What You'll Be Doing...Own the overall performance, culture, and evolution of our high-tech coated fabrics manufacturing site-building a safe, disciplined, engaged, and high-performing operation that supports growth, innovation, and world-class customer service.
Basic Scope: The Plant Manager is the senior operational leader of the High-Tech Coated Fabrics Gaffney facility, responsible for building and sustaining a safe, high-performing manufacturing organization.
This role owns the day-to-day execution and P&L performance of the site, while also shaping the long-term operational roadmap-developing people, strengthening processes, improving cost structure, enabling growth, and protecting the Fenner People and Brand through uncompromising safety and quality leadership.
Principal Accountabilities: Health, Safety & Environmental Accountabilities:- Serve as the visible champion of safety and environmental stewardship for the site, ensuring Environmental, Health & Safety behaviors are embedded as a core value and the first priority in every decision, process, and operation.
- Build and sustain a proactive culture where associates are empowered, engaged, and accountable-actively participating in EHS programs, hazard identification, and continuous risk reduction.
- Ensure timely, thoughtful follow-up on associate safety concerns and recommendations, reinforcing trust and demonstrating that every voice matters.
- Continuously evolve EHS policies, rules, and work instructions to support changing business needs while strengthening risk awareness, discipline, and operational resilience.
- Lead by example through visible presence on the floor-conducting safety walks, engaging in meaningful safety conversations, and reinforcing housekeeping, safe behaviors, and standards.
- Establish high standards for incident reporting by ensuring hazards, near misses, and incidents are consistently and accurately reported, investigated, and addressed.
- Actively participate in incident investigations and corrective action development,
- Create an environment where safety is understood as a shared responsibility and a critical enabler of operational excellence, employee well-being, and long-term business success.
Production Operations- Lead and mentor salaried staff, set high expectations, and consistently enforce accountability throughout the organization.
- Collaborate effectively with the supply chain team in support of SI&OP processes.
- Execute the production schedule ensuring on time performance and schedule adherence to the plan.
- Determine and manage direct labor staffing levels and lead indirect organizational design in collaboration with the supply chain team to ensure efficient production execution, minimize downtime, and achieve operational targets.
- Take ownership of site P&L results by establishing budgets, tracking financial performance, and implementing strategies to achieve profitability targets.
- Lead with 6S mindset to ensure our facilities are clean and organized.
- Manage physical assets by scheduling maintenance, performing risk assessments, and optimizing equipment use to minimize interruptions and extend asset life.
- Lead facility staff to ensure our buildings are secure and well maintained.
- Drive and oversee continuous improvement initiatives across all departments at the site, with a focus on optimizing processes, increasing employee engagement, and advancing operational excellence.
- Member of the High-Tech Coated Fabrics leadership team reporting to the vice president.
- Maintain and Promote Fenner Precision Polymers Values and Behaviors at all times.
Quality:- Develop and maintain in-process and finished goods inspection procedures that incorporate statistical process controls and real-time monitoring to prevent quality escapes. Establish clear go/no-go criteria for operators and implement targeted measures to reduce the dollar value of scrap.
- Provide direct support to Quality staff by ensuring there are structured problem-solving sessions, root cause analyses, and the development and implementation of corrective action plans. Track the effectiveness of solutions through follow-up audits and performance metrics.
- Work closely with QA Process associates to regularly audit processes for compliance with ISO9001 and other relevant quality standards. Address non-conformances through documented corrective actions and monitor ongoing compliance using established quality metrics.
Continuous Improvement:- Collaborate with engineering team to identify and execute CI initiatives within the facility.
- Routinely review work instructions and operator guidance to ensure clarity and simplicity of instructions.
- Keeps abreast of new technologies that may have an application in our operations to improve efficiency.
Strategic Support- Engage with sales & product management to understand changing market needs and ensure our production processes and equipment plans are aligned to support growth and emerging needs.
- Participate in routine budgeting processes by proposing future staffing plans and capital investment requirements to enable growth.
- Participate in the research, identification and evaluation of M&A targets possessing new materials or technologies that Fenner may seek to acquire or initiate an alliance with.
Supervisory Responsibilities- Serve as the senior people leader for the site, building a high-performance, engaged organization aligned with Fenner values, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
- Recruit, develop, and retain top talent by setting clear expectations, providing regular performance feedback, and holding leaders accountable for results and behaviors.
- Create an environment where associates are motivated, engaged, and proud of their contribution-fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and collaboration.
- Actively coach and mentor supervisors, managers, and high-potential talent, strengthening the leadership bench and ensuring long-term organizational capability.
- Champion workforce development by ensuring robust onboarding, training, and skill-building programs that enable associates to grow alongside the business.
- Communicate with clarity and consistency through 1:1 discussions, team meetings, KPIs, and town halls-ensuring alignment to priorities, transparency on performance, and a shared understanding of goals.
- Continuously assess and evolve the site's organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities to maximize team effectiveness, support individual development, and position the facility for future growth.
Career Progression Opportunities: Education and/or Relative Experience:- BS degree, preferably in a technical discipline.
- Lean Six Sigma Certification Preferred
- 15 years of progressively responsible work experience with last 10 being in operations leadership roles.
- Experience using ERP systems and understanding of work order flow and material management transactions in a manufacturing environment.
- Intimately familiar with developing and improving processes.
- Proven track record of leading successful teams focused on operational excellence.
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