Plant Manager - Allen Chemical Plant

Milliken and Company•Blacksburg, SC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plant Manager is accountable for building a high-performing organization that delivers safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations at Milliken’s Chemical site in Blacksburg, South Carolina. The role combines chemical manufacturing and process safety leadership with people leadership, operational excellence, financial acumen, and capital management to translate strategy and data into disciplined execution and sustainable business results. The position is responsible for ethically managing safe and responsible facility operations so customers receive quality products on time. The Plant Manager engages the workforce to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and foster continuous improvement. The role also leverages site and company resources to implement capital projects that improve health, safety, and sustainability; address infrastructure needs; reduce costs; support new product development; and enable growth and capacity. The Plant Manager reports directly to the Vice President of Operations for the Chemical Division and provides leadership for approximately 25 managers, including 4 direct reports, and 190 site associates. The plant operates on a 24/7 rotating schedule.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
10 or more years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, preferably in chemical manufacturing.
Proven ability to lead managers, technical teams, and hourly employees.
Strong working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM) and high-hazard manufacturing.
Experience with PHAs, PSVs, Mechanical Integrity, and regulatory and safety compliance, including environmental compliance.
Demonstrated success in establishing a safety-focused culture and strong operational discipline.
Knowledge and practical application of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Daily Management Systems, and continuous improvement.
Demonstrated record of sustainable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, reliability, and cost.
Strong analytical and decision-making skills, including ability to interpret data from multiple sources and prioritize improvement opportunities.
Understanding of financial drivers of plant performance, including material usage, conversion costs, volume, productivity, and capital.
Demonstrated ability to connect operational performance to measurable business results.
Experience developing and executing capital projects, including adding new equipment to an existing facility within a capital expenditure budget.
Knowledge of asset reliability, mechanical integrity, capacity planning, and capital investment prioritization.
Proven ability to develop leaders, coach employees, mentor talent, and build organizational capability.
Demonstrated success building engaged teams and establishing clear accountability.
Experience translating business strategy into plant priorities, performance metrics, and execution plans.
Proven ability to align cross-functional teams and drive disciplined execution.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, technical procedures, and governmental regulations.
Excellent communication and active listening skills, supported by strong organization and problem-solving abilities.
Must be eligible to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for a work visa.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of ISO Quality and Environmental Standards.
Knowledge of commonly used Process Control Systems, such as Siemens PCS7 or Delta V.
6 Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt.
Master’s degree in chemical engineering.

Responsibilities

Represent the company with integrity and ethical behavior, and lead safe, responsible, reliable, and cost-effective plant operations.
Build a culture of safety, teamwork, and operational discipline through associate engagement; ensure environmental, regulatory, and Process Safety Management compliance.
Deliver quality products on time and manage inventory within prescribed limits to meet short-term and seasonal customer demand.
Apply Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement practices to improve safety, sustainability, quality, productivity, reliability, delivery, and cost.
Establish and maintain a Daily Management System with clear performance metrics; review results with business and division management and drive corrective action.
Use data from multiple sources to identify issues, prioritize opportunities, and manage material usage, conversion costs, volume, productivity, and capital to deliver measurable business results.
Develop and execute capital projects within approved budgets, including new equipment installation; balance production needs with long-term asset reliability, mechanical integrity, capacity, and investment needs.
Translate business strategy into plant priorities and execution plans, aligning cross-functional teams around shared objectives and accountability.
Establish processes to scale up and adopt new products.
Develop leaders, coach employees, mentor talent, and build organizational capability; establish clear accountability and an engaged, high-performing team.
Manage hiring, training, and employee separations to meet business requirements within approved budgets and standard costs; administer labor relations in accordance with company policies.
Prepare and maintain records needed to manage and control plant operations.