Director of Operations Excellence & Reliability

Calumet, Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Clear Destination Inc. seeks a senior Operations leader to drive strategic initiatives across refining and petrochemical operations, focusing on safety, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

You will lead cross-functional teams, mentor site operations leaders, and push continuous improvement through digital tools and analytics to close performance gaps and deliver measurable value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemical or mechanical engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of refining or petrochemical ops experience with at least 5+ years in leadership.
• Strong knowledge of refining processes, HSE, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with turnaround planning, economics, and Lean Six Sigma.
• Proven ability to lead transformation using digital tools and data analytics.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement operational discipline strategies aligned with goals.
• Lead cross-functional teams to boost production efficiency and safety.
• Mentor site leaders through education and coaching.
• Champion vigilance and continuous improvement across operations.
• Ensure compliance with safety regs and internal standards.
• Drive initiatives to reduce downtime and optimise energy use.
• Guide turnaround planning to minimize disruption.
• Evaluate new technologies to enhance reliability.
• Coordinate governance with engineering, maintenance, HSE and commercial teams.
• Report progress to executive leadership and key stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Change management

Operational risk management

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Tools

Digital tools & analytics

Job description

PURPOSE:

Lead strategic initiatives to enhance safety, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability across Operations by driving a culture of continuous improvement, operational discipline, and technological innovation. Provide leadership and subject matterexpertiseto develop management systems, close performance gaps, and support site operations teams in achieving excellence.

CORE 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 identifyand mitigate high-consequence risks
• Drive initiatives to reduce downtime, optimizeenergy usage, and improve throughput across sites
• Provide guidance for turnaround planning and execution to minimize disruption and maximize value
• Evaluate and implement new technologiesto enhance operational efficiency and reliability
• Facilitate governance forums and collaborate with corporate engineering, maintenance, HSE, and commercial teams to align initiatives
• Communicate progress and impactof operational excellence programs to executive leadership and key stakeholders

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 excellenceframeworks (e.g., OEMS, Lean Six Sigma)
• Proven ability to lead transformation initiatives andleveragedigital tools and analytics in industrial environments

SKILLS:

• Strategic leadership and change management
• Advanced knowledge of operational risk management
• Strong analytical and decision-making capabilities
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• Ability to influence without authority and build cross-functional alignment