Plant/Production Manager-Construction Materials

Kimmel & Associates•Milwaukee, WI

5d•$125,000 - $150,000

About The Position

The Plant/Production Manager oversees plant production operations from pre-production planning and scheduling through project completion. The role leads Plant Operations, Mold Shop, Inventory, Finishing, Stripping, and Batch Plant functions, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on schedule, and within budget. Reporting directly to the Operations Manager, the Plant/Production Manager works with production leadership, quality, safety, engineering, and management teams to optimize workflows, improve productivity, implement Lean Manufacturing initiatives, and maximize profitability. The role also develops production personnel and strengthens a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Operations Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field preferred.
Minimum 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, precast concrete, construction products, heavy industrial, or related production environments.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple production departments and supervisory personnel.
Proven success leading Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement initiatives.
Strong understanding of production scheduling, workforce planning, quality systems, and cost management.
Experience managing budgets, labor efficiency, and profitability metrics.

Nice To Haves

Experience in precast concrete manufacturing or related construction product manufacturing.
Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar methodologies.
Experience managing union and/or non-union production teams.
Strong understanding of production planning systems and manufacturing KPIs.

Responsibilities

Lead daily and long-range production planning and crew scheduling across all production areas.
Coordinate labor, materials, molds, equipment, and production capacity to support efficient workflows.
Maintain production schedules and planning systems to meet customer commitments and profitability objectives.
Review project drawings and production requirements in advance to ensure production readiness.
Conduct daily production meetings and communicate priorities across departments.
Direct day-to-day operations for production, mold shop, inventory, stripping, finishing, and batch plant activities.
Manage production schedules to maximize throughput, efficiency, and cost performance.
Establish performance expectations and accountability standards for supervisors and crews.
Drive continuous improvement focused on productivity, waste reduction, and operational excellence.
Align resources with changing production demands and customer requirements.
Identify and eliminate operational waste; implement and sustain Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement practices.
Analyze labor utilization, workflow efficiency, and production metrics to improve profitability.
Develop solutions to enhance production capacity, quality, and operational performance.
Partner with the Quality Manager to promote quality and ensure standards and inspection procedures are followed.
Drive first-time quality performance, investigate root causes of quality issues, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Maintain accountability for labor performance and job profitability; monitor actual production hours against estimates and budgets.
Establish productivity goals and lead teams to meet or exceed performance targets.
Champion a safety-first culture and partner with the Safety Director to enforce safety policies, procedures, and regulatory compliance.
Conduct regular safety meetings, toolbox talks, and workplace inspections.
Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain production personnel; conduct performance evaluations and provide coaching.
Promote cross-training to strengthen workforce flexibility and capability.