Plant Manager

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Custom Manufacturing | Fairfield, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati)

Full-Time, On-Site | Operations | Reports to the CEO

Want to run a plant where you can walk the floor and see what your team built that day?

Since 1975, CIP Retail has designed, engineered, built, and installed custom retail décor, signage, and millwork for national retail brands. CIP Retail is a turnkey organization from concept to installation. What leaves our dock ends up in retail stores, restaurants, arenas, amusement parks, convenience stores, liquor stores and other locations that people visit every day. We are a team of about 80 in Fairfield, Ohio, and we are ready to grow.

We need a Plant Manager who leads from the floor, makes people better, and gets the work out right and on time. You will oversee print, paint, CNC, assembly, shipping, receiving, and logistics departments. You will work directly with our CEO and fill a key role on our leadership team; your decisions will matter.

What You'll Do

• Run the plant. Set clear priorities and goals for every department and keep production on schedule.
• Own plant safety and compliance. Set the tone for a strong safety culture, starting with how you act every day. Make sure we meet OSHA and environmental requirements through training, audits, hazard reviews, and real follow-up on every incident and near miss. Keep the plant clean and organized, and never let anyone cut corners on safety, including you.
• Hit the numbers that matter. Drive on-time delivery, quality, productivity, labor use, and cost.
• Fix what slows us down. Find and remove bottlenecks, scrap, and rework. Bring Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and root-cause problem solving to daily work.
• Build your supervisors. Coach them, hold them accountable, and help them grow into stronger leaders.
• Be seen on the floor. Know your people at every level and earn their trust by showing up.
• Work across the company. Partner with Sales, Design, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, and Finance so manufacturing supports our customers and our goals.
• Manage the budget. Control labor, materials, equipment, and manufacturing expenses.
• Use your data. Use our ERP (Epicor) and manufacturing systems to track performance and make smart calls.
• Hire and keep great people. Recruit, coach, and retain strong manufacturing talent.
• Build the playbook. Create and maintain clear production processes, procedures, and controls.

Requirements

What You Bring

• 10+ years of manufacturing experience, ideally in custom, project-driven, or high-mix environments.
• 7+ years leading people, with real responsibility for results.
• Experience running more than one department or manufacturing function.
• A track record of improving safety, quality, productivity, on-time delivery, labor use, and cost.
• Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and a hands-on approach to safety leadership.
• Practical experience with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Strong ERP/MRP experience (Epicor is a plus) and advanced Excel skills. Smartsheet experience is a bonus.

Nice to have: experience in custom fabrication, millwork, signage, décor, print, woodworking, or metal fabrication. A bachelor's degree in manufacturing, engineering, operations management, business, or a related field.

Who You Are

• A people developer. You listen, coach, and build strong teams.
• Hands-on. You would rather be on the floor than behind a desk.
• Accountable. You own your results and set clear expectations for others.
• Decisive. You spot problems and act on them.
• A team player. You work well with every department and at every level.
• Always improving. You are always looking for a safer, faster, better way.

What Success Looks Like in Your First 6 to 12 Months

• Stronger supervisors and a more engaged, accountable team.
• A strong understanding of our business model, production flow, and team capabilities.
• Safety focus: improved safety habits and more visible safety culture.
• Clear, steady communication between productions departments and broader organization.
• Demonstrated focus and improvement in quality, on-time delivery and schedule adherence.

Why CIP Retail

We have been at this since 1975, and we have a strong reputation with the brands we serve. You would join an established company at an important moment, with room to shape how we operate for the next phase of growth. Your work will show up in our people, our product, our customers, and our results.

We offer a generous compensation and benefits package including:

• Choice of Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 100% company paid Disability and Life Insurance
• 3% 401k match
• 3 weeks PTO in year one, increasing to 4 weeks in year two of employment

Ready to lead? Send us your resume!