Assistant Production Manager - Kuraray America

Title: Assistant Production Manager

Location: Pasadena, TX

Who we are:

Voted one of the Nation's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top-of-the-line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, Kuraray leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 31 countries and employs more than 11,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States.

Why Kuraray:

Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability.

As a part of Kuraray America, Inc., our team shares the advantages of working for the leader in specialty chemicals, resins, and fibers. Our international presence and resources allow us to be a world-leading innovator in the industries we service. Yet, despite our size, our people are more than just a number. As a new team member, you can expect to earn responsibility quickly. Our commitment to our people is visible in our comprehensive benefits package. As a Kuraray team member, you will have the opportunity to enjoy competitive salaries and benefits, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment.

Position summary:

This position manages and leads the Bayport Manufacturing site and reports to the Production Manager. This position is responsible for attaining safe, efficient, and reliable production. This position is accountable and responsible to ensure site compliance with all internal and external requirements including but not limited to ISO 9001, GMP, and RC14001. This person is responsible for monitoring the Bayport Production budget and managing Production Technician OT.

Responsibilities:

• Actively support MOC, IRR, and AIM systems
• Directly lead, manage, train, and hold accountable Bayport Production personnel.
• Maintain operations labor, supplies, and service expenditures within Budget.
• Drive improvements to quality, performance, reliability, and safety.
• Ensure site compliance with Federal and State regulations Certification standards such as ISO 9001, GMP, and RC14001.
• Accountable for communicating plant performance including KPIs, customer complaints (CARs), production abnormalities, and safety incidents.
• Ensure that both short-term and long-term objectives are clear, communicated, and understood across all levels of the team.
• Facilitate and support the Production Department Balanced Score Card (BSC)
• Lead morning update meetings, and other EVAL team meetings as needed.
• Oversee site lean improvement and 5S systems.
• Share the responsibilities for month-end reporting.
• Oversee an operational area with guidance from senior colleagues.
• Support the development of daily and weekly production plans for a factory or product line to include resource planning and monitoring and reporting on performance against the plan.
• Identify shortcomings in existing manufacturing processes, systems, and procedures and personnel; deliver straightforward improvements to manufacturing processes and methods with guidance from a more senior colleague.
• Follow the organization's HSE policies, procedures, and instructions to identify and mitigate environmental and workplace risks.
• Assist in planning and coordinating the testing and inspection of products and processes.
• Implement corrective actions or continuous improvement initiatives and monitor them to make sure they are effective.
• Identify, within the team, instances of noncompliance with the organization's policies and procedures and/or relevant regulatory codes and codes of conduct, reporting these instances and escalating issues as appropriate.
• Provide coaching to team members to develop their skills.
• Supports and ensures that team engagement is high and continually seeks for ways to assess and lift-up for a positive work environment.
• Help others get the most out of internal communications systems by offering support and advice.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, presentation, interpersonal, creative thinking, consulting, and analytical skills with a primary focus on respect for people.
• Ability to prioritize work to manage multiple projects to meet deadlines.
• Excellent problem-solving/decision-making skills.
• Ability to multi-task
• Candidates must have a valid driver's license.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors in Engineering (preferably Chemical or Mechanical)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in the Chemical/Petrochemical Industry
• A minimum of 3 years of experience leading people or projects in a supervisory or lead role.
• In lieu of a degree:
  • HS Diploma or equivalent
  • 10 years of relevant work or business experience in PVOH, EVOH, Elastomers, Elvanol, and/or VAM.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience with process improvement techniques
  • Minimum of 5 years leading people in a supervision or lead role.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct conflict resolution.
• Align personnel with business goals to create engagement.
• Ability to use influencing skills rather than authority to achieve targets.
• Strong people and demonstrated change management skills at an organizational level.
• Ability to mentor others in the organization.
• Demonstrate oral/written communication skills presents information and ideas to individuals or groups at all levels of an organization in an articulate and organized way.
• Ability to assess and develop improvements to existing programs and sustain the improvement against new standards.
• Strong problem analysis, root cause analysis, troubleshooting, judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Understanding of safety regulations applicable to manufacturing facilities
• Ability to implement process improvement techniques.
• Familiarity with Management of Change and Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience with establishing goals and metrics.
• Working knowledge of Excel or similar spreadsheet programs
• Strong Process Safety Management (PSM) experience and ability to think critically implementing that methodology.
• Ability to identify organization gaps and develop plans to support closing it.
• Strong interpersonal skills with great emphasis on respect for people.

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes base pay and an annual incentive. This program is designed to reward individual performance and align overall rewards with corporate and team performance.

Our employees enjoy an attractive healthcare benefits package, including wellness reimbursements to promote a healthy lifestyle. We also provide an Educational Reimbursement Plan, helping our employees fulfill their career goals, as well as a competitive 401(k).

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S.

Please apply online at: http://www.kuraray.us.com/careers/

Kuraray America, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer AA M/F/disability/protected veteran status.