General Manager

THE COMPANY

Our client is a North America leader in consumer goods headquartered in the USA who is undergoing market share growth in North America. This manufacturing leader is growing as a result of new product initiatives, new brands, entry into new customer segments and new sales channels. They seek a General Manager to manage their manufacturing campus in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and cross-border warehouse in El Paso, Tx.

THE POSITION

Job Summary:
 
The General Manager is responsible for the manufacturing and leadership support for all manufacturing located in Juarez, Mexico, including the administration of activities, policies and procedures ensuring that all products are manufactured safely, meeting quality standards, on time, while meeting all cost objectives. Supervises several production managers and the rest of the manufacturing leadership team including engineering, quality, materials, shipping, Purchasing, and Import-Export. Finance and Human resources are dotted with line reports.

Essential Job Functions:

• Foster a continuous improvement culture centered around safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance to drive enhanced customer experience. Perform business assessment, planning, facilitation, execution of process improvement events.
• Responsible for building and maintaining strategic relationships with local service providers and suppliers.
• Provides leadership and direction to the Mexican manufacturing team.
• Monitor performance and implement improvements.
• Direct and coordinate programs essential to manufacturing (e.g., training safety, housekeeping, cost reduction, worker involvement, security, etc.)
• Review cost performance to plan and to prior year, including implementation of countermeasures necessary to deliver planned financial objectives and goals. 
• Build high performing manufacturing teams and bench strength. Execute performance management programs to evaluate talent, identify gaps and execute talent acquisition and development plans.
• Maintain a robust control environment protecting company assets such as inventory, equipment, tools, and supplies.  Partner with manufacturing, purchasing, finance and information technology teams to identify and implement improvements in inventory controls and procedures,
• Align with Corporate Sales, Inventory and Operations Planning teams to execute capacity plans and maintain the optimal balance of service levels and cost for all manufacturing operations.
• Responsible for delivering operational and financial goals for key metrics in safety, quality, delivery, and cost. 
• Establish and execute cost savings and quality improvement initiatives to achieve gross margin targets for manufactured products.
• Responsible for approval of all local material, equipment, or miscellaneous purchases within Mexico for plant use.
• Assists the Manufacturing Director in the development and formulation of short and long range planning, policies, programs and objectives.
• Coordinate, manage, and monitor the facility operations to accomplish established goals and performance objectives in safety, service, cost inventory management and continuous improvement.
• Responsible for ensuring all equipment is in proper working order and that all required preventative maintenance functions are being performed as required.
• Facility capital planning and execution.
• Hire, train, and evaluate staff.
• Maintain compliance of company policies, safety standards, quality specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Create and maintain a level of understanding with all Group Leaders. (Expectations, goals, and daily requirements of responsibilities should be clearly defined and understood)
• Performs other duties as assigned.

THE CANDIDATE

Experience, Skills and Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) and 5+ years of manufacturing leadership experience managing a large site or multi-sites in Mexico (i.e., General Manager, Director of Operations, Plant Manager, etc.).
• Experience with Maquiladora operations. and understands IMMEX and Mexico labor laws.
• Highly prefer experience with labor intensive manufacturing assembly processes and visual quality.
• Understanding of the KEY drivers of manufacturing performance (Lean, Continuous Improvement, Standardization processes, manufacturing flow, process improvement tools, etc.).
• Able to create more robust manufacturing processes.
• Solid business acumen. Understands P&L, costs, metrics, etc.
• Good written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with cross functional teams and make sound business decisions that successfully drive operational improvements.
• Change agent with a “can do attitude.”
• Demonstrate a very strong ability to coach and direct others. The ideal candidate will have experience building a high performing team and a motivated workforce.
• Competencies required:  Leadership, performance management, communication, technical knowledge, stress management/composure, personal effectiveness, ability to anticipate, and problem solving.
• Ability to communicate in written and verbal form, effectively and efficiently, in both Spanish (75%+ proficiency) and English (90%+ fluency).
• Microsoft Windows and Excel and/or AS/400 experience required.
• Valid U.S. passport and Visa.
• Able to cross border into Mexico daily.

This position will only consider candidates on U.S. payroll. Legal U.S. work status is required.