Assistant Plant Manager

About the role

The Assistant Plant Manager is responsible for supporting the overall leadership and daily operation of the fabrication facility by driving excellence in safety, quality, productivity, equipment reliability, and employee engagement. Working in partnership with the Plant Manager, this role ensures production goals are achieved while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. The Assistant Plant Manager provides leadership to shop supervision, coordinates cross-functional activities, removes barriers to production, and develops frontline leaders to improve operational performance and employee retention.

Responsibilities

Safety

• Champion a safety-first culture throughout the facility.
• Lead and participate in safety meetings and initiatives.
• Ensure consistent compliance with all company safety policies and procedures.
• Identify opportunities to reduce risk and improve workplace safety.

Operations Leadership

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to shop floor supervision.
• Drive execution of the production backlog to meet customer commitments and delivery schedules.
• Monitor shop performance and address bottlenecks to maximize throughput.
• Oversee tool accountability and availability.
• Coordinate shipping priorities to ensure on-time delivery.
• Review and approve shop requisitions in accordance with company procedures.
• Prepare and communicate operational reports and production metrics.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Participate in backlog planning meetings and production scheduling.
• Coordinate weekly labor planning with Production Planning.
• Provide accurate production status updates and schedule feedback through P6.
• Collaborate with planning teams to proactively resolve schedule constraints.
• Partner with Production Control to ensure efficient workflow and material availability.
• Maintain production tracking tools, including saw and detailing logs.
• Oversee material inventory accuracy and inventory control practices.

Quality

• Partner with Quality Control to ensure fabrication meets company and customer quality standards.
• Coordinate SDR activities and facilitate timely resolution of quality issues.
• Promote a culture focused on quality, workmanship, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership experience in a manufacturing, fabrication, or heavy industrial environment.
• Strong knowledge of production operations, scheduling, quality systems, and safety programs.
• Proven ability to lead supervisors and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Structural Steel Fabrication experience preferred.

Working Conditions

• Ability to work in industrial environments including heat, cold, dust, and noise.
• Frequent standing, walking, reaching, and handling materials.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. occasionally.
• Must be able to wear required PPE at all times.