Director of Operational Excellence & Reliability

Calumet; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Calumet is seeking a senior operations leader to drive safety, reliability and efficiency across our refining and petrochemical sites. You will lead cross-functional teams, champion continuous improvement, and set governance for operational excellence.

This role requires a Bachelor's in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, 15+ years in refining, and 5+ years in leadership, with Lean Six Sigma and digital analytics experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in refining or petrochemical operations, including 5+ years in operations leadership.
• Strong knowledge of refining processes, HSE and process safety standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with turnaround planning, refining economics, and operational excellence frameworks.
• Proven ability to lead transformation initiatives and leverage digital tools and analytics.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement operational discipline strategies aligned with corporate goals to ensure safe, compliant, and profitable operations.
• Lead cross-functional teams to improve production efficiency, asset reliability, and safety performance.
• Build organizational capability through education, training, and mentorship of site operations leaders.
• Champion a culture of vigilance, risk awareness, and continuous improvement across all operational areas.
• Support compliance with safety regulations and internal standards; mentor teams to identify and mitigate high-consequence risks.
• Drive initiatives to reduce downtime, optimize energy usage, and improve throughput across sites.
• Provide guidance for turnaround planning and execution to minimize disruption and maximize value.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies to enhance operational efficiency and reliability.
• Facilitate governance forums and collaborate with corporate engineering, maintenance, HSE, and commercial teams to align initiatives.
• Communicate progress and impact of operational excellence programs to executive leadership and key stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operational risk management

Analytics

Communication

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

Calumet is seeking a senior operations leader to drive safety, reliability and efficiency across our refining and petrochemical sites. You will lead cross-functional teams, champion continuous improvement, and set governance for operational excellence.

This role requires a Bachelor's in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, 15+ years in refining, and 5+ years in leadership, with Lean Six Sigma and digital analytics experience.