Plant Manager

Roquette; United States; On-site; USD 173,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Roquette in Newark, DE is seeking a qualified individual to lead site safety and quality management initiatives. This full-time position involves ensuring regulatory compliance and advancing the core values of health, safety, and environmental management.

The ideal candidate will have a relevant degree and significant experience in manufacturing. Key responsibilities include establishing safety processes, community relations, and employee engagement.

Qualifications

• M.Sc. degree in engineering or science with experience in industrial biochemistry, pharma or food additives.
• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering with 10+ years related experience.
• Experience supervising people and leading teams.

Responsibilities

• Establish and manage processes for HSE and core values consistency.
• Lead identification of risk reduction opportunities.
• Provide leadership aligned with business strategy.
• Develop plans for efficient use of materials and resources.
• Manage community and industrial relations.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Lean Management

Regulatory Compliance

Safety Management

Education

M.Sc. degree in engineering or science

Bachelor’s Degree with 10+ years related experience

Job description

Roquette is a family-owned global leader in plant-based ingredients and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients.

Location: Newark, DE

Compensation: Salary range $173,000 – $234,000 plus potential performance-based incentive compensation.

What You’ll Do

Health, Safety, Environmental, Food Quality and Product Safety & Core Values

• Establish and manage processes for advancing and ensuring consistency of Core Values (HSE/PSM, Ethics & Respect for People) across the site.
• Ensure regulatory compliance across all core values including product integrity and food safety.
• Lead identification and prioritization of risk reduction opportunities, establish priorities, and support effective resourcing to drive improvement at the site (EHS/PSM, site security).
• Lead relationship with local authorities including safety, food safety, health regulatory agencies, customs, and police; interface with municipal entities and manage relationships with site service suppliers.
• Ensure follow‑up and consistency of pharma compliance protocols and continuous improvement plans.
• Maintain positive community relations through active participation in local organizations.
• Be accountable for leading and managing the site’s Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety, Quality and Food Safety Management Systems (ISO9001:2015, FSSC 22000).
• Engage all employees in HSE awareness and training, striving for zero incidents.

Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership that gives clear, consistent mission and direction in alignment with business strategy and priorities.
• Establish, communicate and own clearly defined objectives, targets, and Masterplan; integrate priorities across all functions within the plant.
• Identify, measure, track and ensure achievement of critical success factors.
• Lead and drive cultural change and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate production, maintenance, distribution, warehousing, and cost improvement initiatives.
• Develop plans for efficient use of materials, machines, and employees.
• Oversee Cost of Goods Sold and product quality and modify production and inventory control programs to maintain and enhance profitable operation of the business.

Operations Strategy & Planning

• Communicate business objectives, priorities and progress across the site.
• Develop, implement and renew site objectives and Masterplan, including a clear site vision that supports the Roquette strategy.
• Lead site staff team in identifying Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and aligning site Masterplan with business strategy.
• Anticipate future needs.

Productivity

• Accountable for advancing Lean culture of continuous improvement (visual management, people, environment, site vision, empowerment, accountability, visual controls, performance dialog, structured problem solving).
• Responsible for the site’s infrastructure capabilities, asset integrity, improvement and resource plans via evergreen Masterplan.
• Utilize performance tracking metrics to drive execution.

Community/Industrial Relations

• Establish and maintain good working relationships with local community, civic groups, other businesses and manufacturing operations within the industrial community, and political and legislative representatives.
• Maintain close liaison with first responders and regulatory agencies to ensure company obligations as a corporate citizen are met.
• Act as the primary site representative for interactions with employee representative bodies, unions, and works councils, ensuring constructive and transparent dialogue.
• Proactively manage industrial relations to support a positive, collaborative labor climate while ensuring compliance with all relevant labor laws, agreements, and corporate policies.
• Lead or support collective bargaining processes, negotiations, and conflict resolution, balancing business objectives with employee interests.
• Monitor and address workforce concerns, grievances, disciplinary matters with fairness, consistency, and in accordance with legal and policy requirements.
• Foster open communication, mutual respect, and engagement between site leadership, employees, and their representatives.

Morale, Talent Management & Capability Building

• Develop people at the site (feedback, coaching, mentoring, delegation, capability building, clear objective-setting).
• Encourage employee engagement and foster empowerment and ownership through leader standard work practices.
• Establish and ensure the effectiveness of two‑way communication processes across the site.
• Manage staffing strategy (core/variable, overtime management, labor planning).
• Provide strategy and ensure effectiveness of the reward and recognition system across the plant.
• Utilize talent management processes and systems (succession planning, top talent, Individual Performance Plan).
• Cultivate an inclusive, respectful, and collaborative workplace, empowering employees and encouraging participation in site initiatives.
• Implement strategies to attract, retain, and develop top talent, ensuring long-term organizational capability.

What You’ll Need

Education

• M.Sc. degree in engineering or science with experience in industrial biochemistry, pharma or food additives.
• Or a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering with 10+ years related experience and/or training.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience

• Manufacturing experience including exposure to HSE, Quality, Food Safety/Pharma, Maintenance and Continuous Improvement systems and tools.
• Experience supervising people and leading teams.
• Role model and advance Lean Behaviors, Core Values: Authenticity, Forward Looking, Well Being, Excellence, and Roquette principles of action: trust, empowerment, collaboration and accountability.

Work Environment

This role spends approximately 70% of the time in an office environment and 30% of the time in the plant environment.

Physical Demands

Speak or hear; frequently stand, walk, climb stairs, use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; work in hot, cold and loud environments.

Position Type / Expected Hours of Work

Full‑time position with days and flexible hours of work required to meet facility demands.

AAP/EEO Statement

Roquette is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. AAP, EEO, Drug‑Free Workplace.