Operations Manager

Roquette is a family-owned global leader in plant-based ingredients and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients.

Want to help us make a difference?
Using plant-based resources, we collaborate with our customers and partners to imagine and offer ingredients to better feed people and treat patients.
Each of our ingredients responds to unique and essential needs, and they enable healthier lifestyles.

The Role:

We are looking for our next Operations Manager within our ETHOCELTM production facility. The Operations Manager will be responsible for plant personnel, assets and achievement of the plant-related site, business, and corporate goals. The Operations Manager reports to the Midland Site Leader and is part of a high-performance team, serving as an influential leader and technical resource to optimize plant operations, resolve plant problems, and enable safe and efficient production of high-quality products. The Operations Manager provides leadership to the plant operations team and acts as the primary back-up to the Site Leader.

This position is located in Midland, MI.

What You'll Do:

• EH&S / Maintenance, Engineering & Reliability Leadership:
  • Partners with the Site leader to drive a strong personal safety, process safety, quality, and environmental improvement plan to achieve EHS&Q goals and ensure compliance with regulatory and permit requirements.
  • Relentlessly pursues maximum plant reliability to reduce department unplanned events and support safe operations. Teaches and encourages behaviors to support reliable operations.
  • Knows and advocates Life Critical Standards within the facility. Demonstrates priority and commitment through personal behavior and coaching in the field. Provides the needed positive and negative reinforcement to address deviations with urgency and ensures appropriate follow up and investigations.
  • Ensures appropriate technical review of work plans (maintenance or improvement) such that Life Critical Standards are applied appropriately for the job.
  • Partners with Site Leader to ensure capital is allocated appropriately to design out industrial hygiene hazards, improve environmental compliance & sustainability, and reduce personal/process safety hazards. Implements administrative controls and process controls for safe and reliable operation.
  • Manages the Plant Operations budget.
  • Shows courageous leadership by coaching, asking questions, and intervening when needed. Challenges status quo and past norms to make the operation more safe and effective.
  • Keeps active field presence and assesses work activities routinely to maintain awareness of plant needs and understanding of personnel behaviors.
  • Ensures the operation team is fully prepared for immediate response situations, including where technical resources might be needed to analyze process conditions and guide the response.

• People/Organizational Effectiveness:
  • Supports Site Leader to provide motivation, explanation, context, and communication purpose of messages to the empowered organization.
  • Inspires and motivates the organization through leadership and strong connection with the team fostering an empowered organization. Shows appreciation for employees and maintains a servant leadership mindset.
  • Accountable for maintaining and improving the expertise index for operators for the facility, ensuring that appropriate knowledge remains within the facility.
  • Works closely with Human Resources as needed to hire operators with strong skill sets. Ensures operators are on-boarded and trained via a comprehensive plant training program to maximize their opportunity for success and increase plant expertise.
  • Provides coaching for career progression and discipline up to termination.
  • Models Roquette's core values and behaviors and understands that his/her behavior shapes the operation team's culture.
  • Develops operation employees and ensures career success via goal-setting, performance management, promotion processes, and employee development plan.
  • Resolves operation discipline issues and escalates to proper channels where needed.
  • Enhances the working relationship with operation team, collaborates with work force, and supports Labor contractual agreements if applicable.
  • Coaches both FSFL and Tech/Tech roles within the plant to be effective within their roles.
• Business Owner Mindset/Financial Acumen/Continuous Improvement:
  • Knows the business model and strategy for facility. Explains to operations how the plant fits into the business and corporation.
  • Understands how much money the plant makes each day along with product margins, and takes actions as needed partnering with the Site Leader and business to maximize total margin and EBITDA. Is flexible and assists the Site Leader in dealing with changing conditions.
  • Continuously works to improve the total cost of production (raw material, conversion cost and activity rate, etc.). May take a leadership role in maintaining budget as delegated by the Site Leader.
  • Develops financial acumen skills across the organization (operators, engineers, maintenance, etc.) to accelerate profitability and productivity.
• Business Owner Mindset/Financial Acumen/Continuous Improvement:
  • Holds themselves and others accountable for return on investment of projects, and ensures compliance with financial reporting rules/practices within the facility.
  • Supports and drives continuous improvement by being active and ensuring operations participation in opportunity analysis sessions and plant improvements.
  • Partners with improvement teams to reach agreement on proposed improvement plans, and ensures plant resources are available to achieve the plan. Ensures controls are implemented in operating discipline and process control as applicable to sustain improvements.
  • Develops strong partnerships with support functions such as EHS, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and others to drive improvement in the organization and assure alignment.
  • Partners with the Site Leader to steward employee health through practices associated with a Healthy Workplace and employee fitness for duty.
  • Works closely with Supply Chain to ensure the plant is producing products in alignment with business needs.

What You'll Need:

Education:A minimum of a Bachelor's degree is required. Engineering preferred.

Experience:

• Skilled in the use of MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) required.
• 8+ yrs of manufacturing and engineering experience.
• Experience in continuous improvement methodologies (eg. Six Sigma, LEAN, etc) preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Demonstrates strong integrity in placing safety, the environment, and quality ahead of production volume.
• Strong technical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills are required to be successful in this job.
• Ability to influentially lead teams and individuals utilizing performance-based leadership or similar behavioral based science.
• Facilitative leadership and teamwork skills.
• Strong written, organizational and prioritization skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects/tasks at one time.
• Highly motivated and results-driven individual with strong interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with cross functional teams, engineering groups, plant operations, research and commercial organization and management.
• Knowledge and ability to apply Six Sigma, LEAN, and process control fundamentals in daily activities.
• RCI leadership skills.
• Able to work under pressure, be highly organized and meet time-sensitive transmission deadlines.
• Able to multitask and be flexible when requested to change/redirect work activities and priorities.
• Ability to listen to understand the big picture and articulate the value of the service and how it impacts plant performance.
• High degree of ownership to the plant and equally with our organization.
• Can provide/receive a balance of pinpointed positive/constructive feedback to and from anyone.
• Positive and enthused.
• Strong Leadership and Management of Change skills.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Yes. This role oversees a team of approximately 20 people.

Work Environment:

• This role spends approximately 60% of the time in an office environment and 40% of the time in the plant environment.

Physical Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to speak or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk, climb stairs, use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms; work in hot, cold and loud environments.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• This is a full-time position. Days and flexible hours of work are required to meet facility demands.

Business Travel:

• Occasional travel may be expected (international and domestic).

AAP/EEO Statement

Roquette is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. "AAP, EEO, Drug-Free Workplace"

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

If you identify yourself in this position, please apply byuploading your resume and let's start the journey together!

Roquette is proud to be a global company where you can find personal and professional growth through multiple diverse experiences.

Roquette strives to create a dynamic workforce while remaining firmly committed to equal opportunity by complying with EEO laws.

As we continue to grow, Roquette understands that to be successful we must always be inclusive in our approach.

To find out more about our products, values and sustainable development ambitions visit us at www.roquette.com and at www.sustainability.roquette.com