Associate Director of Manufacturing

Job Responsibilities
Reporting to the Factory Director, The Associate Director of Manufacturing will lead the Deodorant/Antiperspirant production lines at our Raeford, NC site and accelerate performance through our world‑class Manufacturing Excellence program. You will serve as a respectful disruptor and transformational leader as the site evolves into the DEO Center of Excellence with ambitions for lighthouse factory status.

You will champion a culture of continuous improvement across Safety, Quality, Output, Cost, and Waste, embedding Unilever Manufacturing Standards at every level. To drive a high‑performance environment, you will coach, develop, and inspire teams throughout the organization, enabling them to deliver strong KPIs through lean manufacturing principles.  You will act as the “site authorized person” in the absence of the Factory Director.

Leadership: You guide teams with clarity and confidence, driving the site toward operational and cultural success.

Strategy: You excel at forward planning, ensuring transitions and change initiatives are executed smoothly and without disruption.

Partnering: You collaborate seamlessly across functions—R&D, Planning, Logistics, and Brand—to align schedules, milestones, and execution.

Transformation: You proactively challenge norms, leading the site through transformation to improve all key business metrics.

Training: You coach project leaders in continuous improvement tools and Kaizen methodology, adapting your style to diverse learning needs and helping embed CI across the organization.

Culture Builder: You push for better, faster, smarter ways of working—striving for zero defects and refusing to settle for mediocrity.

Day-to-day Deliverables

• Drive operational excellence by strengthening the Run to Standard program, ensuring processes are stable, repeatable, and continuously optimized for performance.
• Advance a world‑class safety culture through active leadership in site safety and environmental programs. As a key member of the CSHEC, own and improve critical safety initiatives to elevate compliance, behaviors, and risk‑reduction practices.
• Embed Perfect Quality in all Make and Pack processes by defining, raising, and enforcing site standards. Hold teams accountable for adherence while using data and root-cause problem solving to eliminate defects.
• Optimize cost performance by delivering target labor, OPE, waste, attainment, and business waste metrics. Lead year‑over‑year improvement through high‑impact VIP (Very Important Project) initiatives and structured loss‑elimination actions.
• Build AGILE work systems that simplify processes, improve flow, and empower employees—driving autonomy, capability, engagement, and a culture of continuous improvement across all staffing models.
• Manage a complex product portfolio by optimizing run strategies, sequencing, and changeover performance. Influence future‑fit portfolio decisions through process insights and operational constraints.
• Integrate planning and factory operations to maximize capacity, line utilization, and staffing alignment. Ensure run strategies are balanced, efficient, and continuously improved using data-driven planning processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with 8–10+ years of manufacturing experience, preferably in personal care; strong command of cGMPs.
• Proven track record leading large-scale transformation in cross‑functional manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated change management capability with consistent delivery of measurable business results.
• Successful leadership within World Class Manufacturing (WCM), TPM, Six Sigma, or Lean frameworks.
• Experience managing and enforcing HACCP principles and driving accountability for food/quality safety systems.
• Strong ability to manage conflict, build inclusive teams, and foster a high‑performance culture.
• Full knowledge of OSHA regulations and relevant safety compliance requirements.
• Solid experience with manufacturing equipment, processes, and regulatory standards.
• Advanced leadership in continuous improvement methodologies (WCM, TPM, Lean).
• Excellent presentation, facilitation, and communication skills; proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.
• Strong data analytics and visualization skills using Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools; demonstrates curiosity and adaptability to emerging technologies (e.g., AI).
• Recognized champion of change, capable of shaping culture and driving continuous improvement.

Pay: The pay range for this position is $146,200 to $219,400. Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions i