Job Purpose

We care about giving people a better way forward – that’s our purpose and what motivates Fenner Dunlop employees every day. As a Plant Manager at Fenner Dunlop, you’ll not only have the opportunity to put your expertise to work, but you’ll also have the opportunity to lead and mentor employees who will look to you to be empowered and to care about their wellbeing. As you direct and manage plant operations – safety, production, maintenance, and quality – you can be proud that the conveyor belts you’re making are the toughest, hardest working and longest lasting in the world. In this role, you’ll also have the opportunity to drive continuous improvement and optimization of processes, to be agile, strategic and to help achieve success for our Lavonia facility and Fenner Dunlop overall.

Principal Duties

Business Focused

• Direct and manage daily operations to ensure employee safety and production meets customer expectations and enhances profitability.
• Lead, develop and manage the plant’s overall plans, budget and allocation of resources. Collaborate closely with department supervisors.
• Leverage financial statements and other performance data to monitor productivity and goal achievement and to make strategic, data-driven decisions on how best to improve efficiency and manage cost.
• Provide strategic thinking, leadership, direction, training, and prioritization, enabling the teams to successfully execute company and plant goals and initiatives in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Demonstrate passion for and manage continuous improvements across all areas of the plant.
• Safely and consistently deliver the necessary output of high-quality products and ensure they are shipped on time.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, corporate best practices, quality and environmental objectives.
• Maintain existing plant facilities and equipment; replace or make adjustments as necessary.
  
  
  

People Focused

• Drive the desired leadership culture (ICARE): Inspire, Create trust, Awareness, Results, and Empowerment.
• Create an inclusive, positive working environment that encourages communication and rewards collaboration and teamwork.
• Hire, train and invest in the continued development of your team by leveraging strategies such as goal setting, frequent check-ins, feedback, and coaching.
• Be an advocate for employee engagement. Encourage participation in the annual engagement survey and fully commit to the resulting action plans.

Secondary Duties

• Always represent the company in a professional manner.
• Promote 5S standards among plant personnel to ensure shop floor organization and plant cleanliness.
• Implement and maintain preventative maintenance programs.
• Routinely assess and deliver progress on safety measures and metrics within the plant.
• Manage environmental sustainability projects and share innovative ideas that come from the plant on how to advance sustainability even further.
• Complete self-assessments for the plant.
• Establish and maintain positive employee relations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Scope of Responsibility

The Plant Manager has ultimate responsibility for the plant’s operations, including safety, machine, quality, delivery and cost, as well as the approximately 125 employees of the Lavonia plant. The Plant Manager will report to the Vice President of Manufacturing and will collaborate, troubleshoot, and share best practices with other plant managers within Fenner Dunlop.

Required Experience/Education Requirements

• We are looking for a dynamic, motivating, and strategic leader! Our ideal candidate will possess:
• Bachelor’s degree in Management, Engineering or Business.
• 5-10 years of experience in Production Management and performance measurement, manufacturing methods, engineering, process improvement programs and financial management is also sufficient.
• Understanding of safety, quality, productivity, demand creation, inventory, and stewardship processes.
• Knowledge of business and management principles such as budgeting, strategic planning, resource allocation and human resources.
• Demonstrated excellence in execution of strategic initiatives.
• Proven team building, decision-making, and people management experience.
• Strong communication, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate and connect with both top level management and production floor.

Preferred Experience/Education Requirements

• Master’s / MBA degree in business, engineering, operations management, or relevant discipline preferred
• Production Management experience in the textile industry.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.