Plant Manager

Company Overview

Come join our well-established company conveniently located near the 5 and 78 freeways in Oceanside, CA, that offers a fun, casual dress work environment, excellent health, dental and vision insurance, a 401k with company match. American Innotek is a thriving manufacturing organization committed to providing outstanding customer service with 100% on time delivery and loyal customers.

Position Summary

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Plant Manager to lead daily operations at our manufacturing facility. This role is ideal for a hands‑on, results‑driven leader with a passion for operational excellence, team development, and continuous improvement. You’ll be responsible for managing all aspects of plant performance—including production, safety, quality, engineering, and cost control—while driving a culture of accountability, performance, and collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct all plant operations, aligning with company goals to ensure productivity, quality, and efficiency.
• Foster a culture of ownership, motivation, and high performance across all departments.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to develop strategic goals and execute long‑term operational plans.
• Lead and mentor supervisors and cross‑functional teams to meet production goals, maintain morale, and uphold a safe working environment.

Operations Management

• Oversee daily production activities, ensuring all processes run efficiently and on schedule.
• Analyze KPIs and production data to identify trends, drive performance, and implement process improvements.
• Lead plant‑wide initiatives focused on quality improvement, cost reduction, and lean manufacturing.
• Coordinate closely with purchasing, engineering, and distribution teams to support seamless operations.

Engineering and Automation

• We are a company who have designed and built custom manufacturing machines.
• Support and guide the production and engineering efforts to design custom machines.
• Projects support the Manufacturing Engineer, who is also the safety officer, and responsible for machine maintenance and facilities.
• Understand and use CAD systems (SolidWorks experience preferred).
• Have sufficient knowledge to support Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC).
• Drive continuous process improvement and lean manufacturing.
• Understand and support the mechanics, pneumatics, and electronics required to optimize production.
• Have experience managing engineers to complete automation.

Quality & Compliance

• Implement and monitor quality control procedures to meet customer specifications and regulatory standards.
• Support and manage document control including generation of ECOs, customer complaints and corrective action requests.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and other safety standards by developing robust safety programs, conducting audits, and driving training initiatives.
• Develop and manage plant budgets, focusing on cost containment and resource optimization.
• Partner with accounting on forecasting, budget planning, and financial performance tracking.
• Identify and implement efficiency opportunities to improve profitability and resource utilization.

Facility & Engineering Oversight

• Lead plant engineering initiatives, maintenance, and facilities management to ensure optimal equipment performance and infrastructure reliability.

Daily & Monthly Duties

• Maintain clear visibility into daily plant performance through operational dashboards and reporting.
• Monitor and adjust production schedules as needed to meet demand and reduce bottlenecks.
• Conduct performance reviews, train team members, and provide regular coaching to drive development.
• Build strong relationships with internal teams, suppliers, and external partners to support operational success.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, operations management, or related field.
• 5‑7 years of progressive leadership experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Strong knowledge of operations functions: production, QA/QC, purchasing, maintenance, and safety.
• Proven ability to build high‑performing teams and manage complex manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated success in driving continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and cost reduction strategies .
• Familiarity with OSHA and regulatory compliance .

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in budget planning, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Experience in ERP systems and Microsoft Dynamics preferred.
• Strong technical aptitude with hands‑on experience in quality and inspection tools (calipers, micrometers, tape measures).
• Bi‑lingual in Spanish preferred .

Key Skills

• Leadership & Team Development
• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement
• Communication & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand for long hours.
• Lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds.
• Pushing, twisting, or pulling.
• Must be physically capable of wearing a respirator.

Pay Range

$115k - $125k

Closing

If you’re a strong leader with a hands‑on approach and a passion for operational excellence, we’d love to hear from you.

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Management and Manufacturing

Industries

Plastics Manufacturing