Jobs and Careers

Director of Manufacturing

United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 2 Jan 2026

About the role

Director of Manufacturing Buckman – Memphis, TN Location: Memphis, TNLanguage: EnglishTravel up to 25% Buckman is a privately held, global specialty chemical company with headquarters in Memphis, TN, USA, committed to safeguarding the environment, maintaining safety in the workplace, and promoting sustainable development. Buckman delivers exceptional service and innovative solutions to our customers globally in the pulp and paper, leather, and water treatment sectors to help boost productivity, reduce risk, improve product quality, and provide a measurable return on investment. Position Summary The Director of Manufacturing at Cadet or Memphis leads all aspects of production operations, ensuring alignment with strategic goals, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. This role is responsible for driving performance across safety, quality, cost, delivery, and employee engagement while maintaining compliance and readiness for audits and certifications. Key Outcomes/ResponsibilitiesOutcome: Operational Excellence & Process Management

Actions:

Ensure cycle time master data is accurate and up-to-date in SAP.
Collaborate with the Maintenance Manager to maximize equipment and process availability.
Lead Obeya wall tracking and reporting for schedule attainment and cycle time performance, including analysis and improvement opportunities.
Maintain current capacity utilization estimates for each production asset.
Participate in SIOP (Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning) activities and assess demand forecast impacts on capacity.
Develop and maintain daily production scorecards covering safety, quality, perfect order rate, schedule attainment, and batch cycle time.
Monitor batch financial variance daily and resolve discrepancies.

Implement and sustain 5S principles to ensure excellent housekeeping and operational discipline.Outcome: Financial Management

Actions:
Contribute to the development of the annual capital plan with justifications.
Compile and manage the department expense budget in collaboration with the Plant Manager.
Monitor budget performance and communicate significant deviations promptly.
Drive attainment of financial objectives including leverage and days in inventory.
Execute effective inventory control procedures without compromising customer satisfaction.
Minimize slow-moving and obsolete inventory through FIFO execution and collaboration with inventory planning.
Periodically review and adjust MTS/MTO parameters.

Outcome: Quality & Compliance Actions:

Ensure compliance with quality standards including batch RFT, scrapped batch %, concession batch %, and ISO9001 audit readiness.
Ensure associates are trained and disciplined in CSOPs, TOPs, and BQS procedures.
Lead and participate in root cause analyses for non-right-first-time batches.

Monitor and resolve CCAR reports and customer complaints effectively. Outcome: Strategic Planning and Communication
Actions:

Collaborate with the VP of Operations to develop a 5-year strategic plan for the department and facility.
Develop and communicate annual plans with KPM objectives.
Monitor performance against plans and provide clear communication channels for associates.

Ensure consistent application and communication of company policies and procedures. Outcome: Project & Process Improvement

Actions:

Identify, engineer, and implement high-ROI projects to improve safety, quality, cost, and yield.
Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
Apply sound problem-solving techniques and collaborate with technical staff to optimize processes.

Outcome: Ensure a zero-incident workplace by fostering a proactive safety culture, maintaining compliance with all regulatory standards, and continuously improving safety performance across all manufacturing operations.

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