Operations Manager

ESI•West Haven, CT

13d•$128,636 - $165,000

About The Position

The Operations Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and strategic direction of the manufacturing facility. The role owns plant operations, safety, quality, delivery, cost, employee engagement, and the site's continuous improvement journey. The successful candidate builds a culture of operational excellence through continuous improvement, critical thinking, and disciplined execution, and respectfully challenges the status quo to find safer, faster, and more efficient ways of working. As a visible servant leader, this person develops high-performing teams and future leaders, empowers employees to contribute and innovate, and leads through collaboration, accountability, influence, and data-driven decisions. The role works to achieve world-class manufacturing performance while maintaining high standards of safety, quality, environmental stewardship, and customer satisfaction. The Operations Manager leads plant functions including manufacturing, warehousing, maintenance, planning, quality, and support operations. They drive performance across safety, quality, productivity, service, inventory, cost, and profitability; align plant resources with company strategy and customer needs; and protect company assets and facility security. They own the plant continuous improvement strategy, championing Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Visual Management, Standard Work, and Tiered Accountability, while building problem-solving skills through coaching and root cause analysis. The role ensures a safe, environmentally responsible workplace and regulatory compliance; leads HSE and Quality Management Systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications; and maintains training, audits, inspections, and risk mitigation programs. It also leads talent hiring, development, succession planning, and performance management; supports budgets, capital investments, and growth initiatives; manages costs and improves productivity and profitability; and optimizes working capital and ROI. The Operations Manager leads implementation and ongoing improvement of the site's Management Operating System, using accurate data, metrics, visual management, tiered accountability, and regular performance reviews to identify and address performance gaps.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline.
Significant leadership experience within a chemical manufacturing or process manufacturing environment.
Proven track record of driving operational excellence, culture change, and measurable continuous improvement results.
Strong expertise in Lean Manufacturing and operational excellence methodologies.
Demonstrated success leading manufacturing organizations through transformational improvement initiatives.
Experience managing performance through KPIs, visual management systems, and structured management operating systems.
Strong understanding of regulatory compliance, environmental health and safety requirements, and quality management systems.
Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.
Strong critical thinking and analytical problem-solving capabilities.
Exceptional leadership presence and organizational influence.
Servant leadership mindset focused on developing people and building teams.
Excellent communication, coaching, and interpersonal skills.
Strong business acumen and results orientation.
High emotional intelligence, integrity, and accountability.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
Courage and confidence to respectfully challenge the status quo.

Nice To Haves

Experience within the electronics, semiconductor, specialty chemicals, or advanced materials industries.
Six Sigma certification or advanced operational excellence training.
Experience leading ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certified manufacturing facilities.

Responsibilities

Lead all plant functions, including manufacturing, warehousing, maintenance, planning, quality, and support operations.
Drive a culture of safety, quality, accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
Deliver business metrics across safety, quality, productivity, service, inventory, cost, and profitability.
Align plant operations and resources with company strategy, growth objectives, and customer needs.
Protect company assets and maintain facility security.
Lead and own the plant's continuous improvement strategy and transformation.
Promote waste elimination, problem-solving, and daily performance improvement.
Champion Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Visual Management, Standard Work, and Tiered Accountability.
Develop organizational problem-solving capabilities through coaching and root cause analysis.
Drive measurable improvements in safety, quality, throughput, inventory, asset utilization, and overall operational performance.
Ensure a safe, environmentally responsible workplace and full regulatory compliance.
Lead HSE and Quality Management Systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications.
Maintain effective training, audits, inspections, and risk mitigation programs.
Promote safety ownership and proactive risk management.
Lead, coach, and develop leaders and employees to achieve high performance.
Build a culture of accountability, engagement, teamwork, trust, and continuous learning.
Attract, retain, and develop talent through hiring, training, succession planning, and performance management.
Foster open communication, employee involvement, and professional growth.
Create an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and motivated.
Support annual budgets, capital investments, and growth initiatives.
Manage costs while improving productivity, efficiency, and profitability.
Analyze operational performance and implement actions to optimize working capital and ROI.
Communicate results, risks, and improvement plans through regular operating reviews.
Lead implementation and continuous improvement of the site's Management Operating System.
Champion tiered accountability, visual management, and performance review processes.
Ensure decisions are driven by accurate data, metrics, and disciplined problem-solving.
Identify and address performance gaps quickly to drive sustainable improvement.