Plant Manager
Herff Jones, LLCPosition Title: Plant Manager Location: Indianapolis, IN Starting Pay: 140K JOIN OUR TEAM! About Herff Jones: Indianapolis-based Herff Jones is the leading provider of graduation and educational products and services designed to inspire achievement and create memorable experiences for students. Herff Jones’ products include class rings and jewelry, caps and gowns, diplomas and announcements as well as motivation and recognition programs. Focused on building long-term relationships through a nationwide network of over 1,400 employees and sales partners, the professionals at Herff Jones have been helping elevate the student experience throughout the lifelong journey of education for more than 100 years. For more information about Herff Jones, please visit www.herffjones.com. Position Summary: The Plant Manager serves as the senior site leader responsible for driving end-to-end manufacturing and warehouse operations performance. This role owns and delivers results across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Cost (SQDIC) while building a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. Reporting to the VP of Operations, this leader partners cross-functionally with Sales, Finance, HR, Customer Service, Supply Chain, and Executive Leadership to align operational execution with business strategy, customer expectations, and financial performance. The Plant Manager is accountable for translating demand into efficient production and distribution outcomes while ensuring a safe, compliant, and scalable operation. What we want you to accomplish: Safety & Compliance Leadership Champion a safety-first culture by leading plant Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) programs and ensuring full regulatory compliance Partner with Corporate EHS to continuously improve safety systems, reduce risk, and drive incident prevention Hold leaders and teams accountable for safe behaviors, hazard identification, and corrective actions Operational Excellence (SQDIC Ownership) Lead all manufacturing and warehouse operations to achieve targets across: Safety – zero harm and proactive risk mitigation Quality – consistent product standards and customer satisfaction Delivery – on-time and complete order fulfillment Inventory – optimized working capital and accuracy Cost – productivity, efficiency, and budget adherence Implement daily management systems, KPI dashboards, and data-driven decision making (Excel, Power BI) Identify risks proactively and communicate mitigation strategies to executive leadership Production, Distribution & Supply Chain Execution Oversee production planning and execution to meet seasonal demand and customer commitments Lead warehouse and distribution operations, including inventory management, fulfillment, and reverse logistics (e.g., returns) Optimize end-to-end supply chain processes to balance service levels, capacity, and cost efficiency Partner on S&OP processes to align demand forecasts with operational capability Financial & Cost Leadership Partner with Finance to develop and manage operating budgets, cost controls, and capital investments Drive productivity improvements, waste reduction, and operational efficiencies Ensure operational decisions align with financial objectives and business performance targets Cross-Functional & External Partnership Serve as the primary plant liaison to: Sales and customer partners to ensure alignment on expectations and service delivery Vendors and suppliers to support operational continuity and performance Executive leadership to provide insights, performance updates, and strategic recommendations Translate customer feedback and commercial priorities into actionable operational improvements People Leadership & Culture Build and develop a high-performing leadership team across manufacturing, warehouse, and support functions Partner closely with HR to drive: Talent acquisition and workforce planning Performance management and employee develo…