Sr Manufacturing Manager - Plastics

Job Summary

This role sets the strategic vision and drives systemic improvements in efficiency, quality, safety, cost, and employee engagement for a highly technical plastics manufacturing operation. The Sr. Manufacturing Manager is responsible for leading a multi-process, multi-shift operation including injection molding, medical tubing extrusion, and manual/benchtop assembly operations.

Essential Duties

• Lead a highly technical, multi shift team:
• Lead, coach, and develop a large multi-shift organization consisting of supervisors, leads, and operators across multiple manufacturing processes
• Build leadership capability within frontline supervision through mentoring, accountability systems, and talent development
• Ensure consistent execution across all shifts through structured communication, standard work, and escalation processes
• Ensure labor resources are aligned with the supply plan and customer demand daily and monthly
• Lead daily, weekly, and monthly performance review meetings driven by KPI data
• Foster strong cross-functional relationships with Engineering, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, and CI teams
• Proactively communicate operational performance, risks, and improvement plans to plant leadership
• Drive operational and quality excellence:
• Lead performance across injection molding, extrusion, and assembly operations, ensuring alignment to production, quality, and cost targets
• Own and improve key operational metrics, including:
• OEE (availability, performance, quality)
• Labor efficiency / productivity
• Scrap and yield performance
• Develop and execute strategies to reduce downtime, improve throughput, and optimize labor utilization
• Champion Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the operation
• Utilize data analysis to identify trends, losses, and improvement opportunities
• Partner with CI teams to implement sustainable process improvements and track results
• Financial Ownership & Cost Performance:
• Develop annual production budgets and manage performance against key financial metrics
• Own and drive improvements in:
• Labor efficiency and absorption
• Scrap and material cost
• Headcount and variable spend
• Partner directly with Finance to:
• Analyze variances (labor, scrap, efficiency, overhead)
• Validate routing structures and cost assumptions
• Translate operational performance into financial outcomes
• Align production teams to plant financial goals with clear accountability at all levels
• Process Improvement & Engineering Partnership:
• Work closely with Process Engineering to:
• Identify and prioritize improvement opportunities
• Validate process changes using production and financial data
• Support new product introductions and new line startups (including extrusion)
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts using tools such as root cause analysis, DMAIC, and statistical methods
• Utilize SPC and process capability data to improve process control and drive project pipelines
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts using tools such as root cause analysis, DMAIC, and statistical methods
• Work closely with Process Engineering to:
• Deliver High Quality Supply
• Ensure compliance with GMP, GDP, and applicable regulatory standards
• Maintain and improve quality performance by monitoring key metrics and driving corrective actions
• Partner with Quality on non-conformance investigations and CAPA execution
• Drive implementation and sustainment of 6S and visual management systems
• Act as a subject matter expert for plastics manufacturing processes
• Act as the Voice of the Customer and Subject Matter Expert for processes and partnerships within the business
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and engagement
• Lead safety performance by setting expectations, monitoring metrics, and driving continuous improvement
• Ensure all incidents are reported, investigated, and addressed appropriately
• Build a culture of accountability and engagement across all levels of the organization
• Drive adherence to training requirements, policies, and standard operating procedures
• Possess the ability to coach and develop supervisors and front-line leaders to improve quality, production and safety
• Foster a continuous improvement mindset amongst employees by proactively seeking input and feedback on manufacturing processes and procedures
• Ensure the production team’s adherence to safety procedures and 6S protocols
• Solicit feedback from employees regarding safety improvements on a regular basis

Minimum Qualification Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job may be considered. Master’s degree preferred. Lean / Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) strongly preferred
• Experience: Minimum 10+ years of manufacturing experience, with at least 5+ years in leadership roles. Demonstrated leadership in plastics manufacturing environments, including: Injection molding (required or strongly preferred), Extrusion (highly preferred). Experience managing multi-shift operations (24/5 or 24/7). Proven track record of improving OEE, labor efficiency, and scrap performance. Experience working in regulated environments (medical device preferred). Cross-functional experience (Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, or Finance) a plus
• Skills: Strong financial acumen, including: Understanding of manufacturing cost structures, absorption, and variances, Ability to partner effectively with Finance. Deep understanding of: OEE systems and loss analysis, Labor efficiency and productivity models. Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi-process manufacturing operations. Exceptional leadership, coaching, and organizational development skills. Strong problem-solving and continuous improvement capability. Effective communication skills across all organizational levels. Proficiency in manufacturing systems and data analysis tools or an equivalent competency level acquired through a variation of these qualifications may be considered. Experience / strength in the use of SAP preferred

Physical Requirements

Typical Office Environment requirements include: reading, speaking, hearing, close vision, walking, bending, sitting, and occasional lifting up to 20 pounds.