Plant Manager

Manitou Group · Bend, OR

Apply on Manitou Group ↗

Level: Manager
Team: Production
Base pay: $150k–$225k
Travel: 10%
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 10+ years
Industry: Industrial
Posted: Recently

The role in 30 seconds

A management production role at Manitou Group (industrial) in Bend, OR.

They ask for: 10+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Lean, 5S, Value stream mapping, Kanban, ISO 9001, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)
Base pay: $150k–$225k
Day to day: about 10% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Production Engineer roles in Oregon: typical posted base $90k–$121k. This one lists $150k–$225k.

Median of the low and high ends of 3 live postings that list pay, out of 8 production engineer openings in Oregon, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Oregon plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 7 other live production postings in Oregon.

Experience asked: Less than usual (10+ vs 15+)

Skills these teams ask for most

Team leadership 50%
✓ EHS / safety 38%
✓ Lean 38%
✓ 5S 25%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 10+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Training programPromotion path mentioned

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Production team at Manitou Group
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

Full description from Manitou GroupAs posted on their careers site.Show

Responsibilities

◆Production:
◆Develop and implement policies and systems of continuous improvement in safety, quality, productivity, on-time delivery, engineering and cost control. Determine and implement appropriate operational corrective actions when necessary.
◆Manage ISO 9001 compliance.
◆Participate in monthly planning sessions (Sales Inventory & Operation Planning – S&OP).
◆Coordinate the implementation of manufacturing schedules based on sales

requirements

and plant capacity. Monitor production and procurement activities to eliminate delays and ensure adherence to production and shipping schedules. Provide the methods and means to implement the monthly plan.

✓Participate in organizational development to ensure appropriate and adequate utilization of labor, machinery and equipment and take appropriate actions to implement necessary changes.
✓Manage the performance review (Quality, Costs, Delivery).
✓Participate in strategic monthly meetings Customer Satisfaction Committee (CSC), New Product Development (NPD).
✓Methods and Means:
✓Based on Group and North America Region guidelines, propose an operating budget, capital and workforce. Monitor and ensure adherence.
✓Ensure preventive maintenance operations to minimize equipment down time,
✓Responsible for short-term (tools, facilities ...) and medium term methods (change in rates of new products ...)
✓Responsible for equipment ergonomics for employees to ensure a safe workplace and prevent injuries
✓Involved in decisions on major projects (New Product Development) and validation of the various project milestones.
✓Responsible for authorization / release of production to customers.
✓Management and Communication:
✓Lead Managers of Production Shop Floor as well as other employees.
✓Set SMART goals for the entire team.
✓Ensure the recruitment of qualified employees.
✓Ensure and promote effective corporate communications
✓Develop employee training programs and oversee training implementation.
✓Establish and maintain a constructive dialogue with management and staff.
✓Ensure annual performance review
✓Recommend and validate with HR wage adjustments.
✓Safety and Environment:
✓Ensure employee safety within the workplace and in the production and assembly activities.
✓Actively participate and promote the Behavior Based Safety Program
✓Act as the primary contact on matters relating to workplace environmental conditions.
✓Oversee the development of the Health, Safety and Environmental plan and ensure its implementation.

Experience

✓Minimum of 10+ years of progressively responsible experience managing manufacturing in a heavy-industrial environment.
✓Strong background in Lean Manufacturing to include: Process flow, 5s, inventory reduction, Value stream mapping, etc.
✓Operational knowledge of Production methods (5S, Kanban, ERP) and problem solving methods
✓Previous experience with budgets and strategic planning.
✓10 years team management experience.

Education

✓Bachelor's Degree Required
✓University or technical school degree in a Manufacturing-related degree.

qualifications

& work location

✓This position is located onsite in Madison, South Dakota
✓Travel

Requirements

– There would be travel opportunities up to 10% of the year including visiting our plant in Yankton, SD, our North American corporate office in West Bend, WI, or our global corporate office in France

✓In addition to an inclusive compensation package, we offer a comprehensive benefits program including Medical/Dental/Vision, a matching 401k, tuition reimbursement, volunteer program, wellness activities, employ

Show full description ↓

Plant Manager

General Accountability

The Plant Manager will oversee and be responsible for all daily manufacturing operations at the facility, including but not limited to, managing, directing and coordinating plant operations, and ensuring all policies, regulations, and procedures are followed, and promoting a safe work environment. This individual will ensure achievement of company objectives by delegating authority to key managers in production, quality, manufacturing engineering and logistics and procurement.

The main missions are

•Ensuring employee and workplace safety;
•Planning, organizing, directing and running optimum day-to-day operations to exceed our customers' expectations;
•Improving plant efficiencies (labor, material, asset utilization...)
•Increasing production, asset capacity and flexibility while minimizing unnecessary costs and maintaining current quality standards;
•Responsibility for production output, product quality and on-time delivery.

Expertise

•Possess strong organizational, planning, and time management skills,
•Effectively prioritize multiple tasks to maximize efficiency and productivity.
•Process and continuous improvement orientation (Problem Solving Process)
•Excellent interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills to lead and influence a team.
•Ability to manage a complex network in a matrixed organization

Internal & External Connections

•Internal: Operations leadership, Plant Manager counterpart (Yankton), staff, R&D, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Finance,
•External: Suppliers, Customers, contractors.

What does MANITOU Group offer?

•Base Salary Range between $150,000 – $225,000 per year, plus a potential annual bonus based on performance metrics Actual pay determined by experience level, skills,