Director Plant Operations

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Plant Operations has two critical responsibilities. First is leading the day-to-day manufacturing at the 24×7, 400-person Global Membrane Manufacturing Center of Excellence located in Minnetonka, MN as well guide the global strategy for the $200M annual revenue Filter & Membranes Product Line, which encompasses 5 manufacturing facilities in the United States, Germany, Hungary, India and China and the distribution of products in 40+ countries. Reporting to the North American Regional Supply Chain Leader, the role will also interact significantly with the Filters & Membranes Global Product Line Leader.

The Minnetonka Membrane Manufacturing CoE is comprised of approximately 400 employees across four manufacturing departments that support $160M of annual revenue. The facility operates membrane casting lines with 36 types of chemistries supporting the global internal demand at four module assembly sites globally, producing (a portfolio comprised of 350 SKUs) RO/NF spiral wound elements supporting industrial, sanitary and pure water market as well as (cartridge and pleated) filter product manufacturing. The position includes directing 7 reports across the engineering, environmental, health & safety, manufacturing, material planning & logistics, and quality functions and managing $50M operating and $5M capital expenditure budgets. In addition, the facility is currently working through several footprint expansions with a $40M capital expenditure budget over the next 4 years.

The Supply Chain Leadership for the global $200M Filters & Membranes Product Line is equally important to the daily management of the Minnetonka Manufacturing Facility. Currently, 2 facilities (in Germany and USA) produce membrane, which is the critical raw material to the finished element module, which is assembled (manufactured) at 5 facilities globally. The finished product is then warehoused at those facilities (including reverse shipping) as well as several other 3rd party and self-managed facilities in the Supply Chain. In addition to the planning and warehousing responsibilities, there is significant interaction with Product Management, Procurement, Technology and Commercial functions, with $10M+ annual capital expenditures required to meet a historical double-digit demand growth through new product introductions and annual replacement increases

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop a clear organizational direction and objectives for key performance indicators to drive Quality, Cost, Safety and Delivery from the Minnetonka Site.
• Generate effective mechanisms of monitoring, reviewing and reporting on progress against those objectives.
• Develop budgets and approve expenditures for supplies, materials, and human resources, ensuring that materials, labor and equipment are used efficiently to meet production targets.
• Ability to recognize opportunities, coordinate, make decisions and manage to completion, in a multifunctional environment SUEZ Water Technologies and Solutions Minnetonka Plant Operations Director, Filters & Membranes Products Global Supply Chain Leader.
• Demonstrated success identifying, leading and completing complicated restructuring activities & investment in support of business objectives.
• Be the Commercial, P&L/ Product Management, Technology and Procurement interface for all key decisions and needs of the Product Line.
• Support an environment of team based continuous improvement.
• Drive improvements to reduce costs and shorten cycles using Lean and Six Sigma tools.
• Provide ongoing supervision, coaching and counseling for Staff and other employees, guiding them in current positions and assisting with career development and training.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, preferably Chemical or Mechanical
• At least 10 years of experience in an operations leadership position, including plant management
• Demonstrated leadership and communication skills with the ability to perform in a matrix driven environment, across functions, with suppliers, revenue sharing partners and clients
• Commercial Acumen and direct experience working with clients
• Strong analytical, statistical, and problem solving skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• Ability to travel up to 10% required

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in engineering, Operations Management or Masters of Business Administration.
• Six Sigma certified, preferably Master Black Belt or Quality Leader (GE Candidates only).
• LEAN Manufacturing experience in driving process improvement.
• Global experience in a manufacturing environment.

LOCATION

This is a full-time on-site role located in Minnetonka, MN.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Competitive compensation and benefits package commensurate with experience
• Relocation assistance can be provided, and there may be flexibility as it relates to candidate location