Plant Manager

About the role

This is a rare opportunity to join a heavy industrial manufacturer at the ground floor of a major growth story. Backed by a well-capitalized ownership group with a clear mandate to scale, this company produces specialized, custom-engineered equipment for demanding industrial applications. Currently operating at approximately $100M in annual revenue, ownership has committed significant investment to grow the business to $500M — and they're building the leadership team now to get ahead of that growth, not scramble to catch up with it. The culture is entrepreneurial, fast-moving, and people-first. This isn't a corporate bureaucracy.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all daily manufacturing and fabrication operations
• Manage production scheduling, workflow coordination, and on-time delivery
• Monitor labor utilization, throughput, quality, and operational efficiency
• Cook proper equipment maintenance and uptime
• Support ownership with production forecasting and capacity planning
• Lead lean initiatives focused on waste reduction, process flow, and efficiency
• Implement and sustain 5S, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis, Standard Work, Visual Management, and KPI tracking
• Develop and improve SOPs, production processes, and workflow documentation
• Identify bottlenecks and drive corrective actions to improve throughput and profitability
• Directly supervise, mentor, and develop plant personnel at all levels
• Build and sustain a positive, safety-focused, team-oriented culture
• Drive cross-training initiatives and workforce development programs
• Hold employees accountable to productivity, quality, and safety expectations
• Lead hiring and workforce planning as the business scales
• Ensure all products meet internal quality standards and customer specifications
• Maintain OSHA compliance and lead workplace safety initiatives
• Champion a clean, organized, zero-incident facility culture
• Manage raw material inventory and coordinate purchasing needs
• Partner with vendors and suppliers to maintain material availability
• Monitor production costs and material usage to improve margins

Requirements

• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience
• Background in fabrication, welding, structural steel, heavy equipment, or industrial equipment manufacturing
• Strong understanding of production scheduling and shop floor operations
• Ability to read mechanical drawings and manufacturing documentation
• Hands-on leadership style — willing to work alongside production staff when it counts
• Proven ability to lead and develop large teams in a fast-paced environment

Skills

• Experience scaling a manufacturing operation through rapid growth (2x–5x)
• Greenfield or brownfield startup experience
• Background implementing advanced manufacturing systems, automation, or MES/ERP platforms
• Experience building KPI and accountability systems from scratch in an entrepreneurial environment
• Track record of developing frontline employees into supervisory and management roles
• Change management experience leading teams through significant operational transformation

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field preferred
• MBA a plus
• Equivalent combination of education and hands-on manufacturing leadership experience considered

Pay & Benefits

• $200,000 – $250,000 base salary
• Performance bonus
• ESOP — ownership stake that grows as the company grows from $100M to $500M
• Profit sharing
• 401(k) with company match
• Health, life, and disability insurance
• Paid vacation and holidays

Schedule

Onsite