Position summarya leading consumer packaged goods manufacturer is conducting a confidential search for a plant manager to lead all operations of its manufacturing facility in tijuana, mexico.
reporting directly to the coo, this is a hands-on, results-driven leadership role — not a traditional desk-based management position.
the successful candidate will be expected to spend significant time on the production floor, deeply involved in day-to-day processes, actively solving problems alongside the team.this role carries full accountability for production output, quality, and on-time delivery across a workforce of 1,500+ employees.
the plant manager will inherit a team that is developing its capabilities and will be expected to elevate performance, instill discipline and accountability, and build toward a high-functioning, self-sufficient operation.
this is an opportunity for a builder — someone who leads from the front, earns trust on the floor, and is energized by the challenge of developing people and processes simultaneously.departments overseenengineering & maintenanceproduction & manufacturingproduction planning & schedulingwarehouse & logisticsessential duties & responsibilitiessafety, compliance & qualitychampion plant safety, hygiene, and environmental compliance as a priority — modeling expectations and holding all levels of the organization accountablelead adherence to gmp, fda, iso, and other applicable regulatory and certification standards; support and prepare for external auditsestablish and enforce quality systems that protect product integrity from line to shipmentoperations & floor leadershipbe present and active on the production floor — directly observe, engage, and problem-solve across all manufacturing processes on a daily basisdrive output, quality, and on-time delivery with a relentless focus on results: the right quantity, the right quality, on time, every timemonitor operations in real time and trigger rapid corrective actions when deviations occur — without waiting for escalationallocate resources effectively, eliminate bottlenecks, and maximize throughput across all production linesincrease production capacity and operational flexibility while controlling costs and maintaining standardsteam development & cultureassess the current team's capabilities honestly and build a structured development plan to mature the organization over timecoach, mentor, and hold accountable frontline supervisors and department leads — elevating the quality of leadership at every levelfoster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement where employees are equipped to solve problems, not just escalate themdrive meaningful engagement between production workers and front-line supervisors to reduce turnover and increase ownershipbuild succession depth in engineering, maintenance, and production to reduce single-point-of-failure riskcost control & financial accountabilityown the plant p&l at the operational level — understand the cost structure of the facility and manage to it with discipline, not approximationbuild and manage the plant operating budget; track spend against budget monthly and identify variances before they become problemsdrive labor cost efficiency through effective scheduling, workforce utilization analysis, and reduction of overtime and unplanned downtimeactively manage material yield and scrap rates — establish baselines, set targets, track actuals, and hold department leads accountable for resultsidentify and eliminate non-value-added activity across all production areas; translate waste reduction directly into measurable cost savingscontrol indirect costs including maintenance spend, consumables, and utilities — implement preventive strategies that reduce reactive expenditurepartner with finance to ensure accurate cost reporting and to build fact-based business cases for capital investments or process changesproduction efficiency & outputown overall equipment effectiveness (oee) across all production lines — establish current baselines, set improvement targets, and drive week-over-week progressreduce unplanned downtime through proactive maintenance planning, root cause analysis, and rapid response protocols when equipment failures occuranalyze line balancing and production sequencing to maximize throughput without adding headcount or capitaldrive changeover time reduction across product skus — implement smed principles or equivalent structured changeover improvement programsmonitor and improve first-pass yield rates; establish clear defect tracking at the line level and drive corrective action at the sourceimplement production scheduling discipline that minimizes idle time, reduces work-in-process inventory, and improves on-time-to-schedule performanceestablish and track labor productivity metrics (units per labor hour, standard vs. actual) and use the data to surface inefficiencies and drive improvementperformance management & continuous improvementdefine, track, and own a full dashboard of plant kpis — safety, quality, output, oee, cost per unit, labor efficiency, on-time delivery — and review them daily, not weeklylead structured continuous improvement initiatives (lean, six sigma, kaizen, or equivalent) and build a pipeline of improvement projects with owners, timelines, and measurable outcomesestablish a culture where problems surface quickly, root causes are identified rigorously, and corrective actions stick — not a culture of repeated workaroundsdevelop and maintain a regular reporting cadence to the coo and senior leadership on performance, cost trends, risks, and forward prioritiesstrategic & cross-functional alignmentimplement corporate strategy at the plant level with clarity and consistency across all functionscollaborate with planning, supply chain, and commercial teams to align production capacity with demandstay current with industry best practices and bring relevant innovations and approaches to the operationrequired qualifications & skill setsminimum 10 years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including direct plant manager or equivalent senior leadership responsibilitydemonstrated track record of driving measurable improvements in output, quality, and on-time delivery — with specific results you can speak tohands-on leadership style: a manager who is most effective and most comfortable on the floor, not behind a deskproven ability to develop and mature an under-performing or developing team — patience and structure in building people alongside holding them accountablestrong kpi discipline: ability to build a full plant performance dashboard, interpret the data correctly, and drive action — not just report numbers upwarddemonstrated experience owning an operating budget, managing to cost targets, and delivering verifiable cost reductions with quantifiable resultshands-on experience improving oee, reducing downtime, and increasing labor productivity — with specific numbers and methods you can speak toworking knowledge of lean manufacturing, six sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement frameworks applied in a real production environmentproficiency in erp/mrp systems and microsoft office suiteknowledge of safety regulations and quality standards (gmp/fda/iso) applicable to regulated manufacturing environmentsexcellent written and verbal communication skills in both english and spanish (bilingual required)bs degree in engineering, operations management, business, or a related field; equivalent professional experience consideredpreferred backgroundexperience in health & beauty, cosmetics, personal care, otc drug, or food & beverage manufacturingfamiliarity with tijuana, zlfn maquiladora environment, and mexican labor law (lft) complianceexperience managing a unionized or large hourly workforce in a regulated manufacturing settingexposure to fda-regulated or gmp-certified operations with hands-on audit preparation experiencewhat we are looking for (and what we are not)this role is not suited for a traditional plant manager who manages by reports and relies on others for floor-level visibility.
we are specifically seeking a candidate who is energized by the challenge of being in the middle of things — understanding the nuances of each production line, knowing the team by name, and solving problems that others haven't yet structured into a process.
if you have built something from a rough starting point, developed people who didn't believe they could grow, and delivered results in a complex, regulated environment — we want to hear from you.this is a confidential search.
the name of the hiring company will be disclosed to qualified candidates upon mutual interest.