solving.
• Strong understanding of rubber processing techniques is a plus, but not required (e.g., mixing, extrusion, compression, injection molding).