Plant Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Plant Manager – Industrial Manufacturing

Greater Asheville, NC Area | On-Site | Full-Time

About the Opportunity

We are partnering with a well-established industrial manufacturer in the Greater Asheville NC area to identify a seasoned Plant Manager ready to take full ownership of a facility's operations. This is a high-visibility, high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives on the floor, drives results through people, and brings a genuine passion for operational excellence.

If you're the kind of leader who builds cultures — not just processes — this one is worth a conversation.

What You'll Own

As Plant Manager, you will have full accountability for production, maintenance, quality, logistics, and EH&S across the facility. Key areas of focus include:

• P&L ownership - labor productivity, material utilization, inventory accuracy, operating costs, and capex management to hit budget and profitability targets
• Safety leadership - building a proactive, accountable safety culture with full OSHA and environmental compliance
• Continuous improvement - leading Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to drive gains across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity
• Quality systems - ensuring compliance with QMS standards and spearheading defect, scrap, and COPQ reduction
• Customer focus - supporting operational reviews, escalation resolution, and delivery commitments in partnership with commercial teams
• Strategic planning - developing and executing site-level operational plans aligned to company growth, including capacity and workforce scalability
• People development - attracting, growing, and retaining talent; mentoring frontline leaders in standard work, problem solving, and daily management

What You Bring

Experience:

• 10+ years in industrial manufacturing management, with at least 5 years in a plant leadership role
• Cross-functional plant experience spanning Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and/or Engineering
• Proven track record driving operational performance through data-driven decision-making
• ERP/MRP systems proficiency and comfort using manufacturing metrics to lead
• Experience in a US/Mexico dual-site operating environment a plus

Skills & Knowledge:

• Deep fluency in Lean Manufacturing principles - leader standard work, value stream mapping, root cause problem solving
• Financial acumen: ability to interpret and act on plant-level P&L data
• Strong communication skills; equally effective in the boardroom and on the floor
• Ability to translate company strategy into aligned, cross-functional site objectives

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Management, or related manufacturing field preferred
• Six Sigma certification or substantial equivalent Lean experience

Why This Role

• Stable, respected manufacturer with a strong operational foundation
• Genuine seat at the leadership table - your decisions help move the business forward
• Community-engaged company invested in workforce development and long-term talent
• Competitive compensation package