Area Operations Manager

Heidelberg Materials • Fairmount, IL

1d

About The Position

The Area Operations Manager leads several sites in the Service & Support line of business, overseeing six direct reports and 100 indirect reports. The role is accountable for safety, regulatory compliance, leadership development, operating budgets, continuous improvement, and capital projects across the assigned area. Regular travel within the area is required, typically 50%–75%, mostly as day trips with occasional overnight trips.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining/Engineering, Operations/Industrial Management, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience is considered.
• At least 7 years of operations leadership experience in aggregates, mining, or related heavy industrial operations.
• Strong working knowledge of MSHA and demonstrated ability to lead safety culture and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing budgets and cost drivers, with the ability to improve productivity, reliability, and cost per ton.
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, including the ability to develop teams and lead change.
• Willingness to travel regularly within the assigned area, typically 50%–75%, mostly on day trips with occasional overnight trips.
• Successful completion of a post-offer pre-employment physical examination, drug/alcohol screen, and background check.
• Some positions require ongoing FMCSA-regulated drug and alcohol testing.

Nice To Haves

• Multi-site leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate safety as a core value across assigned operations by conducting field observations, safety meetings, and incident investigations, and ensuring corrective actions are completed and sustained.
• Ensure compliance with MSHA, DOT, and environmental requirements, including permits, stormwater, air, and reclamation; maintain audit readiness and partner with EHS on inspections and reporting.
• Lead and develop plant/site leadership teams by setting expectations, coaching performance, supporting staffing plans, and building accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Own operating budgets for the assigned area, review monthly results, identify variances, and implement cost-control actions to scale operations to current sales demands.
• Identify and execute continuous improvement initiatives that improve throughput, yield, energy efficiency, and quality, and standardize best practices across sites.
• Lead capital expenditure scoping for site improvements, develop business cases, manage project execution, and ensure start-up meets performance targets.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager