Plant Manager – Liquid Manufacturing

Horizon Ag-Products•Onawa, IA

6h•Onsite

About The Position

Horizon Ag is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead our liquid manufacturing facility in Onawa, Iowa. Reporting to the Liquid Operations Manager, the Plant Manager holds full site-level accountability for safety, environmental compliance, quality, production, cost, reliability, and people – running the facility as a business rather than simply a production line. The role covers the full liquid manufacturing process, from raw material receipt and blending through filling, packaging, and shipment, and leads a team of up to 15 employees. The successful candidate will build a plant that performs reliably and predictably, meeting or exceeding safety, quality, delivery, and financial targets through disciplined daily management and strong, hands-on leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree preferred (Engineering, Chemistry, Operations Management, or related field); equivalent experience considered.
At least 7 years of experience successfully leading a team, ideally in a regulated or process manufacturing environment.
Experience in a liquid manufacturing, blending, or process industry environment (agricultural inputs, chemicals, or related) strongly preferred.
Strong mechanical/process aptitude and working knowledge of cost accounting concepts (COGS, gross margin, conversion cost, variance analysis).
Intermediate-to-advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel); ERP experience (Acumatica or similar) preferred.
Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a constantly changing environment with minimal direct supervision.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including presenting ideas, proposals, and results to management and customers.

Nice To Haves

LEAN or Six Sigma background and training.
Experience with preventive/predictive maintenance programs and CMMS systems (e.g., Maintenance Connection).
Understanding of capital expenditures, business case development, and ROI tracking.

Responsibilities

Enforce all Environmental, Health, Safety, Security and Quality (EHSSQ) programs and build a culture where safe execution is non-negotiable, targeting zero serious incidents through active management of leading indicators (near misses, critical-control effectiveness).
Operate the site continuously within all environmental permits (emissions, waste, water, process discharge), anticipating risk to achieve zero preventable violations.
Own manufacturing quality outcomes rather than delegating them to the Quality function – specifications, process capability, deviations, and customer-impacting defects – driving a right-first-time culture that eliminates chronic defects.
Ensure safe handling, storage, and containment of bulk liquid raw materials and finished product (tanks, totes, drums, bulk tankers), including spill prevention and secondary containment integrity.
Deliver ≥95–98% schedule attainment (where inputs and demand support it) by managing day-to-day production operations, true plant capacity, and constraint utilization across blending, mixing, and filling.
Manage OEE as an economic loss-management tool and treat yield/material loss as lost money, quantifying and closing out every significant loss.
Maintain accurate, well-rotated inventory of raw materials and finished goods to prevent downtime without overstocking.
Convert demand into a credible operating plan (S&OP), surfacing capacity, staffing, and material risks before they become missed commitments.
Own plant COGS, gross margin, and conversion cost; explain material variances and drive corrective action, with no unexplained surprises against budget.
Manage material usage and the cost of poor quality (scrap, rework, downgrade, disposal) as financial levers, reducing COPQ year over year.
Design staffing to business requirements rather than historical headcount; review and approve payroll and overtime with the plant management team.
Own capital projects as shareholder investment – scope, business case, schedule, and budget – and confirm promised ROI materializes after startup.
Manage plant maintenance responsibilities to ensure predictive and preventive maintenance, along with emergency repairs, are performed effectively; maintain the CMMS (e.g., Maintenance Connection) in the absence of the Assistant Plant Manager.
Build a reliable plant rather than accepting firefighting by addressing critical equipment failure modes and driving toward a predominantly planned-maintenance environment.
Manage energy and utilities as a controllable production input, actively reducing intensity and cost.
Recruit, train, and develop direct reports and frontline supervisors to deliver consistent performance across shifts, with plant performance that doesn't depend on any one individual, including the Plant Manager, being present.
Coach, counsel, and, when necessary, discipline employees; set clear expectations and hold the team accountable to goals.
Identify high and low performers, close skill gaps, and build succession coverage for critical roles.
Maintain a quantified pipeline of structural improvement opportunities tied to annualized savings and COGS reduction, leading root-cause problem solving that permanently eliminates systemic issues.
Maintain enough technical depth in liquid blending, mixing, and filling operations to credibly challenge Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations on equipment limitations and constraints.
Identify operational risks (equipment, people, materials, compliance, supply) before they become failures and maintain credible contingency plans; partner cross-functionally with Quality, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and Commercial teams.
Translate company strategy into a 1–3 year plant roadmap covering future capacity, cost, technology, and people needs.
Other duties may be assigned as directed by the Liquid Operations Manager.
Directly supervises up to 7 employees across production, blending/filling, and maintenance functions, and coordinates closely with the Assistant Plant Manager on scheduling, ERP/data administration, and supervisory paperwork.
Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; and addressing complaints and resolving problems, in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable law.