Operations Finance Leader

Albemarle Netherlands BV

Houston (TX)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 160,000

Full time

7 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits package

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Ketjen Corporation is seeking an Operations Finance Leader to head the enterprise Operations Finance COE and partner with business and operations teams. You will influence strategic initiatives, assess production economics, and drive cost performance across inventory, capital deployment, and productivity improvements.

The role requires strong manufacturing finance expertise, a track record of actionable recommendations, and the ability to translate complex data into clear insights for senior

Qualifications

Minimum 10 years of progressive finance experience in manufacturing operations.
Experience in the specialty chemicals industry preferred.
Ability to translate operational data into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the enterprise Operations Finance COE.
Drive financial leadership for planning, forecasting and performance management.
Analyze production costs, variances, yields and other operational drivers.
Improve inventory reporting, controls and working capital management.
Provide capital investment evaluations and post‑investment reviews.

Skills

Manufacturing finance

Financial modeling

Cost accounting

Inventory analysis

Capital investment evaluation

Cross-functional collaboration

Operational analytics

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics/Business

MBA / CPA / CMA (preferred)

Tools

ERP systems

BI tools

Costing systems

Job description

Are you ready to move your career forward and help shape our company’s and customers’ futures? If you aspire to challenge yourself, work with the best in the industry and join a successful team where you can make a meaningful contribution, then we invite you to join us at Ketjen Corporation, a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Together, we can create a legacy marked by innovation, excitement, and energy.

SUMMARY

About Ketjen

Ketjen Corporation is a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Our company is driven by a strong set of core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity. These values guide our decisions, shape our culture, and define how we work together to deliver exceptional value to our customers and communities.

About the Role

The Operations Finance Leader leads Ketjen’s enterprise Operations Finance Center of Excellence (COE) and serves as a strategic partner to business and operations teams. This role supports improved manufacturing economics and business performance through analysis and leadership across productivity costs, inventory, capital effectiveness, and operational decision-making. The ideal candidate brings significant manufacturing operations finance experience within the specialty chemicals industry, strong financial judgment, and the ability to translate complex operational data into clear, actionable recommendations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations Finance Strategy & Leadership

Lead and develop the enterprise Operations Finance COE, establishing consistent approaches, standards, tools, and performance measures across the organization. Partner with business and operations leaders to shape operational strategies and evaluate financial implications, risks, and tradeoffs. Provide financial leadership for operations planning, forecasting, performance management, and strategic decision support. Drive a data-informed approach to improving manufacturing economics, cost performance, and long-term value creation.

Manufacturing Economics & Cost Performance

Lead financial analysis of manufacturing economics, including production costs, conversion costs, variances, yields, and other operational drivers. Evaluate cost performance and identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency, and margin. Partner with site and operations teams to understand performance gaps, validate improvement opportunities, and track financial impact. Develop and monitor meaningful operational finance metrics that improve transparency, accountability, and decision-making.

Inventory & Working Capital

Provide financial leadership and analysis related to inventory levels, valuation, reserves, obsolescence, and working capital. Partner with Supply Chain, Operations, and business teams to identify opportunities to optimize inventory while supporting customer and production requirements. Improve inventory reporting, forecasting, controls, and visibility across the enterprise. Evaluate the financial impact of inventory decisions and recommend actions that balance service, risk, and cash performance.

Capital Effectiveness & Decision Support

Lead financial evaluation of capital investments, including business cases, return analysis, scenario modeling, and post-investment reviews. Partner with Operations, Engineering, and business leaders to prioritize capital deployment and improve capital effectiveness. Provide financial insights and recommendations for capacity, reliability, productivity, and other operational investments. Strengthen governance, reporting, and accountability for capital planning and project financial performance.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

Minimum 10 years of progressive finance experience, including significant manufacturing operations finance experience in the specialty chemicals industry. Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Demonstrated expertise in manufacturing economics, cost accounting, productivity analysis, inventory, and capital investment evaluation. Strong financial modeling, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect operational performance to financial results. Proven ability to influence senior leaders and partner effectively across operations, business, engineering, supply chain, and finance functions. Ability to communicate complex financial and operational concepts clearly and translate analysis into practical recommendations. Strong alignment with Ketjen’s core values: curiosity, care, collaboration, humility, accountability, and integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree or relevant professional certification, such as an MBA, CPA, or CMA. Experience leading an operations finance team, Center of Excellence, or enterprise-wide finance capability. Experience supporting multiple manufacturing sites or a global manufacturing network. Experience with enterprise financial systems, manufacturing cost systems, business intelligence tools, and operational analytics. Demonstrated success improving manufacturing cost performance, inventory efficiency, capital returns, or operations finance processes.

Benefits of Joining Ketjen

Competitive compensation
Comprehensive benefits package
A diverse array of resources to support you professionally and personally.

At Ketjen, we believe that our people make us successful. It’s really that simple. We embrace diversity of experience, talent and thought. We work hard to create an inclusive work environment that empowers you to openly and honestly communicate, create and innovate. Your decision to join our team will be rewarded with a positive, team-oriented workplace that inspires personal and professional growth. We will make every effort to support your career goals and create opportunities for you to realize your full potential. This is our culture. This is our commitment.

AS PART OF OUR GLOBAL TEAM, YOU’LL EXPERIENCE: