Confidential : Plant Manager

Plant Manager

A growing industrial manufacturer is seeking a transformational Plant Manager to lead a critical operational evolution as the business scales aggressively over the next 2–3 years. This is not a maintenance leadership role—we are looking for a hands-on operational leader who has successfully stabilized manufacturing environments, improved execution, and driven measurable gains in productivity, planning, and throughput. The company is transitioning from a traditional job-shop model toward a more structured value stream / cellular manufacturing operation, with a strong focus on assembly excellence, improved scheduling discipline, and scalable operational systems.

Key priorities for this role include:

• Driving process and productivity improvements across the operation
• Improving production planning, scheduling, and material flow in a make-to-order environment
• Leading cultural change, accountability, and frontline leadership development
• Supporting the rollout of value-stream manufacturing and replication of model cells
• Building operational discipline to support significant growth

What we're looking for:

• Proven success stabilizing and improving manufacturing operations
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and operational KPIs
• Experience in production planning, scheduling, and high-mix manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and build accountability across teams
• Servant leadership style with a strong floor presence

Ideal backgrounds may include industrial equipment, engineered products, material handling, automotive, or other high-mix assembly operations. This is an excellent opportunity for a local Chicagoland operations leader ready to make a significant impact in a growing business.