Senior Plant ManagerDirect Hire | Omaha, NE | Onsite
The RoleWe're looking for a Senior Plant Manager who wants to build something - not just run something. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role with full accountability for daily manufacturing operations across fabrication, welding, assembly, machining, painting, and shipping. You'll lead approximately 170 employees today with direct responsibility for scaling that operation significantly over the next several years.
This role reports to senior ownership and is a cornerstone of the company's growth strategy. The right person will be equally comfortable on the shop floor and in the boardroom.
What You'll Be Responsible ForOperations & Production
- Oversee all daily manufacturing and fabrication operations
- Manage production scheduling, workflow coordination, and on-time delivery
- Monitor labor utilization, throughput, quality, and operational efficiency
- Coordinate across fabrication, welding, assembly, machining, painting, and shipping
- Ensure proper equipment maintenance and uptime
- Support ownership with production forecasting and capacity planning
Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement
- Lead lean initiatives focused on waste reduction, process flow, and efficiency
- Implement and sustain 5S, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis, Standard Work, Visual Management, and KPI tracking
- Develop and improve SOPs, production processes, and workflow documentation
- Identify bottlenecks and drive corrective actions to improve throughput and profitability
Leadership & Team Development
- Directly supervise, mentor, and develop plant personnel at all levels
- Build and sustain a positive, safety-focused, team-oriented culture
- Drive cross-training initiatives and workforce development programs
- Hold employees accountable to productivity, quality, and safety expectations
- Lead hiring and workforce planning as the business scales
Quality & Safety
- Ensure all products meet internal quality standards and customer specifications
- Maintain OSHA compliance and lead workplace safety initiatives
- Champion a clean, organized, zero-incident facility culture
Inventory & Supply Chain
- Manage raw material inventory and coordinate purchasing needs
- Partner with vendors and suppliers to maintain material availability
- Monitor production costs and material usage to improve margins
Required Experience & Skills- 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience
- Background in fabrication, welding, structural steel, heavy equipment, or industrial equipment manufacturing
- Demonstrated lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience
- Strong understanding of production scheduling and shop floor operations
- Ability to read mechanical drawings and manufacturing documentation
- Hands-on leadership style - willing to work alongside production staff when it counts
- Proven ability to lead and develop large teams in a fast-paced environment
Nice to Haves- Experience scaling a manufacturing operation through rapid growth (2x-5x)
- Greenfield or brownfield startup experience
- Background implementing advanced manufacturing systems, automation, or MES/ERP platforms
- Experience building KPI and accountability systems from scratch in an entrepreneurial environment
- Track record of developing frontline employees into supervisory and management roles
- Change management experience leading teams through significant operational transformation
Education- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field preferred
- MBA a plus
- Equivalent combination of education and hands-on manufacturing leadership experience considered
Pay & Benefits- $200,000 - $250,000 base salary
- Performance bonus
- ESOP - ownership stake that grows as the company grows from $100M to $500M
- Profit sharing
- 401(k) with company match
- Health, life, and disability insurance
- Paid vacation and holidays
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