Operations (Plant) Manager | Lake Charles, Louisiana

Alcoa • Lake Charles, LA

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About The Position

The Operations (Plant) Manager leads Alcoa’s Lake Charles operation with end-to-end responsibility for the site. The role advances safety as a core value, develops an experienced team, and supports the site’s continued competitiveness. The manager is also a member of the North America Lead Team and collaborates across Alcoa’s wider network.

Reporting to the Vice-President of Operations, North America, the manager leads site-wide EHS strategy and systems; sets and executes mid- to long-term site strategy; delivers production, quality, and customer commitments; improves efficiency, costs, and asset reliability; and oversees sustaining and return-seeking capital investments and project execution. The role represents the site with Alcoa, government, and community stakeholders, partners with HR on team development and succession planning, and leads practical organizational and process improvements.

Requirements

• Demonstrated safety leadership in comparable industrial operations, including site-wide systems and accountability, fatal and critical-risk control verification, and sound risk-based decisions.
• Knowledge of EHS principles and legislation.
• Experience developing leaders’ safety capability, responding to workforce concerns, and supporting speak-up and stop-work.
• Evidence of translating incident and audit learning into stronger work practices and controls.
• University degree in engineering, business, or a related field.
• Experience managing operations, business priorities, and people.
• Demonstrated continuous improvement and change leadership results, knowledge of lean principles, and project delivery experience.
• Strong coaching, listening, communication, and influencing skills to develop leaders, build credibility, and engage teams and stakeholders.
• Strategic, business, financial, and analytical skills to balance short-term execution with long-term priorities, manage risks, and make sound operating cost and capital investment decisions.
• Interest in growing into larger operational leadership responsibilities and willingness to relocate for future opportunities at other Alcoa sites, including in the United States and Canada.

Nice To Haves

• Manufacturing experience.
• Examples of improving competitiveness while engaging an experienced workforce.

Responsibilities

• Lead site-wide EHS strategy, systems, resources, and accountability to manage critical risks and meet legal and environmental requirements.
• Develop leaders, support employees in raising concerns and stopping unsafe work, and turn incident and audit learning into continuous improvement.
• Set and execute the site’s mid- to long-term strategy, aligning resources and priorities with Alcoa’s direction and values.
• Deliver production, quality, and customer commitments.
• Improve efficiency, costs, and asset reliability through technology, ABS/lean, and collaboration with the Continuous Improvement and Asset Management Centers of Excellence.
• Own sustaining and return-seeking capital investments and project execution, balancing costs, returns, and risks.
• Represent the Lake Charles site with Alcoa, government, and community stakeholders, maintain constructive relationships, and ensure compliance with corporate standards.
• Partner with HR to develop the team and plan succession; coach employees, set clear accountability, and build an inclusive, collaborative environment.
• Strengthen site competitiveness by challenging established practices, exploring new ways of working, and engaging the team in organizational and process improvements.

What This Job Offers

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