Plant Manager

Alloy Engineering, a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company located in Berea, is seeking a Plant Manager to serve as the senior site leader responsible for the full operational performance of the facility. This role owns everything that happens within the four walls — production output, quality, safety, workforce, cost, and maintenance — and is the single accountable leader for the site's business results. The Plant Manager operates with a high degree of autonomy, escalating to the Director of Operations for cross-site, strategic, or policy-level decisions.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

• Each AECo facility has distinct equipment, processes, workforce profiles, and customer requirements; dedicated site leadership ensures these nuances are managed with expertise and proximity.
• The Director of Operations cannot simultaneously manage daily operations at two facilities — the Plant Manager is the on-site decision-maker.
• Site-level speed, morale, and accountability require a single recognized leader who is physically present and operationally engaged.

• Production & Delivery Performance
• Own the daily, weekly, and monthly production schedule — ensuring on-time, on-quality delivery of all customer orders; manage capacity constraints and adjust for bottleneck operations.
• Look forward forecasting one month out, planning for capacity and “open capacity” and predict bottlenecks.
• Manage production supervisors, lead dispatching decisions, and resolve constraints in real time.
• Implement and maintain visual management systems (production boards, flow indicators, WIP controls, morning production walks).
• Drive OEE improvement for critical production assets.
• In coordination with IOM, perform weekly ship planning and reporting to reach targeted ship plan.
• Evaluate monthly fall-outs and analyze data for trends and action planning.
• Supply Chain Execution & Material Coordination
• Partner with IOM to ensure material availability aligns with the production schedule; escalate shortages or lead time risks as early as possible.
• Provide demand signals and material forecasts to IOM for purchasing planning — communicate schedule changes, priority shifts, and new order requirements promptly.
• Identify site-specific supply chain pain points (recurring shortages, problem vendors, quality escapes from suppliers) and escalate to the Director of Operations for strategic resolution.
• Quality & Continuous Improvement
• Champion quality culture on the shop floor; hold supervisors and operators accountable for in-process inspection and product yield.
• Coordinate with Engineering & Quality on NCRs, corrective actions, and customer complaints; ensure timely root cause analysis and corrective action closure.
• Lead or support lean/continuous improvement projects at the site level.
• Coordinate with Quality department on inbound receiving quality checks in coordination with Shipping & Receiving; flag and segregate non-conforming material immediately.
• Safety & Compliance
• All completed in coordination with the Corporate Compliance Specialist:
• Own site-level safety — daily hazard walks, incident response, near-miss reporting, and PPE compliance.
• Conduct all required safety inspections, lead incident reviews, and implement corrective actions for any recordable events.
• Ensure all applicable OSHA and regulatory requirements for the site are maintained.
• Workforce & Labor Management
• Manage site headcount: scheduling, OT approval, labor efficiency, and daily attendance management.
• Conduct regular performance conversations with direct reports; develop front-line supervisors.
• Foster a positive, productive, and accountable shop floor culture.
• Customer Interaction
• Act as the primary site-level contact for customers, ensuring timely communication, responsiveness, and issue resolution.
• Manage customer complaints, delivery issues, and quality concerns at the site level; escalate unresolved or strategic issues to the Director of Operations.
• Lead customer visit preparation and site tours; present operational capabilities and address customer questions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers; proactively identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
• Coordinate with Engineering & Quality on customer requirements, specifications, and corrective actions.
• Maintenance & Facilities
• Own the preventive maintenance program for all production equipment at the site.
• Manage, oversee, and direct maintenance personnel; prioritize corrective maintenance to minimize unplanned downtime.
• Manage facility expenses within approved budget; escalate capital needs to Director of Operations.
• Financial Accountability
• Co-own P&L, Own site-level operational cost performance — labor efficiency, scrap, OT, and supply/consumable costs.
• Participate in budget development; provide variance explanations and corrective actions in monthly reviews.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities without compromising quality or delivery commitments.

• 7+ years of manufacturing experience, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Hands-on job-shop, fabrication, or precision machining background strongly preferred (site dependent).
• Demonstrated ability to manage a shop floor through supervisors — not just hands-on production.
• Working knowledge of supply chain execution — able to read a production schedule, identify material shortages, and communicate with purchasing effectively.
• Comfortable with quality systems, basic data analysis, and financial reporting.

• Do Right – Always!
• Customer-Centric Teamwork
• Get it Done! – High Quality & Timely
• Drama-Free Work Environment
• Be Smart, Grow & Learn