Plant Manager
? Eden, NC
? Salary: $125,000 – $150,000 + 20% AIP Bonus (performance-based)
? Schedule: Mon–Fri, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
? Industry: Packaging / Manufacturing
? Facility: Non-union, industrial manufacturing site (not climate-controlled)
? No relocation assistance provided - Must live within 60 mins of the plant
About the Role
Kelly is partnering with Signode to hire a driven and hands-on Plant Manager to lead operations at our Eden, NC packaging facility—part of a global leader in transit packaging solutions. This location is critical in producing eco-friendly edge protection and packaging products for the consumer goods, food, and industrial markets.
As the Plant Manager, you'll oversee daily operations, ensure safety and quality standards, and lead a tight-knit team in a fast-paced, extrusion-based manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate brings a high level of emotional intelligence, accountability, and a servant-leadership mindset to inspire a strong safety culture and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead Tier 1 and Tier 2 daily meetings, manage KPIs, and implement operational improvement strategies.
- Supervise ~25 employees, fostering a high-performance and safety-focused work environment.
- Drive lean manufacturing principles and support continuous improvement initiatives.
- Build strong relationships across all levels of the plant, setting a tone of trust, integrity, and accountability.
- Monitor production processes and use off-shift time for strategic planning, documentation, and project oversight.
- Partner with senior leadership on budgeting, reporting, and plant performance goals.
- Promote and ensure strict adherence to EHS regulations and workplace safety standards.
- Utilize tools like Excel (VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP) and Outlook to manage data, schedules, and internal communication.
- Oversee extrusion operations and collaborate with maintenance on equipment reliability.
- Work with HR on hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management for all plant personnel.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
- 3–5+ years in manufacturing, with at least 3 years in plant or operations leadership.
- Experience in extrusion, plastics, packaging, or paper products preferred.
- Proven servant-leadership style with a track record of driving results through people.
- Comfortable in a non-climate-controlled, industrial production environment.
- Strong communication skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams effectively.
Ideal Candidate Profile
- Self-motivated, proactive, and results-driven leader.
- High emotional intelligence with the ability to connect and lead through influence.
- Balanced focus on strategic vision and hands-on operational execution.
- Independent problem-solver comfortable with accountability and autonomy.
- Background in lean, 5S, or safety-first initiatives is a strong plus.
What’s Unique About This Facility
- Strategically located in Eden, NC , a growing industrial hub in the Southeast.
- Environmentally conscious production model—utilizing recycled materials.
- Team-oriented culture with long-tenured staff and strong operational knowledge.
- Continuous improvement mindset backed by recent capital investments.
- Part of Signode’s growing platform of packaging and automation businesses.