Production Supervision - Plant Manager
Plant Manager
Department: OperationsReports To: Director of OperationsLocation: Bentall Manufacturing FacilityStatus: Full-Time, Salaried
Position Summary
The Plant Manager is responsible for leading all manufacturing operations within a unionized HVAC production environment to achieve world-class performance in Safety, People Development, Quality, Cost Management, and Delivery. This role provides leadership to production supervisors and hourly employees, ensuring a safe, engaged, and high-performing workforce while consistently meeting customer expectations and business objectives.
The Plant Manager drives operational excellence through continuous improvement, workforce development, labor relations, and effective execution of production plans while fostering a culture of accountability, respect, and collaboration.
Key Responsibilities
Safety Leadership
Champion a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with all applicable health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Lead proactive safety initiatives, risk assessments, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
Ensure supervisors and employees are trained and accountable for safe work practices.
Conduct regular safety audits, Gemba walks, and workplace inspections.
Monitor and improve leading and lagging safety indicators.
Promote employee engagement in continuous safety improvement programs.
Corrective Action Closure Rate
People Leadership & Union Relations
Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors and frontline employees.
Foster a respectful, inclusive, and high-performance culture aligned with company values.
Maintain positive working relationships with union leadership and bargaining unit employees.
Administer the collective bargaining agreement consistently and fairly.
Partner with Human Resources on employee relations, attendance management, performance management, grievances, and disciplinary matters.
Support workforce planning, succession planning, and talent development initiatives.
Drive employee engagement and continuous improvement participation.
Quality Management
Ensure products meet customer specifications, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards.
Lead quality improvement initiatives focused on reducing defects, rework, scrap, and warranty claims.
Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to resolve product and process issues.
Establish accountability for standard work and process discipline.
Promote root-cause problem solving using Lean and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
Cost Management
Manage labor efficiency, productivity, material utilization, and manufacturing expenses.
Monitor and control operating budgets to achieve financial objectives.
Identify opportunities to eliminate waste and improve process efficiency.
Support capital investment planning and implementation.
Develop and execute continuous improvement initiatives that reduce cost while improving performance.
Inventory Accuracy
Delivery & Operational Performance
Ensure production schedules are executed safely, efficiently, and on time.
Collaborate with Planning, Procurement, and Supply Chain teams to meet customer delivery requirements.
Remove production constraints and improve throughput.
Monitor production performance daily and implement corrective actions as required.
Drive capacity planning and resource allocation to achieve operational targets.
Lead daily management systems and performance review meetings.
Continuous Improvement
Lead Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence initiatives across the production organization.
Utilize tools including:
5S
Kaizen
Standard Work
Root Cause Analysis
Value Stream Mapping
Visual Management
Daily Management Systems
KPI Scorecards
Create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Leadership Responsibilities
Lead and develop Production Supervisors and Team Leads.
Establish clear expectations and performance objectives.
Conduct performance reviews and development planning.
Build cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance.
Model company values and leadership behaviors.
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related discipline preferred.
Equivalent manufacturing leadership experience may be considered.
Experience
7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
Minimum 3 to 5 years managing supervisors and frontline employees.
Experience working in a unionized manufacturing environment required.
Experience within HVAC, sheet metal fabrication, industrial manufacturing, or related industries preferred.
Demonstrated success managing Safety, Quality, Cost, and Delivery performance.
Technical Skills
Lean Manufacturing principles.
Production planning and scheduling.
KPI development and performance management.
Root Cause Analysis and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
ERP/MRP systems.
Microsoft Office Suite.
Competencies
Leadership
Accountability
Coaching and Mentoring
Conflict Resolution
Decision Making
Change Management
Operational Excellence
Continuous Improvement Mindset
Results Orientation
Strategic Thinking
Process Discipline
Problem Solving
Communication
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Ability to work effectively with union representatives and employees at all levels
Effective facilitator and team builder