Plant Manager

Plant Manager Role Description – Händorn

Role Purpose

The Plant Manager is responsible for leading all plant operations at Händorn in a way that reflects and reinforces Händorn’s Core Values. This role ensures safety, quality, efficiency, profitability, and scalability while modeling Learning-Led Excellence, Make it Easier for Someone Else, Thinking Together, Win to Together, and being Determined to Succeed.

The Plant Manager serves as the operational backbone of the company and is expected to serve on the Leadership Team, translating company strategy into disciplined execution while building a strong culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and teamwork.

This role is critical to supporting Händorn’s growth objectives as production leadership transitions and capacity expands.

Key Outcomes (What Success Looks Like)

• Safe, efficient, and scalable plant operations grounded in continuous learning
• Consistent on-time delivery and high-quality output that makes work easier downstream
• Clearly defined processes, standards, and accountability that reduce friction
• Strong team engagement, collaboration, and succession planning
• Accurate financial, production, and operational reporting
• Continuous improvement in cost, throughput, quality, and team capability

Core Responsibilities

1. Leadership, Culture & Core Values

• Lead by example, consistently modeling Händorn’s core values in decisions and behaviors
• Maintain and develop the management team through coaching, feedback, and accountability
• Set and reinforce clear expectations so teams can succeed without confusion
• Foster a culture of curiosity, learning, and improvement—treating challenges as opportunities
• Encourage collaboration across departments, breaking down silos and aligning goals
• Resolve department conflicts constructively and respectfully
• Act as Chief Change Implementer, helping teams navigate change with clarity and confidence
• Build stability and trust through integrity, transparency, and follow-through

2. Operations & Production Management

• Oversee daily plant operations, production scheduling, and capacity planning
• Increase throughput while maintaining safety, quality, and team sustainability
• Monitor and act on measurables related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and efficiency
• Ensure shop layout, workflow, and material organization support ease of execution
• Manage fabrication employees and shop leadership with clear priorities and support
• Oversee maintenance, machine integration, and equipment utilization
• Serve as the final operational checkpoint before work enters production, ensuring accuracy and readiness

3. Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Champion a safety-first mindset and enforce safety protocols and health standards
• Monitor quality control reporting and address issues promptly and thoroughly
• Build systems that prevent errors rather than relying on heroics
• Ensure internal controls, documentation, and regulatory compliance
• Proactively identify and manage operational risks to the company

4. Financial & Business Management

• Own plant-level financial awareness, including cost control and profitability drivers
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting in partnership with leadership
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities without sacrificing quality or safety
• Approve purchasing within established limits, ensuring thoughtful and timely decisions
• Manage vendor relationships and lead commodity-level cost negotiations
• Support capital investment decisions with clear ROI and long-term impact analysis

5. Planning, Measurables & Continuous Improvement

• Create, maintain, and continuously refine operational measurables and scorecards and measurables
• Monitor capacity, inventory levels, and material flow to reduce bottlenecks
• Standardize processes and documentation to make work easier for others
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives rooted in data and learning
• Implement and support new software, systems, and tools effectively
• Research industry trends, equipment, and best practices to keep Händorn competitive

6. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Think together with engineering, project management, sales, and finance to win together
• Ensure accurate and complete documentation including BOMs, work orders, drawings, and revisions
• Coordinate delivery planning to meet customer expectations consistently
• Communicate changes clearly, early, and consistently across teams
• Support internal and external customer satisfaction through proactive collaboration

7. People Development & HR Support

• Support hiring, staffing levels, and structured onboarding
• Drive training, cross-training, and succession planning to build bench strength
• Monitor performance and provide timely, constructive feedback
• Maintain high employee engagement through clarity, respect, and shared ownership
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and pride in workmanship

Required Skills & Experience

Minimum Requirements

• 10+ years in manufacturing operations
• 5–8+ years in architectural millwork, cabinetry, or commercial casework
• 5+ years leading supervisors or department managers
• Experience managing custom, project-based production
• Strong familiarity with CNC-driven manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated experience improving throughput in a high-mix environment
• Proven Lean / Continuous Improvement implementation
• OSHA and safety program leadership experience
• ERP/MRP manufacturing systems experience
• Budgeting and capital planning experience, with focus on forecasting and cost control
• Data-driven mindset with experience managing measurables and operational measurables
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Construction Management, or related field, or equivalent industry experience
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to delegate effectively while maintaining accountability
• Demonstrated alignment with Händorn’s core values

Preferred

• AWI standards familiarity
• Experience scaling plant capacity through systems, people, and process improvement
• Experience leading 15+ employees

Key Interfaces

• CEO and Leadership Team
• Department Managers and Supervisors
• Engineering, Project Management, Sales, and Finance
• HR and Administrative Support
• Vendors, Suppliers, and Logistics Partners

Measures of Performance

• Safety performance and incident rates
• On-time delivery and throughput
• Quality measurables, rework, and scrap reduction
• Cost control and budget adherence
• Employee engagement, retention, and development
• Process standardization, scalability, and continuous improvement results

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Experience:

• Manufacturing: 10 years (Preferred)
• Architectural Millwork, Cabinetry, or Commercial Casework: 5 years (Preferred)
• Leadership: 5 years (Required)

Work Location: In person