Plant Leader

******Job Description Summary****** =================================== **Job Description** =================== The Plant Leader is responsible for the overall leadership, safety, operational performance, and financial success of the manufacturing site. This role provides strategic direction while ensuring excellence in Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), quality, delivery, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and talent development. The successful candidate will foster a high-performance culture driven by accountability, continuous improvement, digital innovation, and employee engagement. Key Responsibilities: --------------------- ### Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Leadership – Highest Priority * Champion a **Safety First** culture by serving as the site's primary EHS leader and role model. * Lead the implementation of the **Zero Deviation** strategy through visible leadership, regular safety walks, risk assessments, and proactive hazard elimination. * Ensure that employee health, safety, and environmental stewardship always take precedence over operational or financial objectives. * Build a culture of accountability where every employee owns safety and EHS compliance. * Embed EHS requirements into all manufacturing processes, technologies, and Standard Work to ensure safety by design. ### Financial & Operational Leadership * Own full responsibility for the site's Profit & Loss (P&L) performance, delivering targets for Sales, Gross Margin, Operating Profit, and cash generation. * Develop and manage the annual operating plan, budget, and financial forecasts. * Optimize inventory, working capital, cash conversion, and Variable Cost Productivity (VCP) to achieve financial commitments. * Drive operational performance through key Global Supply Chain (GSC) metrics, including: * EHS performance * Quality (minimizing Cost of Poor Quality and achieving >98% First Pass Yield) * On-Time Delivery (>95%) * Operational Discipline * Inventory and cash conversion * Translate business strategy into executable manufacturing and supply chain plans aligned with customer demand, regional sales forecasts, and global business objectives ### Operational Excellence * Lead Lean Manufacturing initiatives to eliminate waste, reduce variation, and improve productivity. * Institutionalize Standard Work and disciplined daily management practices. * Foster a culture where quality is built into every process and continuous improvement is an everyday expectation. * Ensure operational excellence across production, planning, logistics, maintenance, and support functions ### Digital Transformation & Innovation * Lead the site's digital manufacturing strategy by implementing Industry 4.0 technologies. * Drive the adoption of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, analytics, and predictive technologies to improve productivity, quality, cost, and operational agility. * Identify and deploy innovative solutions that enhance manufacturing performance and decision-making. ### Customer & Supply Chain Excellence * Maintain a strong customer focus by ensuring reliable delivery, superior quality, and responsive manufacturing operations. * Optimize end-to-end processes from order entry through shipment to achieve reduced lead times and improved customer satisfaction. * Collaborate closely with commercial teams to support business growth and customer commitments. ### Cross-Functional Leadership * Promote a One Team culture by building strong partnerships across Sales, Supply Chain, Sourcing, Quality, Engineering, Industrialization, Finance, and regional leadership teams. * Lead cross-functional problem-solving to remove operational bottlenecks and improve end-to-end value stream performance. * Ensure alignment between manufacturing priorities and overall business strategy. ### Talent Development & Employee Engagement * Build an inclusive, high-performance culture that values collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning. * Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing talent across hourly and salaried teams. * Foster employee engagement through visible leadership, effective communication, and a psychologically safe work environment. * Develop succession plans and strengthen organizational capability to support long-term business growth Required Qualifications: ------------------------ * Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline; Master's degree or MBA preferred. * Major experience in manufacturing or industrial experience, preferably within Grid Automation or a related industry * Proven leadership experience in manufacturing operations, plant management, or supply chain leadership with full operational accountability. * Demonstrated experience managing P&L responsibility and leading complex manufacturing organizations. Preferred Qualifications & Leadership Competencies: --------------------------------------------------- ### Leadership & Collaboration * Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders across multiple functions and organizational levels. * Strong interpersonal, communication, and change management skills. * Demonstrated ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and drive organizational alignment. ### Operational Excellence * Deep expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Standard Work, and continuous improvement methodologies. * Proven success driving measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost ### Digital & Innovation Leadership * Strong understanding of Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, AI, robotics, automation, and digital transformation. * Experience integrating digital technologies into daily operations to improve business performance ### Strategic & Financial Acumen * Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate data into actionable operational and financial decisions. * Demonstrated ability to balance short-term execution with long-term business strategy while driving sustainable growth. ******Additional Information****** ================================== **Relocation Assistance Provided:** No