Plant Manager - Direct Hire

Description

If you are a Plant Manager professional looking for an opportunity to grow your career, this role offers the chance to lead a multi-shift manufacturing facility of approximately 150 employees within a global Professional Tools business. You will set the strategic and operational direction of the plant, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality operations while delivering on customer commitments and business goals. This role plays a critical part in building a strong leadership bench, advancing continuous improvement, and upholding values of innovation, integrity, collaboration, and inclusion.

This exciting opportunity is located in Ashflat, AR, a place where you can enjoy a beautiful community and a great work-life balance!

In This Role, Your Responsibilities Will Be:

• Provide overall leadership of all plant operations, including production, manufacturing engineering, maintenance, quality, supply chain, and logistics, ensuring the facility consistently meets production targets, on-time delivery commitments, and P&L objectives.
• Monitor, analyze, and optimize operational performance through the effective use of KPIs and metrics, identifying opportunities for improvement and driving accountability across the organization.
• Lead and champion Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve overall plant performance.
• Promote a strong culture of safety, quality, and compliance by reducing risk, meeting regulatory requirements, and driving effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Manage plant financial performance by overseeing budgets, improving cost efficiency, and translating operational results into clear business actions.
• Build, develop, and engage a high-performing leadership team by partnering with human resources on workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, and positive employee relations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with supply chain, engineering, procurement, and commercial teams to align priorities, balance capacity, and execute manufacturing plans that support growth and customer commitments.

Who You Are:

You consistently deliver results by setting clear priorities, holding yourself and others accountable, and following through on commitments. You build effective teams by creating strong morale and engagement, developing people’s strengths, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute. You use a strategic and data-informed mindset to anticipate challenges, connect operational decisions to broader business outcomes, and drive continuous improvement. You collaborate openly across functions and levels, gaining trust through integrity, clear communication, and a shared focus on safety, quality, and performance.

For This Role, You Will Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations management, business, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Relevant years of demonstrated ability in a manufacturing environment commensurate with the level of this position.
• Demonstrated strong leadership, team building, problem-solving, and conflict management skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Solid financial acumen, including budgeting, cost control, and operational performance management.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and production planning tools.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present to leadership as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and drive operational improvements in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications That Set You Apart:

• MBA preferred.
• Demonstrated success leading plant operations, safety, and financial performance.
• 7 or more years of progressive manufacturing experience.