Manager, Operations

Primary Responsibilities

Lead safe, efficient day-to-day manufacturing operations across all shifts

Deliver production plans in line with quality standards and on-time performance expectations

Monitor performance and drive timely resolution of operational issues

Maintain strong floor presence and visible leadership with teams

Ensure strong alignment between Production and Maintenance to deliver reliability and schedule attainment

Execute preventive maintenance and reliability plans to minimize downtime

Align staffing, scheduling, and priorities with production demand and capacity

Identify and resolve recurring operational issues through structured problem solving

Lead, coach, and develop team leaders, technicians, and operators

Ensure teams are trained and capable to meet safety, quality, and production requirements

Drive accountability, engagement, and consistent performance across shifts

People Development & Organizational Leadership Responsibilities

Develop Production and Maintenance Leads through structured coaching, clear expectations, and actionable feedback

Maintain succession plans for key roles, identifying readiness, gaps, and development actions

Reinforce a consistent leadership culture aligned with Michelman values and performance expectations

Support workforce planning, including staffing, organization design, and hiring needs in partnership with HR

Lead change initiatives with clarity and alignment across all levels of the organization

Identify high-potential talent and create targeted development opportunities to build future leaders

Foster a culture where accountability and development are both expected and actively reinforced

Environmental, Health, & Safety Responsibilities

Ensure full compliance with all EHS and regulatory requirements, holding teams accountable for safe work practices

Reinforce a strong safety culture through proactive hazard identification, near-miss reporting, and risk mitigation

Ensure MOC processes are followed rigorously for all operational changes

Lead or support incident investigations, ensuring root causes are addressed with sustainable corrective actions

Maintain site readiness for emergency response, audits, and regulatory inspections

Quality Responsibilities

Ensure adherence to standards, process controls, and batch accuracy across all shifts

Partner with Quality to resolve issues and prevent recurrence through root cause analysis

Maintain audit-ready production and maintenance records and documentation

Support customer audits and ensure a consistent, credible operational response

Continuous Improvement & Equipment Ownership Responsibilities

Drive continuous improvement efforts focused on safety, reliability, quality, and productivity

Support integration of reliability and maintenance programs to improve equipment performance

Partner with Engineering on improvements that reduce downtime and support capacity needs

Build a culture where issues are identified early and addressed with urgency and discipline

Critical Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong, hands-on operational leadership with the ability to manage daily plant execution

Working knowledge of chemical manufacturing and regulated environments (PSM, GMP, ISO)

Proven problem-solving and analytical capability

Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment

Effective communication and collaboration across functions and levels

Demonstrated ability to develop others and build team capability

Focus on continuous improvement and disciplined execution

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, or related field preferred

10+ years of experience in manufacturing or operations leadership

Experience in chemical or regulated manufacturing environments preferred

Demonstrated experience with incident investigations, audits, and quality systems

Proficiency with continuous improvement methodologies and structured problem-solving tools