Plant Manager

About the role

We are looking for a hands‑on Plant Manager to lead a small automotive manufacturing facility in Querétaro, Mexico. The plant produces industrial finishing processes such as phosphating, blasting and coating for automotive customers.

Key responsibilities

• Lead all plant operations across production, quality, maintenance, logistics and HSE activities.
• Manage and develop a team of approximately six direct reports across functional departments.
• Drive operational performance through KPIs focused on safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost.
• Ensure efficient operation of manufacturing processes including phosphating, blasting and coating.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing and problem‑solving methodologies.
• Support production planning and capacity management to meet customer delivery requirements.
• Maintain compliance with automotive industry standards and customer expectations.
• Ensure adherence to environmental, health and safety regulations and promote a strong safety culture.
• Partner with senior leadership on operational strategy, investment planning and business growth.
• Develop employee engagement, accountability and succession planning within the plant.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for operational or quality‑related issues.
• Manage budgets, labour efficiency and operational cost‑control initiatives.

Required profile

• Proven experience in automotive manufacturing operations.
• Previous role as Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Production Manager or Manufacturing Manager.
• Strong understanding of industrial processing environments such as phosphating, blasting, coating, paint, metal finishing or surface treatment.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing cross‑functional teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience driving Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, 5S, Kaizen or similar operational excellence initiatives.
• Strong understanding of quality systems and operational KPIs.
• Ability to lead in a fast‑paced, hands‑on production environment.
• Excellent communication and team leadership skills.
• Fluent in English and Spanish.
• Engineering or technical manufacturing background preferred.

Required skills

• Lean Manufacturing
• Continuous Improvement
• 5S
• Kaizen
• Root Cause Analysis
• Quality Management Systems

What we offer

• Opportunity to lead a growing automotive manufacturing operation.
• Strong autonomy and visibility within the business.
• Career progression for an ambitious Operations Manager stepping into a Plant Manager role.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• International manufacturing environment with long‑term growth potential.