Area Operations Manager

heidelbergmaterials; Westchester (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Heidelberg Materials is seeking an experienced operations leader to oversee multiple sites in the United States. You will champion safety, coach leadership teams, and drive performance across operations with a focus on cost management and regulatory compliance.

You will own budgets, guide continuous improvement initiatives, and lead CAPEX scoping to meet throughput and quality targets while partnering with site leaders to sustain a culture of accountability and achievement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mining/Engineering, Operations/Industrial Management, Business, or related field.
• 7+ years of operations leadership in aggregates/mining or related heavy industrial operations.
• Strong MSHA knowledge and ability to lead safety culture and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing budgets and cost drivers to improve productivity and cost per ton.
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills to develop teams and drive change.

Responsibilities

• Lead several sites with six direct reports and 100 indirect reports; oversee safety, conduct field observations, safety meetings, investigations, and ensure corrective actions. Ensure compliance with MSHA, DOT, and environmental requirements; maintain audit readiness and partner with EHS.
• 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 the assigned area; review monthly results, identify variances, and implement cost-control actions to scale with current sales demands.
• Identify and execute continuous improvement initiatives (lean/CI) that improve throughput, energy efficiency, and quality; standardize best practices across sites.
• Lead CAPEX scoping for site improvements; develop business cases, manage project execution, and ensure startup meets performance targets.

Skills

Leadership

Safety culture

Budgeting

Communication

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree

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‑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.