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Plant Manager

NJ - Flanders

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Lead Successful Plant to Next Level

This is an opportunity to assume leadership of a large, well-run plant, make your mark as you drive improvements, and manage operations as if you were the CEO (within parameters, of course!). You will be responsible for the overall management, direction and coordination of operations at our Tri-State plant, including delivering high quality products in a safe and cost effective manner. Quick question for you - click here

We'll give you plenty of elbowroom, but you also will have support in multiple areas from regional resources. You'll have full P&L responsibility (excluding sales), so you'll have daily access to the numbers and metrics for both decision-making and motivation. We are hiring with an eye to the future, building bench strength to support our ongoing fast growth, and we are committed to promoting from within whenever possible.

QUIKRETE is the #1 brand in cement and concrete products, and offers more than 200 building and repair products designed for the contractor and homeowner. Since 1940, The QUIKRETE Company has served the construction and home improvement industries. With more than 100 production and manufacturing locations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Central and South America, The QUIKRETE Company is committed to providing reliable, high performance and innovative products for the contractor and homeowner.

Video: QUIKRETE® Concrete Mix is a 4000 PSI blend of properly proportioned stone, gravel, sand, Portland cement and other ingredients approved for use in concrete. The team at Tri-State plant packages this kind of product.

The Requirements

To be a good fit for the Plant Manager opportunity you should have:

A bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering or other related field.
5 to 7 years of management/supervisory experience in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
Mechanical aptitude and the ability to manage and communicate effectively with maintenance personnel.
Knowledge of general office procedures and accounting.
The ability to build, maintain and lead a teamwork type environment.
The ability to monitor and manage adequate inventory controls.
Strong analytical problem solving skills.
Good communication skills and the ability to work well with customers.

Preferred but not required:

Experience in manufacturing environments using inline process automation. Quick question for you - click here
A degree in Mechanical Engineering.
An MBA.
Bilingual skills in English and Spanish.
Knowledge of DOT and/or trucking regulations.

You also will need to be flexible in your schedule, and willing to invest the time and energy necessary to achieve goals. Plant operations are seasonal; winter tends to be slower, and from spring to fall we run two shifts, with summer being the busiest period. You should count on putting in extra hours, on occasion, especially during the summer. At the same time, as a strong leader you can control your own destiny -- effective planning and organization can diminish the need for extra hours.

The Role

Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will assume leadership of a 100,000 ft²-plant with production employees, drivers, and office staff. The plant primarily packages dry ready mix concrete products in a variety of bag sizes and weights. You will provide direct supervision for Safety, Production, Quality Control, Transportation, and Maintenance. You'll also coordinate with Sales, although you won't have direct responsibility for that area. Teamwork with company supervisors, peers, and subordinates is a must. Quick question for you - click here

Your key responsibilities will be ensuring delivery of finished product and carrying out production objectives at the lowest cost while meeting quality control standards, all in a safe working environment. We'll expect you to spend the majority of your time out on the production floor, understanding the equipment (including getting hands on at times), motivating the production team, identifying opportunities to improve efficiencies, and more.

In addition to daily operations, you will drive continuous improvement. Some areas in which you can make an impact right off the bat include:

Ensuring a culture of ownership and accountability, setting clear expectations and making sure everyone is focused on shared goals.
Ensuring we are following a robust preventative maintenance program.
Helping your direct reports develop professionally by providing mentoring and coaching.

More specifically, you will:

Administer and supervise the application of plant policies that are consistent with Company policy. Oversee the entire operation including procurement and use of raw materials, production and quality control of finished goods, timely delivery of products to customers, customer service, staffing of the plant, and safety programs.
Assume overall P&L and fiduciary responsibility for the plant and submit quarterly P&L analysis to your supervisor.
Develop manufacturing schedules based on sales requirements and plant capacity. Purchase raw materials and manufacturing supplies. Establish and implement warehouse plans and maintain inventory at appropriate levels. Control cost of finished product by properly purchasing raw materials, and carefully reviewing production, labor, warehousing and shipping costs.
Consult with the Operations Manager on production methods, pay rates, safety programs, and quality control. Prepare the annual operating budget and capital expenditures budget. Review and submit payroll as directed for payment. In this area you will:
- Review all plant and office personnel according to company policy. Follow through on all matters warranting disciplinary action after consulting with your superior. Recommend rate changes for hourly assigned personnel.
- Ensure that dispatching, audit procedures, payroll reports, and other office procedures are according to Company policy and consistent with Company standards.
- Maintain a continued emphasis on controlling raw material variances, especially through control of cement usage, bag breakage and waste.
- Establish and maintain an accident free work environment. Conduct monthly safety meetings and inspections and provide required training following established company, OSHA, and EPA policies and requirements.
- Prepare reports, maintain files, and display certificates as required or ordered by regulatory agencies, professional consultants, and/or Company officials.
- Ensure an effective quality control program is in place and follow through daily to ensure plant compliance.
Oversee the maintenance of buildings, grounds, and equipment. Review preventive maintenance program and its effectiveness, making necessary changes for improvement. Ensure compliance with Company policy.
Maintain and review daily dryer logs, dust collector logs, maintenance sheets, and production reports.
Lead weekly Monday Morning Plant/Sales Meetings.
Emphasize the importance of customer service by visiting customer stores on a regular basis to ensure any problems with delivery or product appearance are promptly resolved and reflect the high standards established by the QUIKRETE Companies.
Handle other duties as assigned by your supervisor.

QUIKRETE products are proven in the most demanding applications, such as the three-mile tunnel beneath Lake Mead, upstream of Hoover Dam. After excavating the tunnel, Vegas Tunnel Constructors used 525,000 pounds of QUIKRETE® Non-Shrink Precision Grout to insert thousands of reinforcement anchors into the tunnels walls. In addition to having the necessary structural integrity to transport water, the tunnel is designed to withstand the pressure of three trillion tons of water.

Why QUIKRETE

High visibility impact -- the Tri-State plant has a strong team and is posting good numbers. At the same time, we believe a strong leader can provide fresh impetus to make a good thing even better. You'll be able to showcase your ability to deliver results.

Autonomy and support -- on a day-to-day basis you will be the ranking leader at this plant, making tactical and strategic decisions as if it were your own business. You won't be out on your own, however. In addition to support from the Operations Manager (who will visit the plant regularly) and Vice President of Operations for the Northeast Region, you will have access to regional resources in Engineering, Accounting/Finance, Quality, Transportation, and other areas.

Career options -- this position can provide you with challenges and opportunities for years. At the same time, our continued strong growth will create opportunities for strong performers. Once you've proven yourself in this role, you might set your sights on a career path within QUIKRETE, such as into regional leadership, or even in one of our sister companies.

Stability and expansion -- if you're looking for stability, we have been in business for 75 years, and we are known as an industry-leading innovator in the commercial building and home improvement industries. At the same time, we are always looking for ways to improve and grow.

Innovation and development -- we are constantly improving our existing products and developing new ones. The QUIKRETE® Technical Center, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is a state-of-the-art product testing, research and development/quality assurance center. The Center routinely evaluates production samples to assure that all products meet or exceed ASTM standards and provide consistent quality. It also hosts a Help Center to provide 12 hours of technical support each weekday for contractors and consumers.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive salary, we offer comprehensive benefits.

Keys to Success

If you are used to spending most of your time behind a desk delegating tasks to others, this may not be the role for you. You'll need to be out on the floor, getting firsthand knowledge of operations, seeing the challenges, and motivating your team. You'll need solid delegation skills, but you'll also need to be willing to roll up your sleeves to achieve goals.

To excel in this role you will have a strong analytical mindset. For example, you should be able to look at the P&L and performance data, recognize issues and opportunities, and develop and execute the appropriate actions. To give another example, as a seasonal business you will need to respond to ups and downs. If you have a particularly strong month, what is the best plan for the extra revenue? Conversely, if a blizzard closes the plant for two days, how can you compensate for the lost productivity?

In addition, in order to be an outstanding Plant Manager, you will:

Promote a positive, upbeat environment, and strike the right balance between being a motivator and holding people accountable.
Hold yourself to high expectations, setting the example for your team.
Support and mentor your direct reports and provide them with opportunities to grow, and ensure that they are doing the same for their own staffs.
"Own" and manage the big picture, but also pay attention to the details.
Keep a constant eye out for opportunities to improve efficiencies and control costs.

About QUIKRETE

The QUIKRETE® Companies is the largest manufacturer of packaged concrete and cement mixes in the U.S. and Canada, and an innovative leader in the commercial building and home improvement industries. QUIKRETE® also offers related products through numerous wholly-owned subsidiaries including SPEC MIX®, Pavestone®, Custom Building Products®, Target Technologies®, Daubois® and QPR®. Collectively, QUIKRETE® products are manufactured and distributed from nearly 150 facilities in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and South America, allowing for unsurpassed distribution and product depth. Technical centers across the QUIKRETE® network also ensure that professionals and consumers alike are provided with the most innovative and highest quality products available on the market.

The QUIKRETE® Companies offers hundreds of professional-grade and consumer products including concrete mixes, mortar mixes, cements, concrete repair products, stuccos, waterproofing products, tile setting systems, hardscapes, blacktop products, floor underlayments, sand and aggregates, and other seasonal items. These products have been used on many landmark building and refurbishing projects like the Georgia Aquarium, Frank Lloyd Wright House, National Museum of the American Indian, Georgia World Congress Center, George W. Bush Presidential Center, San Francisco Bay Bridge, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition, The QUIKRETE® Companies boasts a long history of work on sports venues including Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.; Ford Field in Detroit, Busch Stadium in St. Louis; Comerica Park in Detroit; Coors Field in Denver; and Fenway Park in Boston.