Validation manager Jobs in Vaughan, ON

Plant Manager
Vaughan, ON · On-site ·
Reports to the General Manager
Full-time, permanent ·
English required, Mandarin an asset ·
Periodic travel, including to China

About the role
Tier 1 automotive aluminum die casting and machining plant in Vaughan, Ontario.
The Plant Manager runs it, end to end. You own the safe, orderly, efficient operation of the whole site, including its people, equipment, and systems, and you are accountable for its results across safety, quality, cost, delivery, and the financials.
This is a build and run role through start-up and ramp. You'll lead the management team, drive the key customer programs and process development that set the plant apart, and grow a diverse team that shares the company's culture. It suits a hands-on operations leader who leads from the floor and owns the numbers.

Responsibilities
Run the plant

• Keep the whole site, including people, equipment, and systems, running safely, orderly, and to plan; sustain IATF 16949 and a proactive OHSA, WHMIS, and WSIB safety culture.
• Set, enforce, and continuously improve the policies, procedures, and management systems the plant runs on.

Own the results

• Carry full accountability for the plant's financials and KPIs across safety, quality, cost, delivery, and people.
• Manage the budget, production cost, and resource allocation; drive cost reduction without trading away quality or safety.

Lead the technical edge

• Lead cross-functional teams on key customers, key programs, and key process development, solving the hard technical problems and building the plant's capability and competitive advantage.
• Put automation and digital tools to work for efficiency and decisions grounded in data.

Build the team and culture

• Inspire a cohesive, mutually trusting, and entrepreneurial team of diverse individuals to deliver market leading solutions for our customers.
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing management team, strengthening belonging and cultural alignment across every department.

What we're looking for

• Ownership. You carry the plant's numbers and outcomes, and lead from the floor, not the office.
• Operational judgment. You make calls on safety, quality, cost, and delivery grounded in data, and hold the line under pressure.
• Technical credibility. You can go deep with engineering and quality on die casting and machining problems.
• People leadership. You build teams, coach managers, and create a culture people want to stay in.
• Start-up resilience. You stay effective when priorities shift daily in a ramping plant.

Qualifications

• Extensive automotive or die casting manufacturing experience, with a proven plant-management track record.
• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• Strong working knowledge of IATF 16949, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 management systems, plus lean and continuous improvement methods.
• Proven P&L, budget, and KPI ownership in a manufacturing operation.
• New-plant start-up experience a strong asset; P.Eng., Lean, or Six Sigma an asset.
• English required, Mandarin an asset; ERP and Microsoft 365 proficiency; available for periodic travel, including to China.

Illustrative KPIs
Examples of how success is measured in this role:

• Safety: recordable incident rate and near-miss follow-through.
• Quality: first-pass yield and customer returns or complaints.
• Delivery: on-time delivery to the customer.
• Cost: scrap and rework rate, and conversion cost versus plan.
• Efficiency: overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• People: voluntary turnover and continuous improvement projects delivered.

Working conditions

• On-site at the Vaughan, Ontario plant.
• Standard business hours, with availability outside them as operations require.
• Periodic domestic and international travel, including to China.