Plant Manager

THE COMPANY

We have been retained to find a Plant Manager to lead the Washington, Missouri (35 minutes from Wildwood the suburbs in St. Louis, Mo.) Machining plant for our client who is a high-growth, globally integrated aerostructures leader, delivering mission-critical components and assemblies to the world’s leading aerospace OEMs. With 13 operations across North America, the company combines deep engineering capability with world-class manufacturing in machining, assembly, fabrication, and advanced composites. Backed by a strong global group, the organization is entering a new phase of strategic growth and operational transformation, driven by increasing demand, supply chain realignment, and next-generation aerospace programs. This is an environment where performance, innovation, and leadership visibility directly impact business outcomes, and where strong leaders have the opportunity to shape the future of a complex, multi-site industrial platform. Our client is an aerospace and defense manufacturing organization serving major commercial and military customers through a North American network of manufacturing and engineering operations. The organization is committed to safety, quality, delivery, customer satisfaction, operational excellence, lean processes, and sustainable growth.

THE POSITION

Position Summary

The Plant Manager provides overall strategic and operational leadership for the site and is accountable for delivering predictable performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People (SQDCP). The role will improve execution, productivity, cost performance, customer satisfaction, and organizational capability while preparing the site for future business requirements.

This position requires a visible, hands-on manufacturing leader who can move effectively between strategic priorities and shop-floor execution. The Plant Manager will lead the site management team and workforce, establish clear accountability, strengthen operating discipline, and build an engaged, high-performing culture in a complex aerospace machining environment.

Mission of the Role

Safety: Build a proactive safety culture

Execution: Deliver predictable SQDCP results.

Productivity: Improve machining flow, capacity and cost.

People: Develop leaders and an accountable team.

Key Responsibilities

Site Strategy and Financial Performance

Develop and execute annual and long-term site goals, operating plans, budgets, forecasts, staffing plans, and capacity requirements aligned with company objectives.

Own site financial performance, including operating results, cost structure, productivity, inventory, working capital, capital investment, and profitability improvement.

Prepare and support capital investment plans for machining equipment, technology, tooling, automation, facility needs, and capacity expansion.

Support existing and new business through accurate cost estimates, manpower plans, machine-capacity forecasts, and disciplined operational execution.

Machining Operations and Operational Excellence

Lead machining performance across safety, quality, yield, uptime, throughput, schedule reliability, on-time delivery, cost, and productivity.

Optimize the utilization of CNC machines, tooling, fixtures, people, maintenance resources, and support functions to improve flow and reduce constraints.

Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, standard work, visual management, structured problem solving, and continuous improvement to reduce cycle time, variability, scrap, rework, and cost.

Coordinate production, planning, materials, quality, engineering, maintenance, supply chain, and program management to ensure schedules, priorities, and recovery plans are aligned.

Ensure effective readiness for new products, transferred work, machining process industrialization, production ramp-up, and changing customer demand.

Customer, Quality and Compliance

Ensure established safety, quality, cost, delivery, and customer commitments are achieved.

Lead corrective and preventive actions in response to quality, delivery, capacity, and operational performance issues.

Provide direction for site quality, production, administrative, environmental, health, and safety policies and procedures.

Ensure compliance with applicable company, customer, local, state, and federal requirements.

Build effective relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, community representatives, and corporate leadership.

People and Leadership

Lead, coach, and develop the site management team, supervisors, technical leaders, and workforce; establish succession and development plans.

Create a performance-based culture founded on ownership, urgency, teamwork, respect, fairness, and individual accountability.

Review organization structure, staffing levels, skills, and reporting lines, adjusting them as operational and business needs change.

Maintain a visible shop-floor presence, communicate priorities clearly, recognize strong performance, and address performance gaps promptly and directly.

Key Performance Indicators

Safety – Recordable incidents, near misses, safety training, and overall compliance.

Quality – Yield, scrap, rework, quality escapes, and continuous improvement.

Delivery – On-time delivery (OTD), schedule adherence, and recovery performance.

Cost / Financial – Productivity, machine utilization, cost management, and profitability.

People – Employee engagement, organizational capability, talent development, and succession planning.

THE CANDIDATE

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, operations, or a related field required; master’s degree or MBA preferred.

Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in complex manufacturing, including significant responsibility for plant or site operations.

Aerospace machining experience is very strongly preferred, with solid knowledge of CNC machining processes, machine utilization, tooling, fixtures, maintenance, and production flow.

Demonstrated experience in high-mix / low-volume manufacturing and aerospace quality and delivery expectations.

Proven financial acumen, including operating budgets, cost structures, capital investment plans, productivity, and profitability drivers.

Demonstrated success applying Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement to improve safety, quality, delivery, efficiency, and cost.

Experience leading operational transformation, performance improvement, new product introduction, transfers of work, process industrialization, or production ramp-up.

Proven ability to build high-performing teams and strengthen customer and supplier relationships.

Leadership Profile

Owner Mindset: Acts with urgency, accountability, sound judgment, and a strong bias for action.

Operational Discipline: Uses data, standard work, and structured problem-solving to create consistent and predictable results.

Change Leadership: Builds trust, communicates the big picture, and effectively mobilizes teams through change.

Shop-Floor Leadership: Maintains a visible presence throughout the operation and earns credibility with operators, technical teams, and leaders.

People Builder: Coaches directly, develops talent and successors, recognizes strong performance, and addresses performance or capability gaps decisively.

Collaboration: Works effectively and builds strong relationships across customers, suppliers, functions, sites, and corporate leadership.

Why Join this Global Leader

This role offers the opportunity to lead and strengthen a strategically important aerospace machining operation, influence its performance and culture, and position the Washington, Missouri site for sustainable operational and financial success. Multiple opportunities are available for growth not just in North America but also globally.