Operations Manager

Operations Manager – Plastics Manufacturing

Location: Pacific Northwest

Job Type: Full-Time | On-Site

Lead Manufacturing Excellence

An established and growing manufacturer of flexible packaging products is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead day-to-day plant operations. This leadership role is responsible for driving safety, production performance, quality, and continuous improvement across a high-volume manufacturing facility specializing in blown film extrusion and converting operations.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a hands-on manufacturing leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys developing teams while improving operational performance.

What You'll Do

As the Operations Manager, you will provide leadership for all production activities while ensuring operational goals are achieved safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Key Responsibilities

Safety & Compliance

• Promote and maintain a world-class safety culture with a strong focus on OSHA and environmental compliance.
• Lead safety initiatives, incident investigations, and corrective action plans.
• Ensure high standards of housekeeping and workplace organization through 5S practices.

Production & Operations

• Direct daily operations across blown film extrusion, converting, and related manufacturing processes.
• Drive production schedule attainment while maximizing equipment utilization and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Partner with planning and supply chain teams to optimize production runs, reduce changeover time, and manage raw material inventories.
• Monitor key production metrics including yield, scrap, downtime, and throughput.
• Collaborate with maintenance to maximize equipment reliability through preventive maintenance programs.
• Serve as the primary operational contact for internal departments regarding production schedules and customer commitments.

Quality

• Ensure products consistently meet customer specifications and quality standards.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts to eliminate recurring quality issues.
• Support compliance with ISO, food safety, and other applicable quality management systems.

Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop department managers, supervisors, technicians, and production teams.
• Establish measurable performance expectations and key performance indicators.
• Support employee development through coaching, technical training, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve productivity, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Assist with capital equipment planning, installation, and process improvements.
• Manage operational budgets, labor utilization, overtime, and manufacturing expenses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Experience leading operations in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in production management, quality systems, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Experience managing budgets, labor, and manufacturing performance metrics.
• ERP experience (SAP or similar) preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities with the ability to engage employees at every level of the organization.

Preferred Experience

Candidates with experience in one or more of the following will stand out:

• Blown film extrusion
• Flexible packaging manufacturing
• Plastic film converting
• Polymer processing
• Flexographic printing
• Bag making
• Resin management
• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA)
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

Why Join Us?

This position offers the opportunity to make a significant impact within a growing manufacturing organization that values operational excellence, employee development, safety, and continuous improvement. You'll work alongside an experienced leadership team while helping shape the future performance of a modern manufacturing operation.

If you're a results-driven manufacturing leader looking for your next challenge, we'd love to hear from you.