Plant Manager

About Us

Sunward Steel Buildings is a family-owned, American manufacturer, that has been in business for over 50 years. We sell, engineer, and manufacture custom metal buildings, including industrial and manufacturing facilities, barns, arenas, fitness facilities, agricultural buildings, shops, aircraft hangars, residential barndominiums, self-storage facilities, and much more! We deliver these buildings to every state in the U.S. as well as Canada. We exist to fulfill our customers’ dreams and goals. We are different from other steel building companies because we partner with our customers to provide a needs-based solution. At Sunward Steel we are building a growing, sustainable company.

About the Role

The Plant Manager leads Sunward's Walterboro, South Carolina manufacturing facility and is accountable for its safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people results. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, this leader owns day-to-day plant performance across production, scheduling, maintenance, quality, materials, shipping, and plant administration, while building a stable, skilled workforce and a culture of continuous improvement. This is a hands-on, on-site role for a leader who is as comfortable on the shop floor with welders and roll-former operators as in a budget review with senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the plant's safety program and results, including OSHA compliance, incident investigation and corrective action, PPE, lockout/tagout, and crane and forklift programs. Build a culture where every employee is expected to stop unsafe work.
• Lead daily production of primary and secondary framing and components (cutting, burning, punching, roll forming, welding, painting, and shipping) to meet schedule, quality, and cost targets.
• Partner with Engineering, Drafting, Sales Order Processing, and Customer Success to load the plant, sequence orders, commit and communicate ship dates, and resolve order or drawing issues before they reach the floor.
• Own quality outcomes with the Quality team, including inspection, NCR and CAPA processes, weld quality, and adherence to customer specifications and IAS AC472 requirements.
• Direct maintenance strategy with the Maintenance Supervisor, including preventive maintenance, equipment uptime, critical spare parts, and capital equipment planning.
• Work with Purchasing, Inventory, and Supply Chain to keep coil, plate, and consumables available, maintain inventory accuracy, and track and reduce scrap and BOM variances.
• Build and manage the plant operating budget. Track labor productivity, overtime, scrap, and cost per ton, and recommend and justify capital investments.
• Set plant goals and maintain a KPI scorecard (safety, on-time delivery, quality, productivity, and cost). Report results and corrective actions to senior leadership.
• Recruit, develop, and retain the plant workforce. Coach supervisors and leads, conduct performance reviews, and partner with People Operations on staffing, training, employee relations, and consistent application of company policy.
• Lead continuous improvement using lean tools such as 5S, standard work, root cause analysis, and visual management, and document standard operating procedures.
• Ensure accurate use of the ERP system for production reporting, inventory, and labor, and maintain required safety, environmental, and regulatory records.
• Other duties as assigned.

About You

Basic Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, Business, or a related field, or equivalent knowledge gained through work experience.
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in heavy manufacturing, metal fabrication, or a related industrial environment.
• 5+ years managing supervisors or a multi-department operation.
• Demonstrated accountability for an operating budget or plant-level cost results.

Practical and Technical Skills

• Production scheduling and capacity planning in a make-to-order or job-shop environment.
• Blueprint and shop drawing reading.
• Working knowledge of OSHA general industry standards.
• Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement program experience.
• Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Excel for production and cost reporting.
• Ability to write clear standard operating procedures and work instructions.

Leadership Skills

• Track record of setting priorities and leading teams to execute to plan.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to report to executive leadership and engage effectively with front-line employees.
• Proven ability to hold supervisors and employees accountable while applying company HR policies fairly and consistently.
• Data-driven leader who uses KPIs and business intelligence to improve operational performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) or structural steel fabrication.
• Equipment and process knowledge: roll formers, punch lines, shears, press brakes, plasma or burn tables, welding (SAW, GMAW, FCAW), and paint lines.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, TPS, or a related certification.
• Experience with IAS AC472, AISC, ISO 9001, or equivalent quality systems.
• OSHA 30-Hour General Industry certification.
• Experience stabilizing or improving a plant through organizational change.

Core Competencies

• Safety Leadership: Treats safety as the first measure of plant performance and models it daily.
• Accountability for Results: Owns plant outcomes, follows through, and corrects course quickly.
• Developing People: Builds supervisors and leads who can run the floor without escalation.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Uses KPIs, root cause analysis, and cost data to set priorities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works across Sales, Engineering, Drafting, and Supply Chain to deliver on customer commitments.
• Clear Communication: Communicates expectations and results plainly to every level of the organization.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly stands and walks on the plant floor for extended periods, including climbing stairs and walking on uneven surfaces.
• Occasionally lifts or moves up to 25 lbs.
• Wears required PPE in production areas, including safety glasses, steel-toe footwear, and hearing protection.

Work Environment

• Split between office and a heavy manufacturing floor with noise, heat, welding fumes, overhead cranes, and moving equipment.
• Must be available outside normal hours to respond to safety incidents, equipment failures, and customer-critical issues.

Additional Requirements

• Pre-employment drug screen and background check.
• Valid driver's license for business travel.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Group Life, AD&D
• Long Term Disability
• 401(k) Program
• Voluntary Supplemental Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - 128 hours
• Eight (8) paid holidays

EEOC Statement

Sunward Steel and its affiliates are an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibit Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: we are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Sunward Steel and its affiliates are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.