Senior Manufacturing Manager - Plastics

Senior Manufacturing Manager - Plastics

Accelerate Professional Talent Solutions has a great opportunity available for a Senior Manufacturing Manager at a company in Lakewood, CO. This is a direct hire position. This role sets the strategic vision and drives systemic improvements in efficiency, quality, safety, cost, and employee engagement for a highly technical plastics manufacturing operation. The Sr. Manufacturing Manager is responsible for leading a multi-process, multi-shift operation including injection molding, medical tubing extrusion, and manual/benchtop assembly operations. This leader will ensure operational excellence through strong execution of performance management systems, deep technical engagement with process engineering, and ownership of key manufacturing financial drivers. The role requires a strong balance of technical plastics expertise, financial acumen, and people leadership capability to deliver consistent, high-quality output in a 24/5 manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach, and develop a large multi-shift organization consisting of supervisors, leads, and operators across multiple manufacturing processes
• Build leadership capability within frontline supervision through mentoring, accountability systems, and talent development
• Ensure consistent execution across all shifts through structured communication, standard work, and escalation processes
• Ensure labor resources are aligned with the supply plan and customer demand daily and monthly
• Lead daily, weekly, and monthly performance review meetings driven by KPI data
• Foster strong cross-functional relationships with Engineering, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, and CI teams
• Proactively communicate operational performance, risks, and improvement plans to plant leadership
• Lead performance across injection molding, extrusion, and assembly operations, ensuring alignment to production, quality, and cost targets
• Develop and execute strategies to reduce downtime, improve throughput, and optimize labor utilization
• Champion Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the operation
• Utilize data analysis to identify trends, losses, and improvement opportunities
• Partner with CI teams to implement sustainable process improvements and track results
• Develop annual production budgets and manage performance against key financial metrics
• Align production teams to plant financial goals with clear accountability at all levels
• Lead structured problem-solving efforts using tools such as root cause analysis, DMAIC, and statistical methods
• Utilize SPC and process capability data to improve process control and drive project pipelines
• Ensure compliance with GMP, GDP, and applicable regulatory standards

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job may be considered; Master's degree preferred
• Lean / Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) strongly preferred
• Minimum 10+ years of manufacturing experience, with at least 5+ years in leadership roles
• Demonstrated leadership in plastics manufacturing environments, including injection molding (required or strongly preferred) and extrusion (highly preferred)
• Experience managing multi-shift operations (24/5 or 24/7)
• Proven track record of improving OEE, labor efficiency, and scrap performance
• Experience working in regulated environments (medical device preferred)
• Cross-functional experience (Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, or Finance) a plus
• Strong financial acumen, including understanding of manufacturing cost structures, absorption, and variances
• Deep understanding of OEE systems and loss analysis, labor efficiency and productivity models
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi-process manufacturing operations
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and organizational development skills
• Strong problem-solving and continuous improvement capability
• Effective communication skills across all organizational levels
• Proficiency in manufacturing systems and data analysis tools or an equivalent competency level acquired through a variation of these qualifications may be considered; experience / strength in the use of SAP preferred

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