Processing Plant Manager Jobs in Milwaukee, WI (NOW HIRING)

Location:U.S.-Based Manufacturing Facility
Reports To: Vice President of Operations
Industry: Cabinetry / Wood Products Manufacturing

A growing manufacturer of custom and semi-custom cabinetry and related wood products is seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead its manufacturing operation.

This is a highly visible leadership role with responsibility for the full plant operation, including production, assembly, shipping, maintenance, scheduling, safety, quality, labor productivity, and continuous improvement. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Operations, the Plant Manager will have the opportunity to make a measurable impact on operational performance while developing a strong team and helping position the organization for continued growth.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who knows how to balance safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people development. This individual will bring structure and accountability to the operation without losing the entrepreneurial, responsive culture that has contributed to the company's success.

• Lead daily manufacturing operations across machining/parts processing, assembly, shipping, scheduling, and maintenance.

• Execute production plans to consistently meet customer delivery commitments.

• Optimize staffing, labor utilization, equipment, and production processes to improve throughput.

• Assess plant capacity and recommend staffing, process, or capital equipment changes as business needs evolve.

• Ensure production equipment is properly maintained and effectively utilized.

• Champion a safety-first environment and ensure compliance with applicable OSHA and company safety requirements.

• Build a culture of accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.

• Coach, mentor, and develop production supervisors and other frontline leaders.

• Lead regular safety meetings and plant-wide communications.

• Promote employee recognition and engagement initiatives.

• Maintain high product-quality standards throughout the manufacturing process.

• Reduce defects, rework, warranty issues, and customer complaints.

• Partner with Engineering to identify and resolve manufacturing and design-related issues.

• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective-action initiatives.

• Champion Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement throughout the facility.

• Improve workflow, plant layout, material flow, standardized work, and overall manufacturing efficiency.

• Identify and eliminate waste in labor, materials, and production processes.

• Establish visual management and performance-management systems that create clear accountability.

• Manage manufacturing labor and overhead within established budgets.

• Improve labor efficiency, equipment effectiveness, and overall plant productivity.

• Monitor and reduce scrap, rework, overtime, and other manufacturing costs.

• Participate in annual operating budget development.

• Establish and manage meaningful plant KPIs around safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and employee performance.

• Partner with Engineering to improve manufacturability and support new products.

• Collaborate with Supply Chain to maintain material availability and inventory accuracy.

• Coordinate production priorities with customer-facing and project teams.

• Support new product introductions and implementation of new manufacturing processes.

• Bachelor's degree in Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.

• 710 years of manufacturing leadership experience.

• At least 5 years of experience managing supervisors and production teams.

• Manufacturing experience within cabinetry, furniture, millwork, wood products, or a closely related environment.

• Strong working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.

• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems.

• Demonstrated ability to use data and KPIs to improve plant performance.

• Strong analytical, organizational, planning, and problem-solving capabilities.

• Proven ability to develop frontline leaders and create accountability throughout an operation.

• Custom or semi-custom cabinet manufacturing experience.

• Knowledge of frameless cabinetry manufacturing.

• CNC machining and related assembly-process experience.

• Track record of leading Lean or continuous improvement initiatives.

• Experience improving schedule attainment, labor productivity, quality, and manufacturing costs.

The successful Plant Manager will be a visible, hands-on leader who spends time on the manufacturing floor and builds credibility with employees at every level. This person leads through clear expectations and measurable results while developing people rather than simply directing them.

We are particularly interested in leaders who are:

• Accountable and results-oriented.

• Skilled at developing high-performing supervisors and teams.

• Data-driven and comfortable managing through KPIs.

• Strong communicators across both the shop floor and senior leadership.

• Organized and effective in a fast-moving manufacturing environment.

• Calm and decisive when priorities change.

• Customer-focused and committed to quality and delivery.

• High-integrity leaders who lead by example.

During the first 12 months, the Plant Manager will be expected to make measurable progress in:

• Improving production schedule attainment and on-time performance.

• Increasing labor productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

• Reducing scrap, rework, and overtime.

• Strengthening supervisor ownership and accountability through effective KPI management.

• Improving workflow and production discipline.

• Developing stronger frontline manufacturing leadership.

• Establishing a sustainable culture of continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to take meaningful ownership of a manufacturing operation rather than simply maintain an established system. The Plant Manager will have direct access to senior operational leadership and significant influence over how the plant operates and improves.

For a manufacturing leader who enjoys building teams, solving operational problems, implementing Lean practices, improving throughput, and seeing measurable results from their decisions, this role offers the opportunity to make a visible impact on both day-to-day performance and the organization's longer-term growth.