Director of Operations

The Director of Operations will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Hopewell site, ensuring efficient production processes, and driving continuous improvement across all plant operations. This role will supervise plant leadership, providing strategic leadership to ensure safe, stable and sustainable operations. The Director of Operations will also play a key role in shaping operational strategies, improving efficiency and cost, and fostering a culture of safety, collaboration and accountability across the site.

Primary Functions & Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement operational strategies to optimize overall equipment effectiveness including reducing downtime, improving quality, and minimizing costs across all operations in order to deliver high quality products on time to meet customer needs. Understands the importance of and leads the organization through change and transformation required to achieve such strategies.
• Partner with senior leadership to execute operational strategies aligned with business objectives and annual operating plans (AOP) and translate strategies into actionable site and area (plant)-level goals.
• Influence capital planning and partner with engineering to ensure projects support short-term and long-term growth with a risk-based capital investment approach.

Financial & Performance Management

• Oversee financial performance of manufacturing operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost control for $250M budgets.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for safety, quality, efficiency, cost, and productivity.
• Drive initiatives to improve yield, energy efficiency, capacity utilization, inventory control, and non-manpower fixed cost reduction.

People Leadership & Culture

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture with a strong emphasis on employee participation and a commitment from leadership to proactively identify and address potential hazards.
• Build a high-performing site leadership team and foster employee engagement, development, and inclusion.
• Drive organizational capability through effective performance management and resource planning.

Operational Excellence

• Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and other methodologies to improve efficiency, quality, cost, and safety.
• Address operational challenges proactively and implement solutions to minimize downtime and costs.
• Embed a data-driven culture for decision-making and continuous improvement.

HSE, Compliance & Systems

• Ensure compliance with Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) standards and regulatory requirements, including Responsible Care.
• Utilize enterprise systems (e.g., SAP) for operational and financial management.
• Maintain rigorous process safety and quality assurance standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with supply chain, procurement, logistics, product management, and HR to ensure coordinated operations.
• Partner internally to ensure manufacturing technologies (including automation) to support growth and innovation.
• Serve as the primary representative of the site within the local community, fostering positive relationships with external stakeholders.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering; MBA or other advanced degree preferred
• 15 years of chemical operations experience, including 5 years in a large site / multiple site leadership role
• Experience in managing union and non-union employee teams
• Holds a valid U.S. Driver’s License and eligible for TWIC credential

Additional Qualifications:

• Strong expertise in process optimization, lean manufacturing, and performance improvement - Six Sigma Greenbelt (or Blackbelt) certification or equivalent experience implementing productivity / continuous improvement projects
• Solid financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost control.
• In-depth knowledge of health, safety, and environmental regulations in a process manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated track record of leading high performing teams binging high energy, an operational intensity and a superior ability to execute.
• A curious personality who asks questions that add value to discussions.
• A resilient leader who demonstrates the ability to see failures as minor setbacks, with the tenacity to bounce back quickly and turn challenges into opportunities.
• Exemplary communications skills, including the ability to effectively communicate up, down, and across the company, as well as to serve as a spokesperson for the company on matters with the community and other local stakeholders.

The base salary range for this role is $182,600 to $273,800 annually.