Area Operations Manager

Heidelberg Materials; Fairmount (IL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Heidelberg Materials in the United States seeks an experienced operations leader to drive performance across multiple sites. You will lead site leadership teams, uphold safety as a core value, and manage budgets while delivering continuous improvement initiatives.

The role focuses on developing teams, controlling costs, and guiding capital projects to meet performance targets, with significant travel within the region and strong collaboration across functions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of operations leadership experience in aggregates/mining or related heavy industrial operations.
• Strong working knowledge of MSHA and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing budgets and cost drivers; ability to improve productivity and cost per ton.
• Leadership, communication and collaboration skills to develop teams and drive change.
• Ability to lead multi-site operations with safety as a core value.

Responsibilities

• Lead several sites with direct and indirect reports; ensure safety compliance and corrective actions.
• Develop plant/site leadership teams and foster accountability, engagement and improvement.
• Own operating budgets; review monthly results, identify variances and implement cost controls.
• Identify and execute CI initiatives to improve throughput, energy efficiency and quality.
• Lead CAPEX scoping for site improvements; develop business cases and manage projects.

Skills

Operations leadership

Safety culture

Regulatory compliance

Budget management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mining/Engineering, Operations/Industrial Management, Business, or related field

Job description

Line of Business: Service & Support

About Us

Heidelberg Materials is one of the world’s largest suppliers of building materials. Heidelberg Materials North America operates over 450 locations across the U.S. and Canada with approximately 9,000 employees.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead several sites with six direct reports and 100 indirect reports. Demonstrate safety as a core value across assigned operations; conduct field observations, safety meetings, incident investigations, and ensure corrective actions are completed and sustained. Ensure compliance with MSH, DOT, and environmental requirements (e.g., permits, stormwater, air, reclamation); maintain audit reediness and partner with EHS on inspections a reporting.
• Lead and develop plant/site leadership teams; set expectations, coach performance, support staffing plans, and build a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
• Own operating budgets for assigned area. Review monthly results, identify variances, and implement cost-control actions to effectively scale to current sales demands.
• Identify and execute continuous improvement initiatives (lean/CI) that improve throughput, yield, energy efficiency, and quality; standardize best practices across sites.
• Lead CAPEX scoping for site improvements (safety, compliance, plant upgrades); develop business cases, manage project execution, and ensure start-up meets performance targets.

What Are We Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining/Engineering, Operations/Industrial Management, Business, or related field; equivalent experience considered
• 7+ years of operations leadership experience in aggregates/mining or related heavy industrial operations; multi-site leadership preferred
• Strong working knowledge of MSHA and a demonstrated ability to lead safety culture and regulatory compliance
• Experience managing budgets and cost drivers; ability to improve productivity, reliability, and cost per ton
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills with the ability to develop teams and lead change

Conditions of Employment

• Successful candidate must submit to post-offer pre-employment physical examination, drug/alcohol screen, and background check
• Some positions require FMCSA-regulated ongoing drug and alcohol testing

Work Environment

• Must be willing to travel regularly within the assigned area (typically 50%–75%), mostly day trips and occasional overnight trips.