Job Description

Job Title: Manufacturing Plant Manager

Reports To: VP of Operations

Location: Avilla, IN

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Plant Manager provides both strategic and hands-on leadership for all plant operations, fully accountable for Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People (SQDCP) performance. This role drives a Lean Manufacturing culture through Tier accountability systems, continuous improvement, and process standardization.

Ideal candidates bring deep expertise in molding and assembly, proven success leading cross-functional teams, and a track record of building high-performance operations through Lean systems and visual management.

What Youll Do:

Operational Leadership

• Lead all plant operations: molding, assembly, maintenance, logistics, and materials.
• Drive Lean Tier Systems (Tier 14) for daily performance management and escalation.
• Oversee production planning, staffing, and workflow to ensure on-time delivery.
• Maintain robust process control, preventive maintenance, and tooling management.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, supply chain, and finance to meet business goals.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Champion Lean principles to reduce waste, improve flow, and standardize work.
• Facilitate Tier meetings to ensure data-driven problem solving and rapid countermeasures.
• Apply tools like 5S, Visual Management, Kaizen, SMED, Poka-Yoke, and A3 to drive measurable gains.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement and operator engagement.
• Link all Lean activity directly to Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale.

People Leadership

• Develop and empower supervisors and teams to hit operational and growth goals.
• Build a high-accountability, high-performance culture.
• Partner with HR on workforce planning, training, and engagement.
• Lead with visibility daily Gemba walks, Tier reviews, and team huddles.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Promote a zero-injury culture through proactive engagement and risk assessments.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and quality standards (ISO/IATF).
• Partner with Quality to ensure defect-free production and effective root cause resolution.

Financial & Strategic Management

• Manage plant budget, labor, and capital projects.
• Track and act on KPIs to meet cost, delivery, and efficiency targets.
• Support initiatives in automation, capacity expansion, and technology adoption.
• Identify and execute cost-reduction and process-optimization projects.

What Youll Need:

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or Operations (Masters preferred).
• 10+ years in manufacturing operations, with 5+ years in a Plant Manager or senior leadership role.
• Strong background in molding, assembly, tooling, and quality systems.
• Proven success sustaining Lean Tier Systems and improving OEE, scrap, lead time, and labor efficiency.

Skills & Competencies

• Deep knowledge of Lean tools and structured problem solving.
• Strong leadership presence and communication across all levels.
• Solid financial acumen with ability to connect operations to P&L results.
• Proficiency with ERP systems, Microsoft Office, and visual factory tools.

Performance Metrics (KPIs)

• Safety: Incident rate, near-miss reporting
• Delivery: On-time performance, customer satisfaction
• Quality: OEE, scrap, rework, first-pass yield
• Cost: Labor efficiency, cost per unit
• People: Engagement, retention
• Lean Maturity: Tier meeting effectiveness, escalation adherence

Work Environment

• Split between office and production floor.
• Requires frequent floor presence and direct engagement with teams.

What Well Give You:

A competitive compensation package. Quality medical benefits, including a company funded Pension, 401K plan, health & wellness perks and so much more!

Ready to build whats next?

Apply now or reach out to learn more.

Dekko is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive team.

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