CONFIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITY
Job Title: Operations Manager
Reports To: Site Manager
Location: Proctor, West Virginia
Industry: Chemicals / Petrochemical / Fine Chemicals / Food Ingredients
Employment Type: Full-Time | Onsite
A confidential global manufacturer in the petrochemical, fine chemical, and food ingredients sector is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead production operations at a newly constructed, state-of-the-art greenfield manufacturing facility. This role is a key leadership position supporting a major capital investment project with additional expansion phases planned at the site.
The Operations Manager will be responsible for aligning manufacturing and support teams to company values, driving operational excellence, and ensuring full compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements while delivering reliable, cost-effective production.
Manufacturing Leadership: Plan, organize, and direct all manufacturing operations to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable production.
Team Building & Leadership: Build, lead, and develop supervisors, operators, and technicians to ensure strong coordination, accountability, and performance.
Production Management: Achieve production targets within established schedules and budgets while minimizing losses and downtime.
Quality Assurance: Ensure adherence to internal quality standards and statutory requirements; implement and maintain quality management systems.
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE): Ensure full compliance with state and federal safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements; promote a strong safety culture.
Financial Planning & Control: Develop and execute CAPEX initiatives within approved budgets and timelines; support cost control and resource optimization.
Operational Excellence: Drive productivity improvements, process optimization, and implementation of operational excellence initiatives.
Reporting & Benchmarking: Establish robust reporting systems to track operational performance and benchmark against industry standards.
Strategic Execution: Implement site-level strategies to improve productivity, reduce operating costs, and enhance product quality.
Continuous Improvement: Lead continuous improvement initiatives across operations using structured improvement methodologies.
Training & Development: Drive workforce training and development programs to strengthen technical and leadership capabilities.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering with 15+ years of progressive experience in petrochemical or fine chemical manufacturing, or
High School diploma with 20+ years of progressive experience in chemical plant operations.
Experience:
Progressive leadership experience as Shift Foreman, Operations Manager, or equivalent in petrochemical or fine chemical manufacturing environments.
Strong technical knowledge of chemical processes, plant operations, equipment, and industry standards.
High familiarity with chemical plant design, engineering principles, and large-scale operations.
Leadership & Skills:
Proven site leadership and administrative capabilities.
Demonstrated ability to build, inspire, and motivate high-performing teams.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
Proven track record of driving operational excellence, process optimization, and continuous improvement.
Solid understanding of state and federal safety regulations, environmental standards, and quality systems.
Experience with budget management, cost control, and resource optimization.
Leadership role at a new greenfield facility with significant capital investment
Opportunity to shape operations during startup and future expansion phases
High-impact position with visibility across manufacturing, safety, quality, and financial performance