Manufacturing Plant Manager of Rubber & Plastics

Job Summary:
The Rubber/Plastic Manufacturing Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of plant operations to ensure the safe, efficient, and cost-effective production of high-quality rubber & plastic products. This role involves managing production, maintenance, quality assurance, inventory, staffing, and continuous improvement initiatives while ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and supervise daily manufacturing operations.
• Ensure production schedules are met while maintaining quality and cost targets.
• Lead and develop production, maintenance, quality, and warehouse teams.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as productivity, scrap rates, and on-time delivery
• Implement lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.
• Oversee raw material inventory, production planning, product cost maintenance for quoting and finished goods management.
• Investigate production issues and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Develop and manage plant budgets, labor costs, and operational expenses.
• Collaborate with engineering, procurement, sales, and supply chain teams to optimize production.
• Conduct employee performance evaluations, training, and workforce development.
• Ensure customer specifications and quality standards are consistently achieved.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field (preferred).
• 7–10 years of manufacturing experience, including 3–5 years in a plant management or supervisory role.
• Experience in rubber & plastic manufacturing, compounding, extrusion, molding, calendaring,
• Strong knowledge of quality management systems.
• Proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

Required Skills

• Production planning and scheduling
• Team leadership and employee development
• Budget and cost management
• Process improvement and Lean methodologies
• Quality assurance and root cause analysis
• Maintenance planning
• Safety and environmental compliance
• Inventory and supply chain management
• Strong analytical and organizational skills

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Production output and schedule adherence
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Scrap and waste reduction
• Product quality and customer complaints
• Equipment uptime and maintenance compliance
• Safety performance (incident rate)
• Labor productivity
• Manufacturing cost per unit

Working Conditions

• Manufacturing plant environment with exposure to machinery, heat, noise, and rubber & plastic processing materials.
• May require extended hours, weekends, or on-call support during production demands or equipment emergencies.
• Use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is required.

Benefits: 

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Retirement Plan 
• Paid Time Off
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Holidays
• Disability Insurance
• FSA