Production Manager

Umicore•Quapaw, OK

About The Position

Umicore is seeking an experienced Production & Operations Manager to lead MET and HPC manufacturing operations at its Quapaw facility. The role is accountable for safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective production, as well as production planning, employee development, operational performance, quality, inventory management, continuous improvement, capital projects, and business planning. The manager leads a multidisciplinary team supporting a 24-hour, 5-day manufacturing operation, including Production Supervisors, production operators, and technical resources focused on process improvement and quality. The position works closely with Maintenance, Engineering, EHS, Quality, Laboratory, Supply Chain, Finance, Procurement, Commercial, and site leadership to translate business objectives into operational results. The role includes leading and developing the General Production team, setting objectives and growth plans, allocating resources, and ensuring production management meets quality, cost, and timeliness targets. It also involves embedding governance and compliance, monitoring risks, driving continuous improvement and digital enablement, tracking KPIs, and collaborating with adjacent teams to resolve issues and align priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline; equivalent manufacturing experience may be considered.
At least 5 years of progressive manufacturing, operations, or process-industry experience.
Demonstrated leadership experience in a production environment.
Experience with production planning, scheduling, forecasting, and resource allocation.
Experience supporting capital projects, commissioning, and startup activities.
Working knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SAP.
Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

At least 7 years of manufacturing or process-industry experience with increasing responsibility.
Previous manufacturing management experience with responsibility for production performance and employee leadership.
Experience in chemical processing, specialty metals, advanced materials, refining, or high-purity manufacturing.
Experience in environments involving hazardous materials and process safety requirements.
Experience leading capital projects and manufacturing expansion initiatives.
Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience.
Experience collaborating with Supply Chain and Commercial teams on forecasting, capacity planning, and customer commitments.

Responsibilities

Lead daily manufacturing operations, with accountability for safety, quality, production, cost, and reliability.
Establish production priorities and ensure execution through supervisors and operating teams.
Coach and develop supervisors, operators, and technical staff; foster engagement, accountability, cross-training, and succession planning.
Ensure appropriate staffing, shift coverage, communication, and technical support for a 24/5 operation.
Develop and execute short-, medium-, and long-term production plans aligned with customer demand and business forecasts.
Balance production requirements with equipment capacity, staffing, inventory, and material availability; identify and mitigate operational risks.
Monitor and report production, safety, quality, yield, inventory, reliability, and cost metrics, using data and KPIs to drive corrective actions.
Ensure accurate SAP reporting, inventory management, and production reconciliation.
Champion safety and compliance with EHS and process safety requirements; participate in incident investigations, risk assessments, and corrective actions.
Partner with Quality, Laboratory, Engineering, and Maintenance to resolve operational issues.
Improve productivity, throughput, quality, recovery, reliability, waste reduction, and cost performance.
Maintain operating procedures, work instructions, and training documentation.
Identify and develop capital investment opportunities and support projects from concept and justification through execution, commissioning, startup, and operational handoff.
Provide operational leadership for facility expansion, new equipment implementation, process improvements, and operational readiness.
Lead operational input into budgeting, forecasting, and annual business planning; develop plans for production volumes, staffing, inventory, maintenance, and capital requirements.
Monitor performance against plans and budgets and implement corrective actions.
Partner with Supply Chain and Commercial teams to align production plans with customer demand and represent operational capabilities, constraints, and risks.
Lead and develop the General Production team by setting clear objectives, providing feedback, and creating growth plans.
Translate functional priorities into actionable General Production plans, allocate resources, and remove delivery obstacles.
Embed governance, internal controls, and compliance standards; monitor risks and implement corrective actions promptly.
Drive continuous improvement, standardization, and digital enablement in General Production, tracking KPIs and delivering year-on-year performance gains.
Partner with department professionals and adjacent teams to align priorities, address escalations, and ensure consistent application of departmental policies.