How to hire an assistant plant manager

How to hire an assistant plant manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant plant manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant plant manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant plant manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant plant manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an assistant plant manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect assistant plant manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of assistant plant managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Assistant Plant Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Plant Manager	Industrial production managers oversee the daily operations of manufacturing and related plants. They coordinate, plan, and direct the activities used to create a wide range of goods, such as cars, computer equipment, or paper products.	$27-60
   Production Supervisor	Production supervisors are employees who oversee the production process, usually handling activities directly related to people management. They manage employees by ensuring that the production floor employees are doing their work well and are motivated... Show more	$20-43
   Line Supervisor	A line supervisor is responsible for monitoring the line operations within an organization, ensuring the adequacy of line staff on production, and supervising the quality control processes. Line supervisors enforce the highest safety standards and procedures within the premises to avoid operation hazards that might cause delays in the production... Show more	$17-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Program
   • OSHA
   • Plant Operations
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Production Schedules
   • Safety Procedures
   • Production Facility
   • Logistics
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Quality Standards
   • FDA
   • Sigma
   • Manufacturing Management
   • Asphalt

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work with buyers to negotiate terms and manage supplier PPAP's.
   • Report to President/Co-owner and manage 2 QC employees and 4 production supervisors.
   • Manage daily operations of USDA facility.
   • Coordinate daily and monthly production planning, update operation sheets to ensure that FDA regulations and GMP's are met.
   • Used hands-on implementation of any necessary changes that specifically affect inventory control; machine shop production; product distribution and logistics.
   • Conduct GMP and safety audits.

   More assistant plant manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the assistant plant manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. An assistant plant manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant plant manager in Kentucky may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level assistant plant manager. Additionally, an assistant plant manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average assistant plant manager salary

   $85,755yearly

   $41.23 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant plant manager salary

   $58,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average assistant plant manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$117,536	$57
   2	Connecticut	$93,187	$45
   3	New York	$92,029	$44
   4	Oregon	$91,519	$44
   5	Ohio	$87,092	$42
   6	Michigan	$86,163	$41
   7	Maryland	$82,807	$40
   8	Wisconsin	$81,597	$39
   9	Arizona	$79,393	$38
   10	Virginia	$77,095	$37
   11	Illinois	$73,874	$36
   12	Minnesota	$71,511	$34
   13	Colorado	$68,994	$33
   14	Indiana	$67,628	$33
   15	South Dakota	$67,313	$32
   16	Arkansas	$66,541	$32
   17	Texas	$64,895	$31
   18	Florida	$62,878	$30
   19	Iowa	$60,901	$29

   Average assistant plant manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cirrus Aircraft	$129,390	$62.21	4
   2	Abbott	$113,835	$54.73	14
   3	DTE Energy	$104,781	$50.38	4
   4	Alere	$100,408	$48.27
   5	Syngenta	$98,972	$47.58
   6	Airgas	$98,860	$47.53	94
   7	The Judge Group	$98,479	$47.35	2
   8	Post Holdings	$96,469	$46.38	8
   9	Florida Crystals	$93,048	$44.73
   10	Tyson Foods	$92,603	$44.52	26
   11	Pactiv	$92,103	$44.28	30
   12	Michael Foods	$91,137	$43.82
   13	EPE	$88,103	$42.36	1
   14	ASR Group	$86,934	$41.80	5
   15	OSI Group	$86,728	$41.70	1
   16	Cobalt Boats	$86,121	$41.40
   17	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$81,713	$39.29	198
   18	O-I Glass	$79,554	$38.25	1
   19	Prysmian Group	$76,882	$36.96	17
   20	Carlisle Companies	$75,942	$36.51	2

4. Writing an assistant plant manager job description

   A job description for an assistant plant manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an assistant plant manager job description:

   Assistant plant manager job description example

   • Safety is #1 priority. Will be key member of the safety committee.

   • Assure timely production of high-quality finished goods at the most economical cost.

   • Reduce raw material overages and product scrap percentages.

   • Improve overall quality metrics to drive customer satisfaction ratings.

   • Direct and indirect labor under budget.

   • Provide leadership for supervisors and team leaders; inspire teamwork.

   • Identify developmental needs of personnel and implement plans to meet those needs.

   • Monitor and provide the appropriate management training where applicable.

   • Improve communications between departments, ultimately creating a better working relationship. A self-directed workforce is the ultimate goal

   • Direct production floor and mold repair

   • Have signature authority in Plant Manager's absence

   • Develop Capex Requests with ROI for efficiency improvements

   • Administer a fair and consistent disciplinary policy.

   QUALIFICATIONS:

   Education:

   Bachelor's Degree or 10 years work experience.

   Experience:

   A leader in a Manufacturing Operations role that has department(s) responsibility for a facility with more than 200 associates and/or sales volume in excess of $25M.

   Evidence of success, ownership and increasing responsibility in Leadership, Accountability & Discipline, and Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

   ABILITIES and SKILLS:

   • Safety, Quality, Productivity. Must own and drive all three, in that order.

   • Drive Labor, Material Usage and Downtime KPI's through shop floor tenacity.

   • Lead Kaizen events for fast wins and positive movement in Labor, Materials, OEE. Follow-up for sustainment is key.

   • Ability to manage multiple projects and effectively delegate to subordinates.

   • Analytical problem solver; assimilate large amounts of detailed information.

   • Assure compliance and read-across for a 3 shift operation.

   • Excellent time management skills to meet frequent deadlines.

   • Effective verbal & written communications skills with peers and supervisor.

   PHYSICAL CONTEXT / WORK ENVIRONMENT:

   • Temperature swings and prolonged high heat tolerance is essential as 75% of the day will be on the production floor.

   • Eye protection is always required in the manufacturing plant.

   • Safety & compliance with OSHA

   • Safe work culture &

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find assistant plant managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any assistant plant managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level assistant plant managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant plant manager job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant plant manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with assistant plant manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant plant manager

   Once you've selected the best assistant plant manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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