Operations Manager - Celanese International Corporation

Celanese Corporation is a global chemical leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. Our businesses use the full breadth of Celanese's global chemistry, technology and commercial expertise to create value for our customers, employees, shareholders and the corporation. As we partner with our customers to solve their most critical business needs, we strive to make a positive impact on our communities and the world through The Celanese Foundation. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs approximately 13,000 employees worldwide and had 2023 net sales of $10.9 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com.

The Cooper River Hytrel® plant has an exciting opportunity for a Daily Execution Leader (DEL)/Operations Manager to join our team located near Charleston, SC.  We are seeking an energized, passionate leader who will lead, inspire and develop a team of Process Experts operating under a High Performance Work System (HPWS) empowered team model. 

The purpose of the DEL is to implement operation strategy developed by the Unit Leader, develop and maintain daily work processes to achieve flawless daily execution, leading and acting as a role model, ensure daily operation is coordinated in a manner to support Stewardship, Quality, Reliability and Engagement (SQRE) objectives, and ensures resources required to achieve daily execution are available in a timely manner.

Responsibilities include the following:

Stewardship/Reliability Leadership

• Partners with the Site/Unit Leader to drive a strong people safety, process safety, and environmental improvement plan to achieve Stewardship goals and ensure compliance with regulatory and permit requirements.
• Relentlessly pursues maximum plant reliability to reduce department unplanned events and support safe operations. Teaches and encourages behaviors to support reliable operations.
• Knows and advocates Lifesaving Rules within the facility. Demonstrates priority and commitment through personal behavior and coaching in the field. Provides the needed positive and negative reinforcement to address deviations with urgency, and ensures appropriate follow up and investigations.
• Ensures appropriate technical review of work plans (maintenance or improvement) such that Lifesaving Rules and other Stewardship Standard Work Processes (SWPs) are applied appropriately for the job.
• Partners with Site/Unit Leader to ensure capital is allocated appropriately to design out industrial hygiene hazards, improve environmental compliance, and reduce personal/process safety hazards. Implements administrative controls and process controls for safe and reliable operation.
• Shows courageous leadership by coaching, asking questions, and intervening when needed. Challenges status quo and past norms to make the operation more safe and effective.
• Maintains an active field presence and assesses work activities routinely to maintain awareness of plant needs and understanding of personnel behaviors under the philosophy of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP).
• Ensures the operation team is fully prepared for emergency response situations, including where technical resources might be needed to analyze process conditions and guide the response.
• Partners with the Site/Unit Leader to steward employee health through practices associated with a healthy workplace and employee fitness for duty.

People / Organizational Effectiveness

• Provides direct leadership of and selection, retention and performance management of the operations team consisting of ~40 direct and indirect, non-exempt reports.
• Coach, support and develop employees in a manner that fosters trust, respect, effective collaboration and teamwork, demonstrating and modeling the Core Values and principles of a High Performance Work System (HPWS).
• Supports Site/Unit Leader to provide motivation, explanation, context, and communication purpose of messages to the organization.
• Inspires and motivates the organization through leadership and strong connection with the team fostering an empowered organization. Shows appreciation for employees and maintains a servant leadership mindset.
• Accountable for maintaining and improving the expertise level for operators for the facility, ensuring that appropriate knowledge remains within the facility.
• Works closely with Talent Acquisition as needed to hire Process Experts with strong skill sets. Ensures Process Experts are on-boarded and trained via a comprehensive plant training program to maximize their opportunity for success and increase plant expertise.
• Models Core Values and behaviors and understands that his/her behavior shapes the operation team’s culture.
• Develops operation employees and ensures career success via goal-setting, performance management, promotion processes, and employee development plan.
• Resolves Operational Discipline issues and escalates to proper channels where needed.
• Coaches Resources, Process Experts and other support roles within the plant to be effective within their roles.

Business Owner Mindset / Financial Acumen

• Knows the business model and strategy for facility. Explains to operations how the plant fits into the business and corporation.
• Understands impact the operation has on business financials and takes actions as needed partnering with the Site/Unit Leader and business to maximize EBITDA performance.
• Is flexible and assists the Site/Unit Leader in dealing with changing business conditions.
• Continuously works to improve the total cost of production (raw material, conversion cost and activity rate, etc.).
• Develops financial acumen skills across the organization to accelerate profitability and productivity.
• Holds themselves and others accountable for return on investment of projects, and ensures compliance with financial reporting rules/practices within the facility.

Quality / Continuous Improvement

• Understands key product quality performance variables and their impact on customers.
• Continuously drives reductions in process variability.
• Optimizes the relationship between quality, productivity and profitability for their facility.
• Supports and drives continuous improvement by being active and ensuring operations participation in opportunity analysis sessions and plant improvements.
• Partners with improvement teams to reach agreement on proposed improvement plans, and ensures plant resources are available to achieve the plan. Ensures controls are implemented in operating discipline and process control as applicable to sustain improvements.
• Develops strong partnerships with support functions such as EHS, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and others to drive improvement in the organization and assure alignment.

Other Responsibilities as delegated by the Unit Leader:

• Participates in cross-functional activities, including Sales and Operations Planning, Technology reviews, Corporate Audits, etc.
• Interfaces with third parties, customers, and external partners. Understands customer needs and drives technology, quality, service, delivery and reliability as appropriate to meet their needs.
• Communicates plant status and lessons learned to external stakeholders, including details from unplanned events and best practices.
• Supports plant on implementation and ongoing effectiveness of Operating Discipline, management systems, enabling technologies, and roles to become a Highly Reliable Organization.
• The DEL provides leadership to the plant operations team and act as the primary back-up to the Site/Unit Leader.

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Science or related field.
• 5+ Years of Manufacturing and Engineering Experience
• Proven influential leadership skills in previous areas of responsibility

Preferred Experience:

• Experience working in an empowered team culture vs. a traditional, hierarchical structure.
• Previous People and/or Functional Leadership Experience is advantageous.
• Six Sigma, LEAN, 5S skills are beneficial
• Advanced degrees and training are beneficial.