Manager, Operations

Oil-dri-Corporation-of-Americ; Ripley (MS); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with 6% company match

Paid parental leave

Generous PTO

Paid holidays

Work-life balance

Career growth with exposure to senior-

Annual merit increase

Fitness & Gym Reimbursement

Health, Dental

Job summary

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is seeking an Operations Manager for our mine site in Mississippi. You will lead Packaging and Processing teams, drive safety, efficiency, and cost control, and partner with cross-functional leaders to meet production goals.

You will supervise, train, and develop staff, manage equipment utilization, and ensure compliance with quality and regulatory standards. This role requires daily onsite presence and strong leadership to improve yield and operations.

Qualifications

• Experience with an ERP Manufacturing system.
• College degree in Packaging Science, Operations or Engineering field preferred
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a processing and packaging environment
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a supervisory capacity
• Experience in bulk material handling and packaging equipment and supplies.

Responsibilities

• Ensure teammates follow safety rules and housekeeping standards while aiming for ZERO Accidents.
• Lead cross-department collaboration with QA on process capabilities.
• Develop and assure procedures to detect and prevent nonconforming products.
• Provide leadership to drive a change culture to meet facility goals.
• Coordinate purchase of supplies to ensure department functioning.
• Coordinate with Processing and mining contractors to ensure clay supply for packaging operations.
• Lead plant activities to meet manufacturing objectives efficiently.
• Monitor and control waste to reduce costs and environmental impact.
• Supervise, train, and develop direct reports.
• Plan staffing, operations and capital plans for the plant; schedule staff.
• Understand plant operations including processing, packaging, loading, inventory, and material flow to align with demand.
• Plan production, packaging and loading operations with priorities.
• Communicate metrics to Plant Manager to drive improvements and cost reductions.
• Lead Continuous Improvement, Visual Controls, TPM, and 5S activities.
• Arrange equipment inspections; coordinate maintenance to meet PM goals.
• Develop and maintain procedure manuals and training aids.
• Gather and analyze data; implement process improvements and cost reductions.
• Increase efficiencies and maximize daily production and achieve drop rates.
• Complete required reporting and documentation.

Skills

Excel

HRIS Timekeeper

Process management

Quality improvement

Six Sigma

Communication

Problem solving

Safety compliance

Leadership

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Packaging Science/Operations/Engineering

Tools

ERP manufacturing system

MS Excel

HRIS Timekeeper

Packaging equipment

Job description

Role Overview

As an Operations Manager, you will provide leadership and direction to teammates, optimize team effectiveness, and meet daily work schedules in Packaging and Processing Departments. Ensures safety, regulatory compliance, morale, and cost control. Work cross departmentally to develop a team relationship with other functional leaders. Achieve departmental goals and metrics by managing the team, productivity, material usage, product quality (yield), and equipment utilization.

This position is based at an active mine site and requires daily onsite presence. Work conditions may include uneven terrain, climbing ladders, navigating steps, and exposure to varying weather conditions such as heat, rain, or mud. Monday - Friday onsite required.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure teammates perform work according to established safety rules and practices, environmental and housekeeping standards while striving for ZERO Accidents.
• Understands customer quality requirements, assures teammates understand and follow these requirements. Team with QA on process capabilities.
• Develops, implements, and assures procedures are followed to detect and eliminate non-conforming incoming supplies and to prevent producing nonconforming products.
• Provide leadership in helping to drive a change culture to meet strategic goals of the facility.
• Coordinate the purchase of supplies necessary to ensure the functioning of the department.
• Coordinate with Processing and mining contractors to ensure current and future clay supply is available for packaging operations.
• Provides leadership and guidance of plant activities to ensure the manufacturing objectives are accomplished in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Monitors and controls waste management to align with production costs and reduce environmental impacts.
• Supervise, train, and develop direct reports.
• Develop general staffing, operational, and capital plans for the plant. Schedule staff.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of plant operations, including processing, packaging, loading, inventory management, and material flow, to ensure alignment with production and customer demand requirements
• Plans production, packaging and loading operations, establishing priorities and sequences for packaging products.
• Communicate key metrics to Plant Manager and teams to stimulate process improvement and cost reduction.
• Leads Continuous Improvement, Visual Controls, TPM, and 5S type activities.
• Arrange equipment inspections as necessary; coordinate maintenance activities to meet established preventative maintenance goals.
• Develop and maintain procedure manuals and training aids.
• Gather and analyze data; make and implement recommendations for process improvements and cost reductions.
• Increase efficiencies and maximize daily production and achieve all drop rates.
• Complete required reporting and documentation.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Experience with an ERP Manufacturing system.
• College degree in a Packaging Science, Operations or Engineering field preferred
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a processing and packaging environment
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a supervisory capacity
• Experience in bulk material handling and packaging equipment and supplies.

Skills & Abilities:

• Familiarity with MS Excel spreadsheets, word processing and Outlook.
• Working knowledge of HRIS Timekeeper strongly preferred.
• Have demonstrated expertise in process management to ensure production efficiency.
• Relentless determination and courage to make things happen; strong execution skills; results oriented.
• Demonstrated understanding of quality processes, continuous improvement, and problem solving such as Six Sigma certification.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to interact across all levels of the organization, while accomplishing organizational goals.
• Able to analyze problems and present workable solutions.
• Familiarity with MSHA (or OSHA) regulations and practices, desired.
• Possess core values of Honesty and Integrity.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive pay+annualbonus
• 401(k)with6%companymatch
• Paidparentalleave,generousPTO,&paidholidays
• Work-lifebalance
• Careergrowthwithexposuretoseniorleadership.
• Annualmeritincreaseopportunity
• Fitness&GymReimbursement
• EmployerContribution-Health,Dental

About Us

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is a leading manufacturer and supplier of specialty sorbent products for consumer and business-to-business markets that has been voted as a Top 100 workplaces in the Chicago Tribune. Oil-Dri’s products are sold in the pet care, animal health, fluids purification, agricultural, sports field, industrial and automotive markets. Oil-Dri controls millions of tons of specialty mineral reserves, including calcium bentonite, attapulgite, and diatomaceous shale. The company’s mines and manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois, and California. Oil-Dri is a family-controlled and operated organization that emphasizes honesty, integrity, and accountability. The company is dedicated to fulfilling its mission to Create Value From Sorbent Minerals.

Oil-Dri is committed to providing equal opportunity for all teammates and qualified candidates without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Accordingly, all employment decisions and personnel actions or programs such as hiring, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, transfers, reductions in workforce, and training, etc. will be consistent with the principle of equal employment opportunity.