Interim Plant Manager
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
- At least 10 years of manufacturing experience, including at least 5 years as a Plant Manager or Operations Manager.
- Experience leading a continuous-process chemical, polymer, resin, or plastics operation.
- Working knowledge of OSHA Process Safety Management, EPA regulations, and environmental permitting.
- A proven record of improving safety, quality, delivery, and cost metrics.
- Experience leading multi-shift hourly workforces and salaried leadership teams.
- Ability to start quickly and make an immediate impact in an interim role.
- Willingness to work fully onsite in Louisville, Kentucky, for the engagement.
- Champion a zero-harm culture and own site environmental, health, and safety performance.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA Process Safety Management, EPA requirements, and state environmental permits.
- Lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
- Oversee management of change, process hazard analyses, and mechanical integrity programs.
- Direct day-to-day operation of continuous resin and compounding processes.
- Deliver production plans, on-time delivery, and inventory targets.
- Improve yield, throughput, uptime, and conversion cost.
- Support commissioning and stabilization of new process technology and capital projects.
- Drive preventive and predictive maintenance to reduce unplanned downtime.
- Prioritize the maintenance backlog and plan turnarounds.
- Maintain product quality and consistency to customer and industry specifications.
- Uphold ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and other site quality systems.
- Lead a multi-shift workforce of salaried staff and hourly operators.
- Coach and develop the site leadership team and front-line supervisors.
- Assess organizational capability and recommend changes to structure and talent.
- Foster productive employee relations and clear communication.
- Own the site operating budget, key performance indicators, and monthly performance reviews.
- Deploy Lean and Six Sigma tools and tiered daily accountability meetings.
- Identify and deliver cost-reduction and productivity initiatives.
- Report performance and risks to business unit leadership.
- Experience with thermoplastic or vinyl polymer manufacturing.
- Background in batch or continuous reactor and compounding operations.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- Experience commissioning new process technology or leading major capital projects.
- Prior interim, turnaround, or site-stabilization assignments.
- Experience in a unionized environment.
- Familiarity with SAP or a comparable enterprise resource planning system.
About the company
VDS Consulting Group provides management consulting focused on Lean Manufacturing, supply chain, and business processes, helping senior executives and private equity investors improve margins, reduce working capital, and increase enterprise value. They deliver end-to-end improvement programs and targeted projects using their Value Driven Approach to quickly identify and close gaps in safety, quality, delivery, and cost. They also offer on-demand executive-level talent—from analysts to CEO—for interim staffing and direct hire, and provide Lean Six Sigma and operational excellence training. VDS serves multiple industries including Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Chemicals, Life Sciences, Insurance, Healthcare, Pharma, Automotive, and Aerospace. Their differentiators include rapid access to the right experts, end-to-end process optimization, and a stated goal of achieving a strong ROI, with a focus on speeding improvements and filling performance gaps when speed and quality matter.
Company Size
1-10
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Founded
2018
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- The site updated September 5, 2026, signaling active commercial positioning.
- Case studies and industry pages show packaged offerings for manufacturing and food.
- Open positions on September 4, 2026 indicate ongoing hiring demand and service delivery.
What critics are saying
- No independent press, funding, or customer references validate the 500% ROI claim.
- Website updates in 2026 show marketing activity, not hard revenue or retention evidence.
- Heavy reliance on middle-market transformation creates exposure to deal slowdowns and budget freezes.
What makes VDS Consulting Group unique
- Private-equity focus links VDS directly to value-creation and exit-readiness work.
- Breadth spans supply chain, operations, finance, technology, and procurement.
- Career-page recruiting suggests staffing and consulting together, not advice alone.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Paid Vacation