Laurel Plant - Senior Operations Manager

POSITIONTITLE

Laurel Plant - Senior Operations Manager

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Operations Manager plays a critical leadership role in driving safety, quality, and operational excellence at Milliken's Laurel Chemical Plant. This position oversees daily production operations, ensuring compliance with environmental and regulatory standards while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, associate development, and process reliability.

This leader will partner cross-functionally with engineering, maintenance, quality, and EHS teams to deliver measurable results in safety, yield, cost, and productivity. The role also serves as Plant Manager designee in the manager's absence and is a key successor role within the site's leadership pipeline.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Safety & Process Safety Management

• Champion asafety-first culture, enforcing rules and ensuring participation of all associates.

• Oversee safety project identification, reporting, andtimelycompletion.

• Ensure compliance withOSHA PSM regulations, MOC (Management of Change), and PSSR requirements.

• Provide technical and leadership support during PHAs (Process Hazard Analyses) and reactive hazard evaluations.

• Drive continuous improvement inhousekeeping and 5S programsacross operations.

• Ensure safe design and introduction of new processes, products, and equipment.

Environmental & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure operationscomply withRC-14001environmental, health, safety, and security systems.

• Partner with EHS teams tomaintaincompliance with all environmental permits and implement corrective actions for non-conformances.

• Allocate resources to drive improvements in waste reduction, recycling, and natural resource conservation.

• Maintain adherence to all federal, state, and local environmental regulations.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Lead quality performance improvement throughroot cause analysisand preventive/corrective action systems.

• Support andfacilitateContinuous Improvement (CI) Teamstargeting long-termprocessand quality enhancements.

• Promote the use ofstatistical toolsand quality improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, SPC, DOE).

• Drive standardization, documentation, and data-based decision-making across operations.

Technical Leadership & Reliability

• Serve as the first line oftechnical troubleshootingfor process issues; provide shift coverage as needed.

• Ensure thorough review and approval of MOCs related to operations.

• Direct loss analysis and corrective action for HSEQ, productivity, and reliability events.

• Partner with Engineering on process design, small capital projects, and optimization initiatives.

• Track and improveOEE, yield, and process reliabilityusing data-driven metrics.

Cost & Productivity Management

• Lead efforts to meet or exceedAnnual Operating Plan (AOP)cost targets (raw materials, utilities, overtime, waste, etc.).

• Monitor and analyze yield variances; drive continuous improvement toward 100% process reliability.

• Maintain financial control of departmental spending; prepare budgets, forecasts, and cost-reduction plans.

• Evaluate new materials, equipment, and procedures to improve manufacturing efficiency and cost performance.

• Support site profit improvement initiatives and loss accounting processes.

Associate Development & Engagement

• Lead and develop a team ofProduction Managers, Shift Supervisors, and Process Engineers.

• Create andmaintainrobust technical and leadership training programs.

• Conduct regular coaching, feedback, and performance reviews (minimum twice per year).

• Promote associate engagement throughstrong communication, collaboration, and recognition of success.

• Ensure adherence to Milliken'speoplepolicies, performance management, and career development frameworks.

Delivery & Operational Planning

• Align with other departments to meet production schedules and customer requirements.

• Establish andmonitorproductivity standards, cycle times, and production plans.

• Support capital and expense projects ensuringtimelyexecution and operational readiness.

• Ensure prompt response to reliability and supply disruptions through proactive problem-solving.

Leadership & Culture

• Model Milliken'score values of ethics, excellence, and innovationin all leadership behaviors.

• Activelyparticipatein and promote theDaily Management System (DMS)to drive accountability and communication.

• Serve asPlant Manager designeewhenrequired.

• Champion diversity, inclusion, and associate well-being initiatives at the site.

QUALIFICATIONS-REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering.

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in chemical or closely related process manufacturing.

• Demonstrated success leading technical teams in production, safety, and process improvement environments.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Proficiencyin Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Ability tolead withinitiative, accountability, and a collaborative mindset.

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