Plant Manager

Axalta•Minneapolis, MN

5d•$135,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Manager will lead all operations at Axalta’s Fridley, Minnesota liquid coatings plant, which serves Building Products customers in North America. The role develops and executes the site manufacturing strategy, drives process excellence and cost-of-goods-sold improvements, and directs plant management across quality, maintenance and warehousing. The manager will translate regional and network operations strategy into local execution, ensuring efficient product flow from supplier to customer and strong service to internal and external customers. Fridley is part of Axalta’s four-site Building Products North America manufacturing network. The Plant Manager will share standards, best practices and capacity with sister sites, and support network initiatives including the Lighthouse site assessment, EHS plan, SPQDC tier reviews and business continuity planning. The role analyzes local plant needs and works across operations and with business, Technology, HR, Finance and Legal to improve operational performance and profitability. The role requires 100% onsite presence at the Fridley plant and is not eligible for relocation or sponsorship. Occasional travel to sister sites and customers is expected, approximately 10–15%. The expected annual compensation range is $135,000–$150,000, with final compensation determined by the company based on relevant qualifications and business considerations.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
At least 7 years of manufacturing experience in the chemicals, paint or coatings industry; the posting specifies a minimum of 7–10 years.
At least 5 years leading a manufacturing site or department, with direct responsibility for safety, quality, cost and people.
Experience running a small-to-mid-size plant and personally overseeing multiple functions such as EH&S, maintenance, quality and warehousing.
Working knowledge of site EH&S and regulatory programs, including Process Safety Management, hazardous materials handling and environmental permitting.
Strong communication and influencing skills to lead change and implement and sustain initiatives with a small, close-knit workforce.
Demonstrated success implementing lean manufacturing principles, 5S, visual management, tier-meeting structures and kaizen methodology.
Data-driven approach and ability to implement solutions with appropriate urgency.
Strong financial and analytical skills to manage a site P&L/PFC budget, flex cost with volume and build a capital business case.
Strong chemical batch-processing knowledge, including formula adjustment, color and quality disposition, and Right-First-Time improvement.
Proven success gathering and reporting business data and key performance indicators, including SPQDC.
Ability to perform each duty satisfactorily and safely.
Ability to work 100% onsite at the Fridley, Minnesota plant; the position is not eligible for relocation or sponsorship.
Ability to travel occasionally to sister sites and customers, approximately 10–15%.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry or a related discipline preferred.
Advanced degree desired.
Liquid coatings and batch-processing experience strongly preferred.
Process Safety Management awareness would be an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead all plant operations and facilities at the Fridley site, including production, warehousing and shipping, maintenance, process engineering, quality control and EH&S.
Direct the site leadership team and the full site workforce.
Lead the site safety program, promote good-catch and timely incident reporting, and deliver the network EHS plan pillars.
Maintain accountability for local regulatory matters, including air and stormwater permits, hazardous waste, DOT, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and OSHA requirements.
Own site SPQDC performance, run daily tier meetings, report monthly metrics into the network operations review, and close performance gaps through structured problem solving.
Improve Right-First-Time and Hits-per-Batch performance through formula discipline, standard work, operator training and QC capability; sustain schedule attainment and OTIF performance.
Lead the Fridley Lighthouse site assessment and establish model areas, visual standards, 5S and tier-board discipline.
Ensure the site can take on additional network volume without compromising safety, quality or service.
Build a continuous-improvement mindset and execute the AOE strategy to improve quality, cost, delivery and inventory.
Maintain the site Quality Management System and quality compliance, including document control in Qualtrax and training records in Aspire; support customer audits and complaint resolution.
Represent the site in network programs, including business continuity planning, standards and SOP harmonization, sharing best practices and cross-site support during outages or peak demand.
Partner with Supply Chain and Customer Service on production scheduling, inventory accuracy, safety stock and on-time delivery to Building Products customers.
Analyze local plant requirements and collaborate across operations and other functions to recommend solutions that improve operational performance and profitability.