Plant Manager

As a Plant Manager, you will provide operational management for the entire production process to support the Automotive OEM business in Cleveland, OH. The primary challenges in this role are twofold: (1) champion operational and cultural transformation within the facility; and (2) assure that operational excellence strategies are implemented successfully to support improved cycle time, process automation and control, and color and application excellence. You will work onsite and report to the Americas Operations Director. Main Responsibilities: Cultural Leadership. Make decisions, challenge norms, and drive cultural change. Be a catalyst and leader of culture by stimulating change, confronting and challenging the status quo and relentlessly seeking simpler methods to provide internal customers with better products and services. Breakdown the current feeling of entitlement and resistance to change among floor operators and engage them on a journey towards operational excellence. Influence up and down the organization. Ensure full compliance with ethical policies and legal requirements. Maintain a safe work environment. Promote the business advantage of building a diverse organization. Operations Leadership. Provide overall leadership of operations. Work with plant leaders in Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Safety and HR to develop and drive operating objectives for the plant and ensure that facilities operate on plan and within budget. Develop and manage operational and capital budgets. Facilitate the development and implementation of standardized plant metrics (e.g., safety, quality, production attainment, associate relations and retention, labor and material variances, etc.). Measure and monitor performance against metric targets and coach plant leadership in resolving variances. Encourage a culture of accountability and teamwork within the plant. Continuous Improvement. Develop and implement methods and procedures to drive continuous improvement and lead cost reduction and lean manufacturing plans. Optimize production and maintenance strategies to achieve lowest total cost while complying with quality standards, meeting or exceeding customer expectations, maintaining equipment reliability, and fostering employee accountability. Advance the plant's operating capabilities through automation and lean processes. Employee Development. Promote a culture of accountability and teamwork within the plant. Develop capabilities of frontline leadership through mentoring, training, and coaching. Develop working relationships with internal and external customers and foster positive associate relations. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Chemical, Industrial or Mechanical Engineering or similar technical field; advanced degree (e.g., MBA) preferred Formal training of DMAIC/DFLSS/Kaizen or similar preferred 10+ years of technical manufacturing background of increasing responsibility, and at least 5 years of site/plant leadership experience in a union setting. Production leadership experience with at least two layers of management structure; possesses a disciplined operations management system. Experience in a manufacturing environment of relevant scale & complexity (e.g. >500 employees, multi-product lines, >$100M in assets). Paint/chemical manufacturing experience is a plus. Experience applying Lean manufacturing concepts to reduce cost and improve productivity; experience developing and leading continuous improvement programs; demonstrated track record of driving positive change. Experience with product quality assurance and control, supplier quality, and workforce EH&S. Contribute to strong safety performance culture. Experience in material logistics and demand management, inclusive of short-term and long-term capacity planning, material requirement planning, production scheduling and control related metrics. Excellent communication skills