Product Manager

About the Role

The Product Manager Ethanolamines is a key member of the INEOS Oxide US Business Team, responsible for providing support to the Business Manager for EOAs across the full extent of the tasks involved with managing the business.

Key Focus Areas

• Executing and optimizing in-month business performance to maximize EBITDA and cash delivery
• Defining and delivering the rolling three-month business-operating plan with the Business Manager
• Providing/maintaining databases for the annual Operating Plan
• Maintaining a planning and modelling tool for the business that includes all input-variables to enable optimization for the business as the output
• Ensuring reliable product-movements to ensure optimal plant-operations/run-rates

Internal Interfaces

The Product Manager will interface with, and positively influence, a large cross functional team across the INEOS Oxide business, including:

• Business Managers & Product Managers – EO swap, EOA sales in Europe, EOA arbitrage, optimizing margins on a global basis together with Lavera EOA volumes
• Raw Material Procurement Team – agreeing and executing raw material procurement objectives
• Plaquemine Site Operations – monitoring manufacturing performance; managing product supply
• Logistics & Supply Chain Teams – agreeing and executing drumming, storage, and transportation requirements
• Sales & Customer Service Teams – agreeing and executing the sales and contracting strategies for the business
• INEOS Oxide Back-Office Support Functions – dealing with cross business and commercial process issues
• Manage day-to-day and mid-term production, sales and margin planning and optimize sales/production variations
• Maintain Dashboard and cost/price/margin data to aid in development of long-term plans and presentations

External Interfaces

• Suppliers – supporting the Procurement Team in key raw material supply negotiations
• Customers – supporting the Sales Team in key contract preparations and potentially negotiations; manage Customer relationship and business with 1 critically important customer and possibly up to 3 customers that can have significant impact on the EOA-plant operations
• Co-producers – supporting the business managers to pursue swap, toll and strategic partnership opportunities
• Publications – discussions with publications, supporting Business Manager, to discuss market news and to inform them of INEOS specific information, as appropriate
• INEOS O&P US – dealing with Ethylene market information
• Legal – work on resolving contract and other challenges that require input from counsel
• Technical Service – coordinate Product Data/Specification/Safety Information handling and changes

Accountabilities

Business Operating Plan Execution

• Develop and maintain the rolling 3 month operational and financial forecast in line with supply/demand balances and product pricing policy and agree them with the Business Manager prior to his submission of the plan to the company's formal financial forecasting process
• Together with the planner, define and optimize production plan based on demand, inventory and raw material availability, to maximize business EBITDA and cash generation
• Monitor and manage supply-demand balances to ensure availability of product for sale, and to ensure EBITDA, cash and working capital targets are met
• Implement agreed inventory management strategy to achieve defined stock targets
• Under guidance from the Business Manager, assist in defining the monthly and quarterly pricing policy in accordance with market dynamics and the business' commercial strategy
• Implement and manage supply chain solutions in co-operation with Supply Chain/Logistics Function and in accordance with defined business strategy to ensure appropriate levels of delivery service to domestic and export customers for both bulk and packed products
• Assist and in alignment with Business Manager manage co-producer commercial interactions in alignment with agreed co-producer strategies and in full compliance with competition law requirements
• Organize and facilitate the monthly Business Team Meeting in cooperation with the Business Manager EOAs
• Co-ordinate response to customer complaints related to product quality
• Ensure that asset maintenance plans are set in coordination with business commercial strategy, ensuring EBITDA, cash and working capital outcomes are optimized

Sales Portfolio Management

• Monitor customer contract compliance; track contract renewal dates to ensure timely renegotiation of contract agreements
• Manage EOA-bottoms Key-account relationship and business to assure continuous product-flow and margin
• Identify, in collaboration with Sales Team, potential new customers based on the developed contract strategy
• Support the Business Manager in preparing for tender and annual contract renegotiations
• Identify and appraise new market opportunities for sales / swaps / purchases

Market Intelligence and Data

• Develop strong awareness of market dynamics and trends
• Gather market intelligence to ensure visibility of competitor / customer business strategy developments to identify emerging issues and opportunities
• Proactively and systematically report key market information to the sales and wider business team, including customer and competitor landscape, notable trends, changes, and risks

Business Strategy Development

• Support the Business Manager in defining annual production, procurement, sales and EBITDA plans
• Support the Business Manager in monthly EBITDA forecasting
• Support the Business Manager in defining long term commercial and asset growth strategies
• Identify and appraise production and supply chain cost reduction opportunities
• Identify and appraise production and supply chain infrastructure investment opportunities to enhance capability

Safety, Health, and Environmental

This position requires that the incumbent commit to learning, following, and practicing INEOS 20 Principles of Process & Behavioral Safety as applicable to the position. These Principles are posted throughout each Oxide facility, and each employee must commit to following the INEOS Life-Saving rules on a daily basis.

Key Performance Indicators

• SHE Performance – Zero incidents
• Monthly volume, revenue, contribution and EBITDA performance
• Overall INEOS Oxide US Business Team goals - operational, financial, working capital and fixed cost targets
• Success in delivering market share growth rates and market development targets for the sales region
• Meet all departmental annual training and progression goals
• 100% compliance in Training and Behavior: EPA, ISO, GMP, DOT, OSHA

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor in either Chemical or Mechanical engineering preferred; or business/commercial or chemistry degree, provided the person can demonstrate a propensity for and has comfort with technical issues
• MBA beneficial
• Minimum 5-10 years of chemical industry commercial experience
• Profound knowledge of Business, Commercial, Financial, and Technical/Operations Management

Technical Skills

• Profound understanding of Business, Finance, Commerce, Contract Law and Production Technology
• Commercial acumen, demonstrated ability to identify and leverage sources of business value
• Solid understanding of marketing, sales, and supply chain principles and practices
• Comprehension of chemical manufacturing processes and practices
• Effective and efficient computer skills including, but not limited to SAP, Microsoft Office

Behavioral Skills

• Decisive and tenacious in pursuit of objectives, demonstrating a proactive mentality and bias for action
• Ambition and curiosity to push the boundaries of the business
• Ability to think innovatively and strategically
• Highly numerate with an analytical mind-set, and attentive to detail
• Calm under pressure, able to make quick, clear and reasoned decisions in a dynamic business environment
• Leader of people, effective at engaging others in working together towards a common goal
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, natural relationship builder
• Coach and developer of people, desire to share learning and help colleagues to achieve results

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and perform tasks requiring repetitive use of hands
• The employee must occasionally walk, stand and travel by car, airplane or other means
• Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects
• Employee must have the ability to see written documents, computer screens, and to adjust focus
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound
• Work Environment: This job is performed mainly in a temperature-controlled office environment

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.