Area Operations Senior Director

Hudson Talent Solutions; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus: 25% target

Long term incentive

Travel: ~60%

Job summary

Hudson Talent Solutions seeks an Area Operations Senior Director to oversee multiple regional facilities, driving safe, efficient, and profitable operations on the East Coast. You will coach and empower operations teams, collaborate with safety, maintenance and engineering, and lead data-driven decisions to optimize cost and performance for customer needs and company profitability.

The role emphasizes talent development, KPI stewardship, and a culture of Lean management and continuous

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of progressive operations management experience.
• Five+ years in a supervisory leadership role.
• Experience in asset-intensive operations with significant processing equipment.
• Strong safety leadership, P&L management and talent leadership.
• Experience leading in a matrixed organization.

Responsibilities

• Drive Operational Excellence and asset availability across the region through proactive maintenance and planning.
• Provide visible safety and environmental leadership and implement safety programs.
• Lead KPIs, root cause analysis, and corrective actions across all locations in the region.
• Identify opportunities to enhance performance and reduce risk across facilities.
• Coordinate planning, communication, and standardization of operations and maintenance.
• Support regional growth through collaboration with commercial teams and S&OP.
• Deliver P&L targets via budgeting, waste routing, and execution plans.
• Ensure accurate reporting and cost control using KPIs and lean methods.
• Foster talent development and succession planning for key operational roles.

Skills

Leadership

P&L management

Safety leadership

Data-driven decisions

Talent development

Lean management

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or technical discipline

Tools

Lean tools

Job description

• Bonus: 25% target, plus a long term incentive
• Travel: about 60%, across facilities on the East Coast

The Area Operations Senior Director is responsible for the safe, efficient and profitable operation of multiple facilities within an assigned geographic region. This role provides regional P&L leadership and ensures effective coordination among facility operations and the commercial and functional teams supporting the business.

The successful candidate will provide exceptional leadership by coaching, empowering and collaborating with operations teams and commercial and functional partners, including safety, maintenance and engineering. This leader will ensure compliance with safety, environmental, health and corporate requirements while optimizing cost and delivering results. The role will build a high performance culture by placing the right talent in the right roles and using data driven analysis to help facility leaders operate safely, effectively and efficiently in support of customer needs and company profitability.

Specific responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• With safety as the priority, drive Operational Excellence and asset availability and optimization across the region via proactive plant maintenance and planning.
• Provide visible personal safety and environmental leadership. Take an active role in the implementation of safety, health and environmental programs, policies and procedures.
• Measure performance through audits and tracking KPIs. Provide leadership for the Root Cause Analysis of any incidents. Ensure effective corrective actions are identified and followed through so they are addressed at all locations within the region.
• Assist facilities with the proactive identification of opportunities to enhance performance and/or reduce risk.
• Ensure a consistent and integrated approach to the operation and maintenance of facilities within the region through effective planning, excellent communication and sharing of information and processes.
• Support growth in the region via collaboration with the commercial teams and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP).
• Deliver P&L targets as defined by budget and growth plans via detailed plans around waste mix, routing and execution to proforma.
• Drive accuracy and consistency of reporting using key performance indicators (e.g., production, operating statistics, labor costs and other operating expenses) and compliance with policies and procedures. Ensure prompt attention to and resolution of issues when required, and use lean tools to identify and overcome root cause issues.
• Ensure a consistent, integrated approach to facility operations and maintenance across the region through disciplined planning, clear communication, standardized processes, contingency planning and effective execution.
• Drive facility production and equipment availability, address potential operating deficiencies, and coordinate both corporate and field support to develop and implement effective operating plans.
• Coach facility leaders on safety, P&L management and the execution of planned and unplanned operational events, working closely with regional maintenance and engineering partners.
• Communicate, implement and maintain best practices and procedures to drive the definition and use of common KPIs to measure operating performance and improve effectiveness.
• Regularly assess talent and identify succession across facilities. Create a talent bench through development opportunities.
• Coordinate the preparation and implementation of effective Employee Development and Succession Plans for key positions in Operations and Maintenance. Foster the effective use of established HR systems and policies for hiring, recognition, growth and development of employees. Use the performance enhancement process to maximize employee value.
• Encourage and lead by example through active community involvement that demonstrates the Company’s value proposition in our communities and marketplace.
• Coordinate and oversee corporate support to ensure successful integration, promoting effective budget management and organic growth initiatives.
• Drive annual and long term plans that support company goals.
• Drive change management for operations initiatives developed as part of the transformation plan, including but not limited to the adoption of new tools, processes and programs.
• Ensure accurate and standard reporting using key performance indicators (e.g., production, operating statistics, labor costs and other operating expenses). Ensure prompt attention to and resolution of issues when required.
• Support assessments of asset performance, and analyze and document deviations to ensure lessons are captured and used to keep our policies and programs current and reflective of actual field performance.
• Serve as champion for Lean Management processes. Be a change leader for the entire operations organization.
• Identify process improvements to business needs using Problem Solving Reports (PSRs) and external benchmarks. Create countermeasures to resolve root causes of problems and inconsistencies.
• Partner with engineering and PMO to conduct capital expenditure planning, global engineering standards, budgeting, forecasting and facility master planning.
• Ensure consistent compliance with company technical standards and support facilities with implementation, oversight and approved variance procedures. Establish effective outage planning and execution practices, including assessment, procurement coordination, execution oversight and cost control.
• Identify and surface opportunities to leverage new technologies to drive process focused performance.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will have at least 10 years of progressive operations management experience, including at least five years in a supervisory leadership role and demonstrated responsibility for operations and maintenance execution. The ideal candidate will bring a strong record of safety leadership, P&L management, disciplined performance delivery, effective talent leadership and building a high performance culture.

Experience leading large, complex, asset intensive operations with significant processing equipment, material handling systems and maintenance is required. The successful candidate will have a record of building high performance teams, delivering reliable services and achieving strong customer outcomes.

Specifically, the successful candidate will have:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or another technical discipline preferred; an advanced degree is desirable.
• Leadership experience in specialty chemicals, utilities, operations and maintenance, heavy industry, or another asset intensive environment involving significant processing equipment and material handling.
• Experience managing an organization, including the staffing, mentoring and development of its talent.
• Strong business acumen, including an understanding of P&L drivers, process technology development and scale up, and continuous process improvement. Experience leading large scale operations is required.
• Ability to drive cultural change and accountability and establish a continuous improvement mindset throughout the organization.
• Strong customer orientation, with comfort working in a matrixed organization.
• Ability to drive a culture of dedication to process safety, worker safety and environmental stewardship.
• Understanding of power market dynamics and strategies, plant operation and the intersection of these areas is preferred.
• Successful experience interacting with federal, state and local regulators, legislators, permitting agencies and other community organizations is preferred.

Physical Demands

• Ability to walk, stand, sit and climb
• Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs
• Ability to work from heights and in confined spaces
• Qualified to wear a full face respirator
• Consistently work in various weather conditions