Plant Operations Manager

Lakeshirts•Detroit Lakes, MN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Lakeshirts is seeking a hands-on Plant Operations Manager to lead manufacturing operations at its fully onsite Detroit Lakes, Minnesota facility. The position is accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost, people leadership, and continuous improvement across screenprint, embroidery, sublimation/DTFX, garment dyeing, and accessories printing. The manager leads five Production Managers and a manufacturing team of more than 250 people, sets daily direction, and uses performance data to guide practical action. The role calls for a visible, steady, team-first leader who develops people and applies Lean manufacturing tools, while fitting Lakeshirts’ humble, non-corporate culture. The manager leads plant operations and daily management, develops managers and frontline leaders, monitors production and operating performance, aligns schedules and resources with customer priorities, and partners with teams across the business. The role drives continuous improvement and change, communicates performance and action plans, and fosters a safe, positive, accountable environment. The position is based at the company’s Detroit Lakes headquarters and requires schedule flexibility according to plant priorities and operating needs. It is a full-time exempt leadership role, with an annual salary of $120,000–$150,000 depending on experience and qualifications; flexibility is noted for exceptional candidates.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field plus relevant manufacturing leadership experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
10 years of progressive operations leadership experience, including experience as a Plant Manager, Manufacturing Operations Manager, or comparable site leader.
Demonstrated ability to lead through managers and supervisors in a complex, high-volume manufacturing environment.
Proven success applying Lean manufacturing principles and establishing sustainable continuous improvement routines.
Strong people leadership, including setting expectations, coaching leaders, developing talent, addressing performance directly, and building trust across shifts and departments.
Production planning and execution skills that balance labor, equipment, capacity, and customer priorities.
Working knowledge of quality management, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and waste reduction.
Ability to use KPIs and visual metrics to make decisions, communicate performance, and drive accountability.
Ability to control staffing, overtime, labor utilization, and operating expenses.
Visible safety leadership and a proactive approach to workplace hazards, training, and safe work practices.
Clear, concise communication and strong cross-functional collaboration.
Change leadership experience involving new processes, technology, equipment, or organizational growth.
Humble, practical, energetic approach and ability to keep perspective under pressure.
Must be able to see and hear, read and write; the role requires judgment, flexibility, organization, diplomacy, reliability, enthusiasm, courtesy, helpfulness, patience, adaptability, analysis, assessment, calculation, decision-making, dependability, speaking, following directions, handling multiple priorities, and reasoning.

Responsibilities

Lead all plant operations with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people.
Drive Daily Direction Setting and the Daily Management Work System from the plant floor.
Coach and develop Production Managers and frontline leaders through clear expectations, feedback, and follow-through.
Monitor productivity, efficiency, labor performance, throughput, downtime, quality, and on-time delivery; adjust priorities and resources to meet the plan.
Coordinate with Planning and Customer Service on daily schedules, constraints, and customer priorities.
Partner with Safety and Quality leaders on emerging issues, training needs, corrective actions, and process improvements.
Build workforce plans with HR to support staffing, capability, engagement, and succession needs.
Apply Lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, Kaizen, Standard Work, Visual Management, and 5S to reduce waste, improve flow, and strengthen product quality.
Communicate plant performance weekly and monthly, including wins, gaps, risks, and action plans.
Build partnerships across Production, Scheduling, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, HR, and the broader manufacturing network.
Lead change through practical plans, visible ownership, employee involvement, and attention to what works on the floor.
Reinforce a positive, accountable, team-first environment that supports customer satisfaction.