Plant Production Manager

What You’ll Do

• Operational Leadership and Production Execution
  • Lead day-to-day production operations for Refinery F.
  • Monitor operational performance across multiple rotating shifts and set daily production priorities to meet customer requirements and plant objectives.
  • Ensure production activities are executed in a way that delivers product right the first time and supports on-time shipment performance.
  • Interpret process conditions, product specifications, and customer requirements to make sound operating decisions that protect quality and performance.
• Team Guidance and Accountability
  • Provide tactical and strategic direction for the assigned teams so they can meet operational responsibilities, shifting priorities, and performance expectations.
  • Create a culture of accountability, responsiveness, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Ensure team members understand expectations related to safety, quality, output, systems accuracy, and operational discipline.
• KPI Management and Performance Analysis
  • Gather, monitor, and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) for Refinery F to include safety, environmental, quality, production attainment, reliability, yields, capacity, cost, downtime, and other operational performance measures.
  • Understand, communicate, and achieve KPI targets through well thought out action plans.
  • Use data trends and performance results to identify issues, prioritize resources, and drive corrective or improvement actions.
  • Lead regular team reviews of KPI results and reinforce accountability for performance outcomes.
• SAP / Symphony Accuracy and Production Data Integrity
  • Ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of production-related entries in Symphony and SAP.
  • Validate production transactions, material movements, inventory-related entries, and other system inputs needed to support production accounting and operational decision-making.
  • Investigate and resolve data discrepancies and partner with appropriate teams to improve reporting accuracy and process consistency.
  • Support team understanding of production accounting expectations, which is important to the role.
• Safety, Quality, and Compliance
  • Lead operations with a strong focus on safe actions, environmental compliance, and quality production.
  • Maintain sound process controls through refinery personnel and promote disciplined execution of standard operating practices.
  • As necessary, lead RCA investigations for Refinery F.
• Planning, Coordination, and Resource Management
  • Support and lead planning for Refinery F production, maintenance, and operational activities to maximize efficiency and achieve quality and performance targets.
  • Partner closely with Maintenance and other departments to balance production needs, maintenance spending, asset health, and equipment availability.
  • Manage spending within area budget requirements and support effective use of labor and plant resources.
  • Cook up coordination across functions to remove barriers and improve execution of plant priorities.
• Troubleshooting and Continuous Improvement
  • Lead technical and non-technical troubleshooting efforts, engaging team members and technical resources to resolve moderate to complex issues.
  • Identify and remove barriers to operational improvement and encourage ideas and solutions from employees, engineers, team leaders, and other departments.
  • Drive continuous improvement in reliability, productivity, quality, process control, and operating efficiency.
  • Support innovation and practical problem-solving that improves refinery performance over time.
• People Leadership and Development
  • Lead Refinery F teams with clear, consistent communication and strong day-to-day leadership.
  • Develop employees through training, coaching, objective setting, evaluation, and performance reviews.
  • Build team capability in the understanding of Refinery F operations practices, systems, and troubleshooting.
  • Guide interpretation and compliance with the bargaining unit contract and resolve complex personnel issues with Human Resources as needed.
  • Foster a respectful, accountable, and high-performing team environment.

What You’ll Need

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field, or equivalent technical process experience.
• Experience: 8+ years of experience in a food and/or chemical continuous processing plant; 10+ years preferred.
• 8+ years of leadership and/or supervisory experience desired.
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated experience in program or project development and execution.
• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to multitask and lead cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of chemical unit operations in food-grade processes, food-grade processing theory and application, mechanical aptitude with process equipment, and production accounting.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute short- and medium-term production plans to meet output requirements.
• Advanced troubleshooting and problem-solving capability.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word.

Preferred

• Experience with SAP and Symphony or similar ERP/manufacturing systems.
• Experience managing KPI performance in a complex manufacturing environment.
• Experience in unionized operations.
• Experience in specialty ingredient, polyol, mannitol, or maltitol manufacturing environments.

Work Environment

• This role spends approximately 50% of the time in an office environment and 50% of the time in the plant environment.
• Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to speak or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk, climb stairs, use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• Employee must be able to wear a respirator.

AAP/EEO Statement

Roquette is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.