Plant Manager

ESPEC North America Inc•Aurora, CO

29d•$116,500 - $139,800•Onsite

About The Position

ESPEC North America (ENA) is seeking a Plant Manager to oversee all aspects of the Colorado manufacturing facility. This role is crucial for ensuring the safety, efficiency, quality, and timely delivery of HALT/HASS environmental test chambers. The Plant Manager will be the primary decision-maker for site operations, leading production and collaborating with centralized functions to achieve company objectives. ESPEC North America is a partner in environmental and accelerated reliability test chambers and solutions with a long history and deep expertise in making the world a better place through better quality, higher reliability products. Our mission is to continually aim to grow and evolve by building mutually responsive, innovative partnerships with our customers, vendors, and strategic allies, and creating opportunities for our team members. Our cornerstone is to be the most reliable and accessible supplier of testing solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred
Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered
Minimum 7–10 years of experience in manufacturing or operations, preferably in capital equipment or related industry
Minimum 5 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
Experience with site-level or multi-functional operational responsibility strongly preferred
Experience implementing lean manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives including coaching, problem solving, and developing team members.
Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and production systems
Working knowledge of materials planning and supply chain coordination in a matrix environment
Proven ability to lead teams and drive operational performance
Financial acumen, including budgeting and cost control
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, schematics, and technical documents
Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills
Effective communication and leadership presence
Ability to read and interpret engineering documents, production documents, electrical and refrigeration schematics required.
Using data to drive decisions
Experience establishing, tracking, and improving key manufacturing performance metrics (safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost)
Experience operating within a formal Quality Management System, including audits, corrective actions, and continuous compliance
Proven ability to lead organizational and process changes while maintaining production stability and team engagement.
Ability to identify operational risks, develop mitigation plans, and escalate issues appropriately
Strong customer focus with understanding of how plant performance impacts customer commitments and satisfaction
Experience using ERP/MRP systems to manage production execution, materials planning, and reporting
Ability to read and comprehend multiple step instructions (in the English language), short correspondence, and memos.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the production shop.

Nice To Haves

Experience with site-level or multi-functional operational responsibility strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Leads all day-to-day operations of the Colorado facility, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient execution of all activities.
Serves as the primary decision-maker for plant operations, resolving issues and setting priorities across functions.
Ensures the on-time delivery and quality of products leaving production.
Works closely with the Scheduler (MI) to develop and execute production schedules that match Colorado’s capacity and constraints.
Provides input on production capacity, constraints, and priorities to ensure schedules are realistic and achievable.
Leads the production team to meet productivity, quality, and schedule requirements.
Promotes and enforces a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Ensures compliance with safety, environmental, fire code, and hazardous material regulations.
Coordinates maintenance and reliability of facility systems including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and utilities.
Works with Purchasing to help prioritize and secure materials needed to support production.
Oversees the on-site materials planner to ensure materials are available to meet production schedules.
Identifies and resolves material shortages, supply issues, and scheduling conflicts that impact production.
Develops and manages the annual operating budget for the site, including labor, materials, and overhead.
Monitors costs and implements actions to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
Identifies equipment and resource needs to meet production demand and supports capital planning.
Leads efforts to improve productivity, reduce waste, and streamline processes.
Works with Engineering to improve manufacturability and support new product introductions.
Implements and maintains manufacturing standards and best practices.
Trains, coaches, and develops production team members; maintains training and capability records.
Reviews workforce capability and ensures appropriate staffing levels to meet production demand.
Communicates site performance, risks, and operational issues to senior management.
Leads problem-solving efforts and ensures corrective actions are implemented and sustained.
Approves time off requests and supports payroll processes as required.
Enforces company policies, procedures, and safety standards.
Participates in hiring, performance management, and disciplinary actions as needed.
Writes and delivers performance evaluations.
Regular physical attendance is required.
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.
Limited travel may be required.