Plant Manager

About the Company

Brickworks North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brickworks Limited. Brickworks Limited (“The Group”) is a large Australian-listed group of companies. The Group has been in operation since the early 1900s, has a market capitalization exceeding A$3.5 billion, and operates across three core business segments: Building Products, Land & Development, and Investments. The Group employs more than 2,000 FTE employees and operates nationally across Australia and has a significant presence in the USA.

Founded in 1890, Glen-Gery Corporation is one of the nation’s largest brick manufacturers and operates nine brick manufacturing facilities and one manufactured stone facility. Glen-Gery products are sold nationally through a network of over five hundred distributors as well as in Canada. Since entering the USA in 2018, Brickworks have acquired Sioux City Brick, Redland Brick and the distribution business of Southfield Corporation in Illinois and Indiana (Illinois Brick, Indiana Brick). The combined North American business now has more than 1,000 employees, operates across forty locations, including 8 brick plants, 25 masonry supply center locations and 3 Design Studios.

Function: The primary responsibility of this position is to oversee and manage the operations of brick manufacturing and distribution for the facility. Key duties include ensuring the implementation of Plant Daily Fundamentals: Safety, Quality, Productivity, Housekeeping and Preventive Maintenance. In addition, this role will be responsible for developing people, building a strong team, satisfying customers, communicating, knowing, controlling costs, and growing the business. The role as Plant manager is a hands-on position requires a working knowledge of electrical/mechanical equipment and production processes.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for ensuring the implementation of the Plant Daily Fundamentals; Safety; Quality; Productivity; Housekeeping; Preventive Maintenance
• Responsible for the implementation of the Business Daily Fundamentals of developing people; building a strong team; satisfying customers; communicating; knowing and controlling costs; and growing the business.
• Hold daily meetings with all plant supervisors to ensure efficient operations and enhance communications within the team
• Manage capital resources, and direct capital expenditure programs in conjunction with the Business Daily Fundamentals
• Coordinate plant policy with corporate policy to develop and implement programs and policies to be followed by all plant employees
• Hire, train and motivate efficient Supervisory and Administrative Staff
• Manage and supervise a wide range of jobs with crews working at different locations throughout the Plant and be able to work under pressure because of emergency work and unscheduled down time
• Review performance reports with supervisory staff; identify variances from Plant Budget and institute corrective action when necessary
• Cooperate with Safety Manager to develop a safety conscious climate and culture on the part of all personnel by encouraging good housekeeping and following all safety policies
• In the case of Union Facility, participate in negotiating Union Agreements and handling of any grievances arising from actions considered to be contrary to such agreement
• Coordinate with the Distribution Manager and Sales Manager on available products and customer complaints and develop production schedules which satisfy customer requirements with regard to optimum plant operation efficiency
• Advise VP of Production production status, problems and opportunities for improvement and prepare monthly reports as appropriate
• Responsible to keep the plant OSHA, MSHA, EPA, and DER compliant 
• Keep informed of all Government Rules and Regulations and how they apply to the Brick Industry
• Keep informed of new procedures that may be pertinent to reducing operating costs and to the natural gas market and purchase prices
• Responsible for management of raw materials, production, quality control, and all inventoried products
• Direct all mining manufacturing storage and shipping activities from the quarries
• Actively participate in local civic affairs and business organizations to convey the Company’s interest in community betterment
• Prepare Capitol projects for submission to Regional Production Manager and Vice President of Production as required

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Good oral and written communication skills as well as interpersonal skills such as analyzing and problem solving skills
• Ability to recommend and manage capital projects
• Computer skills, i.e. Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to work with and through Plant maintenance with outside contractors, and production personnel at all levels to achieve corporate goals.
• Ability to manage, coach, train and motivate personnel at all levels
• A desire to develop and work in a team environment on all plant related issues 

Educational and Experience Requirements:

• College or Technical Degree or a minimum of a High School Education and 10 years of experience in supervising all phases of manufacturing from maintenance to quarrying with a high level of technical/production engineering skills.
• General knowledge of all maintenance fields:  mechanical, electrical, burning, welding, hydraulics, pneumatics, as well as electronic pumping, compressed air, and vacuum systems.
• Training and/or experience in:  budgeting, quality assurance, drying and firing instrumentation, fuel consumption control, computerized equipment installation and troubleshooting equipment.
• Training and/or experience in OSHA, MSHA, EPA, and DER compliance.

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive, and as such the employee will also be required to perform other reasonably related business duties as may be assigned by the immediate supervisor and/or other management personnel.