Plant Manager - Allen Chemical Plant
Milliken · Blacksburg, SC
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Production
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 14 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management production role at Milliken (industrial) in Blacksburg, SC.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, 5S, Control plans
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Production Engineer roles in South Carolina: typical posted base $112k–$151k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 19 production engineer openings in South Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
South Carolina plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 18 other live production postings in South Carolina.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 7+)
Typical $112k–$151k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 63%
- ✓ Lean 63%
- New product launch 32%
- EHS / safety 26%
- Six Sigma 26%
- ✓ 5S 26%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention 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 Milliken
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?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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.
This plant: Milliken in Blacksburg
1 other open role at this site.
- Magnolia - Senior Maintenance & Reliability Engineer · Reliability · Senior
Full description from MillikenAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
Represent the company with integrity and ethical behavior; lead safe, responsible, reliable, and cost-effective plant operations.
Build a culture of safety, teamwork, and operational discipline through associate engagement; ensure environmental, regulatory, and Process Safety Management compliance.
Deliver quality products on time and manage inventory within prescribed limits to meet short-term and seasonal customer demand.
Apply Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement practices to improve safety, sustainability, quality, productivity, reliability, delivery, and cost.
Establish and maintain a Daily Management System with clear performance metrics; review results with business and division management and drive corrective action.
Use data from multiple sources to identify issues, prioritize opportunities, and manage material usage, conversion costs, volume, productivity, and capital to deliver measurable business results.
Develop and execute capital projects within approved budgets, including new equipment installation; balance production needs with long-term asset reliability, mechanical integrity, capacity, and investment needs.
Translate business strategy into plant priorities and execution plans; align cross-functional teams around shared objectives and accountability.
Establish processes to scale up and adopt new products.
Develop leaders, coach employees, mentor talent, and build organizational capability; establish clear accountability and an engaged, high-performing team.
Manage hiring, training, and employee separations to meet business
requirements
within approved budgets and standard costs; administer labor relations in accordance with company policies.
Prepare and maintain records needed to manage and control plant operations.
Education & Manufacturing Leadership
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in chemical manufacturing.
Proven ability to lead managers, technical teams, and hourly employees.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn .
Position title
Plant Manager – Allen Chemical Plant
Position overview
The Plant Manager is accountable for building a high-performing organization that delivers safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations. The ideal leader combines strong chemical manufacturing and process safety expertise with people leadership, operational excellence, financial acumen, capital management, and the ability to translate strategy and data into disciplined execution and sustainable business results.
This position is responsible for ethically managing safe and responsible operations of the manufacturing facility such that the customer receives timely delivery of quality products. Engage the workforce to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and create a culture of continuous improvement. Leverage the site team and other resources in the company to implement capital projects that improve health, safety & sustainability, address infrastructure needs, reduce costs, support new product development and enable growth and capacity to meet the needs of the business. This position is at the Chemical site in Blacksburg, South Carolina and reports directly to the Vice President of Operations for the Chemical Division at Milliken & Company in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Plant Manager will provide leadership for approximately 25 managers, including 4 direct reports, and 190 site associates. The plant operates on a 24/7 rotating schedule.
JOB
Safety & Process Safety Leadership
Strong working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM) and high-hazard manufacturing.
Experience with PHAs, PSVs, Mechanical Integrity, and regulatory and safety compliance, including environmental compliance.
Demonstrated success in establishing a safety-focused culture and strong operational discipline.
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
Knowledge and practical application of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Daily Management Systems, and continuous improvement.
Demonstrated record of sustainable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, reliability, and cost.
Business & Financial Acumen
Strong analytical and decision-making skills, including the ability to interpret data from multiple sources and prioritize improvement opportunities.
Understanding of the financial drivers of plant performance, including material usage, conversion costs, volume, productivity, and capital.
Demonstrated ability to connect operational performance to measurable business results.
Capital & Asset Management
Experience developing and executing capital projects, including adding new equipment to an existing facility within a capital expenditure budget.