Plant Manager (Manufacturing & Machine Operations)

Founded in 1981, Amtech Systems is a publicly traded company (Nasdaq: ASYS) supplying essential equipment, services and consumables to the semiconductor industry.  Our Semiconductor Fabrications Solutions (SFS) business provides consumables, parts and services for power semiconductor and mature node semiconductor OEMS.  Our Thermal Process Solutions (TPS) business provides equipment and services for semiconductor advanced packaging applications, electronic assembly and power semiconductor packaging.  The company manufactures products in several factories in the US and China and serves global customers. 

Job Summary: Reporting to the VP & GM The Plant Manager is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day manufacturing operations, including production, machine operations, maintenance, purchasing, safety, quality, environmental performance, and workforce effectiveness. This role ensures efficient, safe, and cost-effective plant operations while driving continuous improvement, optimizing equipment reliability, managing vendor relationships, maintaining strong labor relations in a union environment, and proactively managing operational risk. The Plant Manager also champions sustainability initiatives and ensures alignment with customer expectations through a strong voice-of-customer approach.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

Operations Management 

·         Lead all plant operations to achieve production, quality, cost, delivery, and environmental performance targets

·         Oversee production planning, scheduling, and execution to meet customer demand

·         Monitor KPIs including throughput, scrap, downtime, labor efficiency, and energy/resource utilization

·         Ensure optimal utilization of equipment, materials, and workforce

·         Manage production capacity planning to align labor, equipment, and materials with forecasted demand

·         Machine Operations & Maintenance

·         Oversee machine operations, ensuring reliability, performance, and minimal downtime

·         Implement preventive and predictive maintenance programs

·         Drive improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

·         Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for equipment and production issues

Purchasing & Supply Management 

·         Oversee plant-level purchasing activities, including raw materials, consumables, and equipment

·         Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality, cost competitiveness, and on-time delivery

·         Partner with supply chain/procurement to align sourcing strategies with production needs

·         Optimize inventory levels and reduce excess/obsolete inventory

·         Negotiate pricing, contracts, and service agreements

Risk Management (Core Accountability) 

·         Lead plant-wide risk assessment processes across operations, equipment, safety, supply chain, and labor

·         Identify, evaluate, and mitigate operational, financial, and regulatory risks

·         Implement controls and contingency plans to minimize business disruption

·         Ensure alignment with enterprise risk management frameworks and internal controls

·         Drive a proactive risk-awareness culture across all levels of the plant

·         Continuous Improvement

·         Implement Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives

·         Identify and eliminate waste, improve processes, and increase productivity

·         Lead cost reduction initiatives without compromising safety, quality, or compliance

·         Standardize processes and drive consistency across shifts

Safety, Environmental & Sustainability Leadership 

·         Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and regulatory requirements

·         Ensure compliance with all required safety training, certifications, and company policies across the workforce

·         Promote a strong safety-first culture and safe work practices at all times

·         Lead environmental and sustainability initiatives, including:

·         Reduction in CO₂ emissions and energy consumption

·         Waste and pollution reduction programs

·         Resource efficiency improvements (water, materials, utilities)

·         Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to meet sustainability expectations

·         Lead incident investigations and corrective actions

Quality Management & Voice of Customer 

·         Ensure products meet internal quality standards and customer specifications

·         Integrate voice-of-customer insights into production, quality, and improvement initiatives

·         Drive customer-focused quality metrics, responsiveness, and issue resolution

·         Partner with quality teams to reduce defects, scrap, and rework

·         Support audits and maintain compliance with quality systems (e.g., ISO)

Union & Labor Relations 

·         Lead operations in a unionized environment in alignment with the CBA

·         Partner with HR/labor relations on contract administration, grievances, and investigations

·         Participate in grievance resolution and arbitration preparation

·         Build strong relationships with union representatives and employees

·         Ensure consistent application of policies and contract terms

·         Support labor negotiations with operational input

People Leadership 

·         Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, operators, and staff

·         Drive workforce engagement, accountability, and performance management

·         Oversee employee time and attendance processes to ensure accurate reporting, compliance with labor agreements, and effective workforce planning

·         Support hiring, training, and succession planning

·         Foster a high-performance, team-oriented culture.

·         Financial & Administrative

·         Manage plant budget (labor, materials, purchasing, operating expenses)

·         Drive cost control, productivity improvements, and margin enhancement

·         Report on plant performance to senior leadership

Qualifications:  

Required Education & Experience: 

Required 

·         Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)

·         7+ years of manufacturing experience with progressive leadership responsibility

·         3+ years in a plant or production leadership role

·         Hands-on experience with machine operations and equipment management

·         Experience in a unionized manufacturing environment

·         Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement principles

Preferred 

·         Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt)

·         Experience with plant-level purchasing or supply chain management

·         Experience supporting labor relations or union negotiations

·         Experience with ERP/MRP systems (Microsoft Dynamics 365 preferred)

·         Experience leading sustainability or environmental compliance initiatives

Skills & Competencies: 

·         Operational leadership and decision-making

·         Risk assessment and mitigation

·         Labor relations and conflict resolution

·         Vendor management and negotiation

·         Customer focus and voice-of-customer integration

·         Problem-solving and root cause analysis

·         Process improvement and change management

·         Safety, environmental, and sustainability leadership

Success Metrics 

·         Production output and on-time delivery

·         Equipment uptime and OEE improvement

·         Cost reduction and purchasing savings

·         Inventory turns and material availability

·         Safety performance (incident rates and training compliance)

·         Environmental performance (energy usage, emissions, waste reduction)

·         Quality (defects, scrap, customer satisfaction)

·         Effective risk mitigation and business continuity

·         Labor stability and grievance resolution effectiveness

Other duties may be assigned to support the overall business. Amtech Systems has the right to revise and update this job description at any time.