Technical Leader - Environmental Focus

Bakelite•Grayling, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At Bakelite, you’ll help us create a better tomorrow with sustainable and innovative chemistry today. Bakelite products are found everywhere, from stronger homes to safer automobiles. With over 100 years of history and strong customer relationships, the company engineers sustainable products to meet challenging demands. Joining the team means contributing to building a stronger, safer, better world. The Technical Leader – Chemical Manufacturing role involves leading and developing the technical team, optimizing chemical manufacturing processes, troubleshooting issues, and building capability through training, coaching, and collaboration. The position ensures safety and compliance with OSHA, EPA, and environmental regulations, promoting a strong safety culture. It also drives continuous improvement (OpEx) initiatives like Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma to enhance quality, yield, and efficiency, and collaborates cross-functionally with R&D, Quality, Production, and EHS to align processes with business and customer requirements. Bakelite is committed to its associates, fostering a diverse, global environment where individuals can shape the company's future and pave their personal career paths through continued learning and development. The company also focuses on protecting the planet through its processes and products, values safety as a core principle, and cares for its associates by offering competitive compensation, robust benefits, and career support.

Requirements

BS in Chemical Engineering or related field, OR 5+ years in chemical manufacturing (with at least 2 years in a leadership role).
Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills to manage teams and cross-functional projects.
Solid understanding of quality systems, SPC, and continuous improvement methods.
Knowledge of OSHA, EPA, and environmental regulations related to chemical operations.
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in complex processes.
Familiarity with lab instrumentation, analytical tools, and process monitoring equipment.

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher).
Experience with process control systems (DCS, PLC, SCADA).
Advanced knowledge of chemistry (organic, inorganic, analytical, physical).
Hands-on experience with advanced lab techniques such as Gas Chromatography and titration.
Experience leading automation and digital transformation initiatives in manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Lead the technical team in troubleshooting, optimization, and continuous improvement of chemical manufacturing processes.
Monitor plant operations to ensure compliance with SOPs and proactively identify opportunities for efficiency and reliability improvements.
Oversee new equipment commissioning and technology upgrades.
Mentor, train, and develop engineers, technicians, and technical staff while fostering a collaborative, problem-solving team environment.
Facilitate root cause analyses and implement corrective and preventive actions.
Ensure product quality by coordinating efforts between R&D, Sales, Supply Chain, and Quality teams.
Champion Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma projects to enhance operations and reduce costs.
Promote a culture of safety and environmental stewardship, partnering with EHS to conduct risk assessments and audits.
Lead or support capital projects, managing resources, budgets, and timelines effectively.
Collect, analyze, and interpret plant performance data to drive actionable improvement plans and report on KPIs such as throughput, yield, downtime, and quality.