Plant Manager 2
Cornerstone · Oak Grove, LA
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Production
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A management production role at Cornerstone (industrial) in Oak Grove, LA.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Kaizen, 5S, AutoCAD, MES
- 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 the US: typical posted base $116k–$158k.
Median of the low and high ends of 241 live postings that list pay, out of 787 production engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Louisiana plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 786 other live production postings in the US.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 7+)
Typical $109k–$152k, from 207 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 44%
- ✓ Lean 39%
- EHS / safety 26%
- Root cause 25%
- New product launch 22%
- Six Sigma 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Kaizen, 5S, AutoCAD, MES, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
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 Cornerstone
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 CornerstoneAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Requirements
- ✓Preferred bachelor’s degree in engineering or business, alternatively, 10-12 years of relevant professional experience.
- ✓Minimum 5 years in manufacturing (packaging, process engineering, warehousing, and assembly).
- ✓Minimum of 3 years in people management role.
- ✓Proven track record of applying lean tools and processes for sustained improvement. 5s, 5y, Fishbone, PDCA, Kaizen
- ✓Experience leading teams through formal management systems. Oracle, MES software, CPS pillars
- ✓Experience participating on cross-functional teams, driving decision-making, and overseeing operational and financial metrics.
- ✓Strong understanding of manufacturing supply chain functions (planning, logistics, quality, materials management, inventory control).
- ✓Requires minimal travel (10%).
- ✓Proficient in Microsoft Office products; familiarity with AutoCAD and statistical packages preferred.
Requirements
- ✓Lifting Capacity – ability to lift up to 30 lbs.
- ✓Mobility – Prolonged periods of time on feet, standing, bending, etc.
- ✓Exposure – Moving mechanical parts, fumes, airborne particles, and non-climate-controlled environment.
- ✓Noise Tolerance – High no
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Job Description
The Plant Manager II is responsible for overseeing manufacturing sites, driving improvements, and ensuring performance aligns with safety, quality, delivery, and cost expectations. They lead cross-functional strategies, manage structured change, and balance long-term vision with immediate actions. Effective Plant Managers prioritize safety, build trust, and communicate effectively with senior leaders.
Plant Managers take direct responsibility for team safety, build trust, develop team members, and set high expectations. They act as change agents, communicate effectively with senior leaders, and demonstrate personal resilience. Reporting to the Director of Operations, they play a crucial role in driving performance and executing manufacturing excellence strategies.
Operations Leadership
- •Set a consistent expectation for respectful and inclusive relationships among supervisors, peers, and employees.
- •Create work environments that positively impact our physically and mental well-being, emphasizing attention to detail in both output quality and daily routines.
- •Develop site strategies for COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) while effectively managing growth and/or expansion.
- •Achieve year-to-year cost savings by optimizing direct labor and overhead expenses.
- •Oversee and ensure the successful implementation of new products or pilot projects.
Cross Functional Leadership
- •Prioritize the safety and security of employees and company assets. Identify and address immediate safety concerns.
- •Create schedules that balance production efficiency, supply delivery, and employee well-being while strategically using overtime as needed.
- •Ensure compliance with quality standards (QA Index and Right First Time).
- •Drive TQM activities within the sites.
Operations Excellence
- •Invest time in reinforcing the manufacturing excellence roadmap.
- •Hold oneself and others accountable for performance and leadership commitments.
- •Implement ways of working that promote lean thinking and employee engagement. Focus on process improvement rather than individual blame.
- •Drive efforts to simplify processes within the site; prioritize changes that impact operational cost.
- •Assist in establishing project teams for new equipment, clearly define a Commissioning/Qualification/Verification (CQV) process approach.
Talent & Organization
- •Invest effort in talent development, aligning training with future business needs; focus on mindsets and skillsets crucial for our business
- •Provide tactical guidance to all operations groups.
- •Develop and train leadership and technical teams.
- •Use qualitative and quantitative methods to forecast labor demand and mix.
Culture
- •Foster a culture aligned with our mission, values, and success model.
- •Actively participate in the community, raise awareness about manufacturing industry opportunities, nurture future manufacturing talent, enhance the company’s reputation, and give back.
- •Develop approaches to improve culture based on employee engagement survey data.
- •Implement solutions that drive a high-performance culture.
Other
- •Lead and participate in cross-functional projects and business initiatives.
- •Perform other duties as required.
- •Environment and ability to energize others towards the achievement of business objectives.
Leadership competencies
- •Cornerstone Building Brands (CBB) Values and Behaviors & Mindsets – Act consistently with CBB’s Values (Safety, Integrity, & Inclusion) and Behaviors & Mindsets (Customer-Centricity, Interconnectedness, Continuous Improvement).
- •Operations Excellence - Demonstrated ability to successfully develop and execute an operations strategy.
- •Influencing – Proficient in influencing leaders through a variety of techniques.
- •Results Orientation – Resilient with demonstrated ability to consistently deliver on accountabilities, including overcoming setbacks and navigating obstacles.
- •Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving/Analytical – Highly numerate and data-driven with strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
- •Collaboration – Highly collaborative team player. Partners with others across functional disciplines with respect and humility.
- •Change Management – Ability to lead change in a way that brings people along in the journey.
- •Systematic – Thinks/acts using clear, sound, and repeatable methods and approaches.
- •Presence – Strong communication and interpersonal skills as well as strong ability to present to all levels of the organization: from production associates to senior executives.
- •Energy – High positive energy to take on complex business challenges in a fast-paced environment and ability to energize others towards the achievement of business objectives.
