Operations Manager

Anglo American / De Beers Group; Gresham (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Element Six, a De Beers Group company, seeks an experienced operations leader to run a 24/7 production organisation in the US. You will be accountable for safety, health, and performance metrics, translating demand into viable production plans and leading a ~40-person team.

Collaboration with engineering, maintenance and supply chain is essential to maximize OEE and efficiency. You will drive budgeting, cost control and continuous improvement initiatives, embodying a hands-on leadership style

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in operations/manufacturing leadership in a 24/7 environment.
• Engineering degree or equivalent technical/operational discipline.
• Strong track record delivering safety, quality, delivery, cost and continuous improvement.
• Ability to make clear decisions under pressure and lead through ambiguity.
• Strong production-planning and capacity-management capability with good financial judgement.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration across production, maintenance, engineering, quality and supply chain.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Willingness to travel occasionally.

Responsibilities

• Lead the production organisation in a 24/7 environment with direct accountability for safety and occupational health of all department employees.
• Act as second-in-command to the General Manager for operational matters and provide visible leadership.
• Own utilization performance and associated routines, ensuring capacity is converted safely to compliant product.
• Translate demand and capacity into robust production plans and schedules with disciplined execution.
• Lead and develop a production team of ~40 people and front-line leaders.
• Collaborate with Engineering & Maintenance and Process Engineering to improve OEE and remove constraints.
• Be a key member of the site leadership team driving HSE, strategy, investment and performance.
• Hold responsibility for production volumes, labour cost, planning adherence, quality and delivery KPIs, and department budget.
• Establish performance-management routines and use data to drive continuous improvement using Business Excellence tools.
• Build interfaces with Supply Chain, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, R&D and external suppliers to deliver in-spec material.

Skills

Leadership

Production planning

Capacity management

Stakeholder management

Decision making under pressure

People development

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven improvement

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Element Six is a global leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond and tungsten carbide supermaterials. Part of the De Beers Group, we employ over 1,700 people. Our primary manufacturing sites are located in the USA, UK, Ireland, Germany and South Africa.

Our mission

We put our customers first. Using our technological expertise and industrial leadership we deliver innovative solutions to achieve competitive advantage.

Our vision

With access to the most sophisticated R&D technology and the best minds in the business, the future is full of possibilities…

Job Description

• Lead the production organisation in a 24/7 environment, with direct accountability for the safety and occupational health of all department employees.
• Act as second-in-command to the General Manager for operational matters, providing visible leadership, clear decision-making and effective site coordination; deputise when required.
• Own Utilisation performance and the associated operating routines, measures and improvement plans, ensuring available capacity is converted safely and reliably to technically compliant product.
• Translate demand and capacity requirements into robust production plans, schedules and resource priorities; maintain disciplined execution, recovery and escalation routines.
• Lead, motivate and develop a production team of ca. 40 people, including the Production Manager and front-line leaders; set clear objectives, build capability and hold the organisation to account.
• Work in close partnership with the Engineering & Maintenance Manager, who owns Availability, and the Process Engineering Manager, who owns Yield, to improve overall equipment effectiveness and remove systemic constraints.
• Be a key member of the site leadership team, contributing to site HSE performance, strategy implementation, investment planning, operational excellence, organisational effectiveness and long-term capability development.
• Hold responsibility for production volumes, labour and operational cost, planning adherence, quality and delivery KPIs, and delivery of the department budget.
• Establish clear performance-management routines and use data to identify losses, prioritise actions and drive sustained continuous improvement using Business Excellence principles and tools.
• Build effective interfaces with Supply Chain, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, R&D, external suppliers and other CVD sites so that ORTEC provides in-spec material in line with agreed customer and downstream-site requirements.
• Lead recruitment, succession planning, performance management, coaching and development across the operational team, creating an inclusive, accountable and high-performing culture.
• Take ownership of complex production issues and cross-functional improvement initiatives, balancing immediate operational recovery with lasting improvements to systems, standards and performance.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years’ experience in operations / manufacturing leadership roles within a complex production environment, including substantial responsibility for 24/7 operations & teams of more than 30 people.
• A degree in Engineering or an equivalent technical or operational discipline.
• A strong track record of delivering results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, people and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to make clear decisions under pressure and leading through ambiguity and change.
• Strong production-planning, capacity-management and performance-management capability, supported by good financial judgement.
• Strong technical aptitude and an ability to work effectively across production, maintenance, engineering, supply chain and quality functions.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills, with a collaborative style and the confidence to hold others to account.
• Project-management capability, competence in MS Office and manufacturing systems, and willingness to travel occasionally.