Head of Manufacturing

Job Title:  Head of Manufacturing

Industry: Plastics Manufacturing

On-site Location: Montgomery, AL

Relocation Provided: Yes

Salary Range: Depends on experience

Job Overview:

The Head of Manufacturing is responsible for leading and stabilizing all production operations within the plant. This role ensures safe, efficient, and predictable manufacturing performance across injection molding, automation, maintenance coordination, quality execution, and material flow.

This position serves as the Plant Manager's operational right hand, owning daily plant execution, workforce alignment, and production discipline.

Minimum Requirements:

• 6+ years of manufacturing experience with 3+ years in a senior production leadership role
• Must have strong experience in injection molding operations
• Deep understanding of production flow, automation, and molding processes
• Proven ability to stabilize and improve underperforming operations
• Strong leadership presence with a hands-on operational mindset
• Experience in automotive, aerospace/defense, or similar environments working with ISO and other compliance standards
• Experience with automation expansion initiatives
• Background in continuous improvement methodologies (OEE, scrap reduction, etc.)
• Experience supporting program launches and PPAP processes
• Strong data-driven decision-making capability

Responsibilities:

Production Stability and Execution

• Ensure daily production targets are achieved safely and consistently
• Lead injection molding operations, including scheduling, machine utilization, and workforce efficiency
• Drive shift stability and eliminate reactive “firefighting” behaviors
• Ensure strong startup discipline and effective shift handoffs
• Oversee mold changeovers and automation integration

Workforce Leadership and Accountability

• Build and lead a strong production leadership team
• Establish and track KPIs for supervisors and technical staff
• Promote accountability, ownership, and structured communication
• Improve workforce stability and reduce turnover
• Support training and skill development initiatives

Process and Operational Discipline

• Enforce process control standards
• Partner with Process Engineering to ensure robust, repeatable processes
• Coordinate preventive maintenance with production needs
• Reduce scrap, downtime, and rework through operational rigor
• Promote data-driven decision-making

Continuous Improvement and Efficiency

• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Reduce scrap and improve first-pass yield
• Optimize labor allocation and shift balance
• Improve material flow between the warehouse and production
• Support automation and labor efficiency initiatives

Customer and Launch Support

• Ensure readiness for new program launches
• Support PPAP builds and production ramp-ups
• Participate in customer visits as operational lead
• Ensure execution meets customer timing and quality expectations

Safety and Compliance

• Promote a zero-incident safety culture
• Ensure adherence to all safety procedures
• Maintain compliance with quality systems and internal standards
• Keep production areas audit-ready at all times