Plant Manager

 

Requisition ID: 23303

Built on talent, technology, and trust, Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and engineered materials. The company’s two industry-leading business segments—Catalysts Technologies and Materials Technologies—provide innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance the products and processes of our customers around the world. Grace employs approximately 4,300 people in over 30 countries.

 

Job Description

 

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated Plant Manager to lead our team with a hands-on approach to drive operational excellence. The East Chicago plant consists of 50-60 employees and is located in the extreme northwest corner of Indiana approximately 23 miles southeast of Downtown Chicago. The plant has been in operation since 1892 originally as part of the Grasselli Corporation.  DuPont acquired th​e facility from Grasselli in 1928 and W. R. Grace & Co. acquired the facility in 2000.

 

The East Chicago plant manufactures two product lines: Sodium Silicate and LUDOX® Colloidal Silica. Sodium Silicate is used in the manufacture of LUDOX® and is also sold as a commercial product. Over 40 standard grades of LUDOX® are produced for a wide range of applications from metals casting to semiconductor polishing.  In addition, the Business currently accommodates more than 50 special customer specifications. The plant ships to customers worldwide in drums and totes as well as in tank trucks and railcars to North American customers.

Responsibilities

 

• Foster a positive teamwork environment that drives collaborative decision making by engaging and empowering employees to contribute to the plant’s strong performance
• Incorporate and monitor site KPI’s - Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, Productivity and Cost used to measure overall performance and engage staff to develop plan to improve performance
• Drive a safety mindset for self, employees, and site visitors ensuring safe conditions and behaviors and drive compliance with EHS&S standards; ensure continuation of 5S maturity journey
• Collaborate with Demand and Supply Planning and meet scheduled metrics
• Manage the raw material, intermediate and finished product management in order to deliver committed inventory levels
• Manage the plants annual operating plan to deliver cost per metric ton commitments
• Develop productivity initiatives
• Develop and manage 5-year Capital plan to deliver benefits of the investment; ensure compliance with monthly forecast and deliver projects on schedule-on budget
• Lead Tier 4 accountability meeting
• Implement Tier 1, 2 and 3 accountability meetings at the plant
• Intimately aware of and committed to meeting or exceeding customer (internal as well as external) requirements
• Coordinate staffing with HR and Grace Leadership to determine proper staffing levels
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of programs and technical training for all employees

Physical Requirements and Environment

• Ability to follow safety protocols and standards working in a laboratory environment with highly hazardous materials
• Ability to work in a high hazard environment, including adverse weather conditions, elevated spaces, confined spaces, extreme temperatures, and noisy surroundings.
• Must be able to stand, walk, sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, and climb stairs and ladders over 100 ft.
• Must be willing to wear PPE (Personal Protective equipment) including but not limited to hard hat, protective eyewear, steel-toed boots, hearing protection, Level A suit, full face respirator

Required Qualifications

 

• BS Degree in a technical discipline (preferably Chemistry or Chemical Engineering).
• 7+ years experience in an industrial manufacturing environment to include knowledge of safety, production, and quality
• 4+ years of leadership experience in an industrial manufacturing environment
• Experience in occupational and process safety management
• Ability to lead, coach, train and