Plant Manager (Puyallup)

Description

Red Dot Corporation, the leading producer of premium mobile HVAC units and components for heavy-duty commercial and military vehicles, is recruiting for the following position: 

Plant Manager (Puyallup, WA)

Full-Time,  Fully On-site, Exempt position

Summary Description: 

The Plant Manager is the General Manager’s direct operational partner and the senior manufacturing leader on the floor at Red Dot’s Puyallup facility. This is a newly created role that owns day-to-day execution of the plant — production output, supervisor leadership, workforce stability, and continuous improvement — and is directly accountable for the operational metrics that define plant performance: safety, quality, delivery, and cost (SQDC).

This is a hands-on manufacturing production leadership role. The Plant Manager is visible across both shifts, sets the tone for accountability and culture, develops frontline production supervisors, and drives measurable improvement against plant targets on a complex, mixed-model assembly floor. Success means the Puyallup facility delivers consistent, predictable manufacturing performance day in and day out.

This is not a warehouse, distribution, or logistics role. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate direct leadership of manufacturing production operations — running a fabrication or assembly floor, owning throughput and OEE, and developing production supervisors. Backgrounds centered primarily on warehousing, 3PL, or distribution without hands-on manufacturing floor leadership will not be a fit.

Reporting Structure:

• Reports to: General Manager, Puyallup

• Direct reports: All Production Supervisors across 1st and 2nd shift (Fabrication, Core, Assembly, Wire Shop, Injection Molding, Metal Fab, Paint, Final Assembly); the Warehouse Supervisor also reports into this role

• Partners closely with: Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, Program Management, Finance, HR, and the Memphis plant leadership team

Requirements

Job Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

Daily Production Leadership

• Own daily production execution across both shifts against safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets on a daily, weekly, and monthly cadence

• Lead daily tier meetings and SQDC reviews; escalate blockers and drive rapid resolution on the floor

• Maintain regular, visible presence on 2nd shift and ensure consistent manufacturing standards across both shifts

• Make real-time staffing, line-balancing, and prioritization decisions to protect customer commitments

People Leadership and Supervisor Development

• Coach, develop, and hold accountable production supervisors across both shifts, as well as the warehouse supervisor

• Build supervisor bench strength through structured 1:1s, performance feedback, and on-the-floor coaching

• Partner with HR to improve onboarding ramp time and stabilize the hourly and temporary workforce

• Champion Red Dot’s cultural norms and lead by example in every interaction with the team

Safety and Quality

• Own safety performance for the production floor — lead incident response, root-cause investigation, and corrective action

• Reinforce quality standards in partnership with the Director of Quality; ensure containment and corrective action at every work station

• Drive a culture where every employee is empowered and expected to stop the line for a safety or quality concern

Continuous Improvement and Lean

• Drive Lean and continuous improvement on the floor in partnership with the Manufacturing Engineering / Lean team

• Lead or sponsor kaizen events, standard work, 6S, and visual-management improvements

• Use data — OEE, throughput, scrap, labor efficiency — to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities

Cross-Functional Partnership and GM Backfill

• Partner with the GM on workforce planning, budgeting, and capital-project execution

• Collaborate with the Memphis sister plant on best-practice sharing and consistent operating standards

• Backfill the General Manager as needed for plant-wide decisions, customer visits, and escalations

Level Requirements (Minimum):

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations or Manufacturing Management, Business, or a related field — or equivalent demonstrated experience

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience on a production floor, including at least 2 years directly managing salaried production supervisors

• Direct accountability for manufacturing output across multiple shifts, including 2nd-shift performance

• Demonstrated Lean manufacturing leadership — not just exposure. Must be able to point to specific kaizen events led, standard work implemented, or measurable CI results delivered

• Proven track record of developing frontline supervisors and improving team performance

• Strong working knowledge of ERP systems and production data analysis (OEE, throughput, labor efficiency)

• Experience partnering on plant budget and operational cost / P&L management

• Comfort with ambiguity, competing priorities, and a fast-paced environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in HVAC, thermal, heavy equipment, off-road, automotive, or other complex assembly manufacturing

• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification

• Prior experience in a multi-site manufacturing organization

• P&L ownership or plant-level budget accountability

• Experience managing through periods of high temp-labor utilization and workforce instability

Key Attributes:

• Leads from the floor — credibility and presence with hourly teams and supervisors; manages by walking the floor, not from behind a desk

• Owns the outcome — takes accountability for plant results without excuses and runs toward problems rather than around them

• Develops people — measures success by the strength of the supervisor bench left behind, not just this month’s numbers

• Holds the line — sets clear standards and holds both the team and cross-functional partners to their commitments, firmly and respectfully

• Bias for action — makes timely decisions with incomplete information and adjusts quickly as conditions change

• Lives Red Dot’s values — models the culture in every interaction and sets the tone for the plant

Physical Requirements

This role requires regular presence on the production floor across both shifts. Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods, occasionally lift up to 50 pounds, and work in a manufacturing environment that includes noise, varying temperatures, and exposure to production equipment. Reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with applicable law.

Red Dot Corporation offers the following total compensation package for this role:

· Personal Time Off (PTO)

· Average of 14 paid holidays per year.

· Employer-sponsored PPO Medical Plans, with employer-subsidized premiums of at least 70% for non-tobacco users.

· Employer-sponsored PPO Dental Plans, with employer-subsidized premiums of at least 70% for non-tobacco users.

· Employer-sponsored Vision Plans.

· Free Employee Assistance Program to all employees.

· Free Benefit Advocate access for insurance benefit inquiries.

· 401(k) employer contribution of 3% of annual salary*, regardless of participation.

· 100% ESOP Company, with vesting beginning after 1,000 hours.

· Employer Paid Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) premiums.

· Employer-paid long-term disability insurance premiums.

· Employer Paid Washington State FML payroll taxes.

· Voluntary Benefits such as: Flexible Spending Accounts, Daycare Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability Insurance, etc.

Salary Grade** for this role is as follows: 

Min: $110,000/annual

Max: $135,000/annual
 

*Subject to all local, state, and federal regulatory limits

Red Dot is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.