INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Plant Manager positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 189,300 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 10,000 to 199,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Plant Manager jobs was $108,790 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $67,100, and the highest 10% more than $181,220.
Our conclusion? The Plant Manager job market is wide open for candidates.
Top plant manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a plant manager resume experience section
Plant Manager Resume's Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Plant Manager resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Ensure execution of the production plan into a schedule.
- Optimize the production schedule to meet customer demands, inventory targets.
- Work with the Quality Department to address Blocked or Restricted inventory.
- Must be flexible and assertive while working between Sales and the Supply Chain groups.
- Prepare all kind of presentations for Plant Managers.Organize / Plan meeting & events.
- Reconciliation of production & supplies at month.Generating utilities consumption reports.
- Reliability Management and Evaluation of Plants Capacities.
- Established operational policy and implement process improvements to ensure quality and through-put. Directly managed 17 Supervisors and 150 associates. I have initiated effective communication to develop staff, facilitate efficiency, and improve performance. Initiated lean manufacturing, reduced staff by 40 full time and 30 temporary employees, while maintaining production levels. Implemented PM Programs and an effective Parts Inventory Program. Oversee the SQF program to lead the development of the Food Safety Fundamentals and the Food Safety Plan.
- Achieved labor savings through engineering changes and combining responsibilities of associates.
- Achieved a 98% score of quality standards.
- Achieved cost reduction through increased training and setting efficient production schedules.
- Partnered with maintenance to reduce downtime by implementing a work order system program.
- Installed 4 new production machines to improve tonnage that increased in labor efficiency.
- Average of 98% on time shipping.
- Start a new greenfield (0 employes in January 2014 up to 700 in January 2018 considering 5 diffrent processes)
- Martur was nomitated by Dacia to be the best supplier in 2017
- Banchmark in Martur group for PU Foam and Cut&Sew processes
- 100% acchivement of the main plant KPI's, 100% respect of budget and P&L
- Drove major investments, team and operations from 8% alternative fuels to 50%+ while maintaining kiln performance
- Conversion of plant to lower carbon Portland Limestone Cement
- Drove cultural change and revamped assets to move plant from historical low performance
- Developed multi-million dollar non-traditional business
- Develop and manage the operations team including talent development, performance management and labor management (Organizations)
- Develop and manage direct and indirect reports through performance management.
- Creating a standarized template for the LPG reports & Co2 reports after being dispatched from Oman to the UAE.
- Develop the plant staff and workforce through the performance managemenet process, including the training and development plan for each direct report.
- Manage day to day operations of a 70,000 square foot facility, generating $3 million in gross revenues
- Also oversee Romulus Michigan Facility. 1 ops Manager. 2 Supervisors. 15 hourly. Responsible for all operations.
- Manage P&L statement, invoicing/billing, and all operational duties/tasks
- Managed 20 direct reports-3 salaried and 17 hourly
- Maintain all IB/OB KPI metrics for client. Month over month improvement of 10% in IB/OB metrics for Unloads/Shipping.
- Manage/create projects to further increase productivity/revenue. WMS productivity project to highlight with cost savings of $200,000 to client.
- $10,000 FEDEX cost savings project executed for Lear corp.
- Have held positions as Plant Manager, Distribution Center Manager and Manager in the Cutting Area.
- Balancing of production lines. Increased productivity from 1,600,000 to 1,850,000 lbs. Personnel reduction by 25%.
- Implementation of payment system through SAM. Reduction of operators in BRB machines from 2 to 1.5 according to the new SAM.
- Coordination of export program programs for the Lovable Group with responsibility of coordinating two sewing plants, one screen printing plant and two distribution centers to make exports on time.
- Weekly dashboard presentation to senior management on productivity and financial metrics and KPIs. Review of production processes as their continuous improvement, based on cost reduction and process improvement. Prepared budget and led monthly reviews.
- Directly responsible for the annual certification of WRAP audits.
- Kept the plant performing at a high level during a tough transitional period of new ownership successfully
- Development of newly promoted employees into successful leaders and managing 150 employees
- Successfully managed the onboarding of new equipment
- Currently leading the plant through a new business market change from food and beverage to focusing on the wine and spirits markets exclusively
- Manage the largest Plant within the organization responsible for maintaining a culture of safety, security, and people first
- Increased overall Plant tonnage output by 32% without increasing resources through example, motivation, monitoring, and coaching
- Increased annual revenue by securing shred competitors through our Wholesale Destruction Services program
- Actively drove growth partnering with Mergers & Acquisitions team reaching out to competitors resulting in two competitor purchases
- Manage plant performance improvements based on set Key Performance Indicator [KPI] measurements
- Implement cost effective systems of control over operating expenditures, manpower, and wages/salaries achieving a high level of performance in a cost-effective and safe manner
- Continuously apply six sigma green belt principles to further optimize operations which reduces cost and increases revenue
- Managing PO Auto INERGY Slovak legal entity, in charge of Lozorno and Trnava plants inclusive 2 SILS in Germany and Hungary
- After 4 years Lozorno plant was recognized as a benchmark plant in the group
- Lozorno plant was awarded by several customers, also internally as a leading plant in manufacturing excellence and plant with the best safety records WW
- Implementation lean manufacturing principles in 2 years
- Reaching status of preferred supplier for SONY and Panasonic
- Achievement of break event point and award "Best plant" in the group after 3 years
- Acting as statutory for 5 PUNCH subsidaries in Slovakia that were in that time employing more than 2.500 people
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Plant Manager job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your plant manager resume
Recommended reads:
Plant Manager Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume skills section checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top skills for your plant manager resume
Digital Fluency
Microsoft Office
Program Manufacturing Devices
Machining
Fabricating
Communication
Attention to details
Caution
Organisation
Punctuality
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Plant manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your plant manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Plant Manager resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Plant manager resume summary best practices
Checklist: what to include in your plant manager resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
When writing a resume summary or objective, avoid first-person narrative.
Recommended reads:
Listing your education, certifications and courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top certifications for your plant manager resume
Management Skills: New Manager Training Update 2022
Management Skills Certification in Developing People, Leading Teams & Process Improvement in the New Hybrid Work Culture
New Manager: The Basics and More of Being a Great Leader
Go from a slightly uncertain, confused newbie to a confident, skilled manager who builds and leads effective teams.
New Manager's Five-week Success System: 25 Days > Management
You will succeed, with the 25 most important management skills and 100 top new manager tools, actions and behaviours.
Management Crash Course: Tactical Training for New Managers
Master Real World Management Skills -- Practical Exercises to Help You Tackle the 7 Challenges that Every Manager Faces
The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Plant Manager. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
How to write a plant manager resume
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft Plant Manager resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Plant Manager resume:
Plant manager resume: How to make yours more creative & stand out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Plant Manager resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What makes a great plant manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
