Guided Search Partners (GSP)
Guided Search Partners is an Executive Search firm built on Trust, Transparency, Specialization, and Long-term Relationships.
We connect high-performing professionals with organizations that value people, performance, and growth—helping leaders find roles where they can make an impact and build meaningful careers.

About the Opportunity

We’re partnering with a smaller, multi-process manufacturing site in Missouri that supports several key business channels—molding, plating, assembly, and paint. The plant runs 24/5, with plating operating 24/7, and the team includes roughly 220 hourly employees and 50 salaried employees.

This opportunity is open now and moving quickly. The plant is at an inflection point: the focus is less about being a “wrench-turner” operation and more about building the maintenance and reliability engineering systems that raise performance over time—stronger preventive and predictive practices, better repeatability, and a more forward-looking approach to uptime.

The right person here is an engineering-minded, continuous-improvement leader who likes taking a plant that’s “in the middle” and helping it become more consistent and effective—without needing a heavy turnaround playbook.

What You’ll Do

• Build and strengthen maintenance and reliability systems—with clear structure around preventive and predictive programs that actually stick.

• Lead day-to-day maintenance execution while shaping the longer-term reliability roadmap for a multi-process operation (molding, plating, assembly, paint).

• Partner closely with plant leadership to address persistent performance gaps and improve how the site supports customer expectations.

• Use an engineering mindset to troubleshoot, prioritize, and solve problems—then translate fixes into repeatable practices.

• Drive continuous improvement in reliability, planning, and standard work so the plant becomes more proactive and less reactive.

• Develop your team: set expectations, build capability, and create accountability across shifts.

Who You Are

You’re naturally wired to diagnose, simplify, and improve. People trust you because you’re practical and calm, but you also push for the systems that prevent issues from coming back.

You’re not just strong on the floor—you’re forward-thinking. You’ll ask, “How do we make this more reliable next month and next quarter?” and you’ll bring others along as you build momentum.

Preferred Experience & Attributes

• A proven maintenance reliability/engineering leadership background in a manufacturing environment.

• Demonstrated success improving reliability through preventive and predictive maintenance approaches.

• A clear engineering/problem-solving mindset with strong prioritization and follow-through.

• A continuous improvement orientation—comfortable building structure where it’s been missing.

• Experience leading teams in a plant setting and developing supervisors/technicians.

Why This Role Matters

This role is directly tied to shifting the plant’s trajectory—from reacting to problems to building reliability into the operation. You’ll help create the systems and habits that improve equipment performance, strengthen execution across shifts, and support better customer outcomes.

You’ll also have visibility and influence: this position reports directly to the Plant Manager, and the work you lead will show up in daily performance and long-term stability. If you like building reliable operations and leaving a site stronger than you found it, this is a role with real purpose—and it’s urgent for the business.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Plant Manager

• Direct reports: 1 Supervisor

• Team oversight: Maintenance technicians totaling 24–30 (approximately 3 per shift)