Plant Manager (222827) Green Belt / Automotive, Tier 1, Tier 2 / forging, stamping, die casting, machining,foundry, injection molding, heat treat, welding / turnaround / will relo
Proven automotive Plant Manager with deep, hands-on experience driving new product launches, engineering discipline, and shop-floor execution in high-volume manufacturing environments. With a career rooted in process engineering, tooling, and launch leadership, this candidate brings the rare combination of technical credibility and operational judgment needed to prevent costly launch issues, control engineering spend, and raise performance standards across the plant. Eric is a hands-on Plant Manager/General Manager with over 18 years of leadership experience in heavy manufacturing, encompassing forging, stamping, die casting, machining, and high-volume industrial operations. He has led P&L-owned plants up to $70M, managed 350+ employees, and executed turnarounds, ramp-ups, crisis recoveries, and ISO-certified operations in Tier 1/Tier 2 manufacturing environments
His background includes managing engineering teams, owning engineering and capital budgets, and leading multiple new product launches from tooling through ramp-up. What stands out most is his ability to combine strong technical engineering judgment with cost, manpower, and execution discipline. They’ve successfully delivered large modernization and launch programs on time and under budget, driven sustained scrap and tooling cost reductions, and established standardized engineering and manufacturing processes that improve quality, reliability, and repeatability. This is not a theory-based leader. This is a hands-on leader who understands how decisions impact quality, cost, delivery, safety, and customer confidence, and who has consistently delivered results in Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive manufacturing settings. His experience includes:
- Deep experience in forging, stamping, casting, machining, fabrication, welding, finishing
- Fluent in ASTM standards and quality gates between vertically integrated processes
- Proven ability to run high-volume, deadline-driven production environments
- Has led equipment installation, commissioning, SOP creation, and workforce training
- ISO 9001 / IATF / QS / AS audit preparation and certification leadership
- Established LOTO programs, SOPs, safety expectations, and quality gates
- Achieved OEM de-escalations, eliminated third-party sorting, and drove zero customer complaints
- Strong EHS posture including OSHA dispute resolution and safety culture transformation
- Builds and executes production schedules tied to demand
- Strong raw material, WIP, finished goods inventory control
- Proven reductions in:
- Full budget ownership, capital planning, and cost discipline
- Led 350+ employees, multi-shift operations, union and non-union
- Known as a shop-floor, servant-based leader
- Strong trainer and developer of supervisors and managers
- Successfully rebuilt engineering, finance, quality, and operations teams
- Calm, decisive leader in 911 / crisis environments
- Regular senior leadership reporting
- Handles commercial disputes, vendor negotiations, and contracts
- Strategic thinker with strong data-driven and visual management systems
- Comfortably balancing operations, safety, quality, and profitability
Industry Pain Points & Candidate Impact
| Common Manufacturing Pain Point | What This Candidate Delivers |
| Launch issues causing quality spills, downtime, or customer escalations | Proven ownership of launches from tooling through ramp-up, ensuring disciplined process validation, documentation, and execution |
| Engineering teams lacking direction, accountability, or consistency | Strong engineering leadership with clear expectations, performance management, and development of direct reports |
| Engineering budgets are overrunning due to poor cost control | Tight control of engineering, tooling, and capital budgets with demonstrated cost reductions and on-time delivery |
| Disconnect between engineering and the shop floor | Hands-on shop-floor engineering presence with strong mechanical and process expertise that earns operator and supervisor trust |
| Inconsistent process standards across programs or shifts | Establishes and enforces standardized processes, SOPs, and manufacturing discipline across all programs |
| Late or incomplete engineering documentation | Strong documentation discipline aligned to launches, audits, and customer requirements |
| Scrap, rework, and inefficiency driven by weak CI execution | Leads continuous improvement and Lean initiatives that drive scrap reduction, yield improvement, and cost savings |
| Poor coordination between engineering, operations, and suppliers | Effective communicator who works seamlessly with customers, suppliers, and cross-functional plant leadership |
| Engineering leaders who lack business perspective | Brings a results-oriented mindset that balances engineering decisions with cost, manpower, and delivery impact |
| Safety gaps introduced during new processes or launches | Integrates safety into engineering design and execution, enforcing compliance and reducing risk |