Executive search
Plant & Production Management
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: Plant and production roles range from people who run the whole operation to people who solve a specific technical problem. An interim operations manager or production manager owns output, people and results.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
You have a business to run.
Hiring a senior person yourself takes time you do not have. Here is what we hear from owners and hiring managers every week.
Not sure if you need interim or fractional? Use the decision helper
- The seat is open and the work is piling up on you.
- A job posting brings in hundreds of resumes and none of them have done the job.
- You do not have weeks to screen, chase and schedule.
- You need to know the person can do it before they start, not after.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
Plant & Production Management titles we fill
Titles with a page link through to it. The rest are titles we also fill; choose one and we pass it to the form with your request.
- Interim Operations ManagerSpecialist search for Interim Operations Manager. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Operations ManagerSpecialist search for Interim Operations Manager. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Interim Production ManagerSpecialist search for Interim Production Manager. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Interim Production SupervisorWe identify, vet, and deliver Interim Production Supervisors who immediately stabilize floor performance, enforce quality standards, and correct production bottlenecks.
- Production SupervisorWe identify, vet, and deliver Interim Production Supervisors who immediately stabilize floor performance, enforce quality standards, and correct production bottlenecks.
- Interim Maintenance ManagerSpecialist search for Interim Maintenance Manager. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Contract Manufacturing EngineerSpecialist search for Contract Manufacturing Engineer. Discuss the scope, relevant experience and several vetted options. No fee unless you engage someone we present.
- Contract Lean Six Sigma Black BeltEngage a Contract Lean Six Sigma Black Belt to solve complex manufacturing bottlenecks and improve operational throughput without long-term commitment.
- Lean Six Sigma Black BeltEngage a Contract Lean Six Sigma Black Belt to solve complex manufacturing bottlenecks and improve operational throughput without long-term commitment.
- Interim Facilities ManagerAn Interim Facilities Manager keeps site infrastructure, maintenance schedules, and building compliance running during personnel gaps or facility transitions.
- Site Operations ManagerHire a Site Operations Manager to run daily output, lead shift supervisors, and stabilize facility performance metrics. No upfront fee.
- Business Operations ManagerFix production backlogs and stabilize operations with a hands-on manager. We vet for direct team leadership and proven turnaround experience.
- Area ManagerArea Managers execute production plans by leading supervisors and hourly teams. We identify leaders who restore order to chaotic manufacturing environments.
- area managerArea Managers execute production plans by leading supervisors and hourly teams. We identify leaders who restore order to chaotic manufacturing environments.
- Manufacturing ManagerManufacturing Managers oversee daily floor production, labor allocation, and output targets. Ensure your facility meets schedule goals today.
- Shift ManagerFind Shift Managers who translate plant schedules into hourly actions. We source for your specific process type, labor planning needs, and union environment.
- shift managerFind Shift Managers who translate plant schedules into hourly actions. We source for your specific process type, labor planning needs, and union environment.
- Production Superintendent (plant)A production superintendent manages floor output and labor to meet schedule demands. Learn how to verify their technical experience and shop floor decision-making.
- Maintenance SupervisorHire a maintenance supervisor to manage technicians, enforce CMMS discipline, and reduce equipment downtime through rigorous preventive scheduling.
- Reliability ManagerHire a Reliability Manager to audit equipment performance, reduce downtime through data, and stabilize critical production assets.
- Reliability EngineerHire a professional reliability engineer to audit, design and implement data-driven maintenance strategies that prevent unplanned downtime.
- reliability engineerHire a professional reliability engineer to audit, design and implement data-driven maintenance strategies that prevent unplanned downtime.
- Maintenance PlannerMaintenance Planners control the flow of work orders and asset data. Learn how to identify specialists who reduce downtime through disciplined scheduling.
- Process EngineerHire a process engineer to manage line capability, reduce yield loss and audit production documentation. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
- process engineerHire a process engineer to manage line capability, reduce yield loss and audit production documentation. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
- Industrial EngineerAn industrial engineer focuses on process flow, cycle time and floor-level workflow. We identify candidates who stabilize production through data-driven layout.
- industrial engineerAn industrial engineer focuses on process flow, cycle time and floor-level workflow. We identify candidates who stabilize production through data-driven layout.
- NPI EngineerNPI engineers manage technical readiness, equipment capability and line validation for new product launches, ensuring designs scale for repeatable, high-yield production.
- NPI engineerNPI engineers manage technical readiness, equipment capability and line validation for new product launches, ensuring designs scale for repeatable, high-yield production.
- Continuous Improvement EngineerContinuous improvement engineers increase production efficiency by identifying root causes of variation and codifying standardized work for sustainable results.
- continuous improvement engineerContinuous improvement engineers increase production efficiency by identifying root causes of variation and codifying standardized work for sustainable results.
Hiring guides
Not sure which title fits? Describe the seat in the form and we will match it.
Related roles
Executive roles above this family
Manager, supervisor, engineer or facilities
Plant and production roles range from people who run the whole operation to people who solve a specific technical problem. An interim operations manager or production manager owns output, people and results. A production supervisor runs a shift or area. A maintenance manager owns equipment condition and the maintenance team. A manufacturing engineer or lean specialist improves a process. A facilities manager looks after buildings and services.
Start with who is missing. If the person who made daily decisions has left, you need a manager or supervisor. If the equipment keeps failing, start with maintenance. If a line is slow or wasteful and the people are competent, an engineer or lean specialist can help. If the building is the problem, look at facilities.
Often the answer is a pair. An interim production manager and a maintenance manager together may do more than either alone, and saying so lets us search each pool on its own terms.
Choosing scope: shift, area, plant or process
Scope differs sharply. A shift leader manages a crew for a defined period. An area manager owns a section of the plant across shifts. A plant level leader owns everything including safety, quality, delivery and cost. Each step adds the need for authority and for working with other departments.
Process improvement roles are scoped by problem, not by territory. A lean practitioner or Black Belt works on a defined process with a defined measure, trains people and leaves a method. A manufacturing engineer may support new product introduction or fix a recurring defect. A reliability or process engineer focuses on equipment or process stability.
Tell us the number of shifts, the type of production, whether the workforce is represented by a union and who the person reports to. These facts shape the profile more than the title.
Technical differences by production type
Discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, assembly, fabrication and regulated production differ in what experience transfers. A leader from a batch process plant may need time to understand continuous flow. A leader from high volume assembly may not understand small run, high mix work. Regulated settings add documentation and change control that others may not know.
Equipment age and type matter. A maintenance manager used to modern automated lines is not automatically skilled with older mechanical equipment, and the reverse is also true. Computerized maintenance systems, preventive routines and spare parts practice vary.
Safety culture is also not uniform. Say what you expect and what exists today. A leader joining a plant with weak safety habits needs different skills from one joining a mature program.
Who we look at and how we screen
For managers we consider former plant and operations leaders, experienced production managers, and leaders from similar plants who are between roles. For supervisors we look at experienced shift and area leaders. For engineering roles we draw on contract engineers and improvement specialists. For facilities we look at managers from industrial and commercial settings.
We screen by asking for specific situations. What did the plant look like when you arrived? What did you change first? What happened to safety and quality? How did you work with maintenance and with the union, if any? We listen for concrete examples and for credit given to others.
Equipment and process familiarity are checked directly. We then present several profiles for you to review. You decide whom to meet.
Cross function dependencies
A plant depends on purchasing for materials, on planning for schedules, on quality for release and on maintenance for equipment. It depends on human resources for hiring and discipline and on finance for budgets and cost reports. A production manager who cannot influence those functions is limited.
Say which of these are strong and which are weak. If planning changes the schedule daily, a new manager will spend their time reacting. If quality holds product for days, output looks poor for reasons that production cannot control.
This helps us judge whether you need a manager alone or support around them. Candidates also appreciate the honesty, since they can then explain how they would handle those relationships.
Mistakes in the brief
Common mistakes include asking for a plant manager when the actual need is a maintenance leader, listing tools instead of problems, and leaving out whether the person has authority to hire, discipline or spend. Another is stating a wish for continuous improvement when the real need is restoring basic discipline.
Some briefs hide poor equipment condition or a difficult relationship with the workforce. Candidates find out quickly. A direct description of the situation, even if unflattering, attracts people who are suited to it.
Finally, be clear about what happens at the end. Is the engagement meant to hold the plant steady, fix a specific problem or prepare for a permanent hire? The answer changes the kind of person who will want the work and the kind who will do it well.
Questions
How does a Plant & Production Management search start?
We define your operational needs and reporting structure first. Then we approach qualified individuals to confirm their availability and interest.
What fee do I pay to start?
There is no upfront cost to begin the search. Fees only apply once you engage someone we present.
When do I pay?
Payment terms commence upon your engagement of a candidate. You incur no fees for reviewing shortlists or conducting interviews.
What if none of the candidates fit?
If no one meets your requirements, you owe nothing. We review missed criteria before deciding on further search steps.
Do you approach people who are already working?
Yes, we contact currently employed leaders and independent contractors. We verify their interest and availability directly rather than assuming based on public profiles.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.