Production & Operations Leader — 24/5 Advanced Materials

Umicore; Quapaw (OK); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Umicore Electro Optic Materials in Quapaw, OK is seeking an experienced Production & Operations Manager to lead MET and HPC manufacturing operations. You will deliver safe, reliable, and cost‑effective production while providing leadership in planning, employee development, operational performance, quality, inventory management, continuous improvement, capital projects, and business planning.

The Production & Operations Manager will lead a multidisciplinary team supporting a 24‑hour, 5‑day

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or related technical discipline; equivalent manufacturing experience considered.
• 5+ years of progressive manufacturing, operations, or process‑industry experience.
• Demonstrated leadership in a production environment.
• Experience with production planning, scheduling, forecasting, and resource allocation.
• Experience supporting capital projects, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Working knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SAP.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations with accountability for safety, quality, production, cost, and reliability.
• Establish production priorities and ensure execution through supervisors and operating teams.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and development for supervisors, operators, and technical staff.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, shift coverage, communication, and technical support for a 24/5 operation.
• Foster employee engagement, accountability, cross‑training, and succession planning.
• Promote a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Develop and execute short-, medium-, and long-term production plans aligned with customer demand and business forecasts.
• Balance production requirements with equipment capacity, staffing, inventory, and material availability.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks that may impact production or customer commitments.
• Monitor and report performance metrics related to production, safety, quality, yield, inventory, reliability, and cost.
• Ensure accurate SAP reporting, inventory management, and production reconciliation.
• Leverage data and KPIs to improve performance and drive corrective actions.
• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all EHS and process safety requirements.
• Lead participation in incident investigations, risk assessments, and corrective action activities.
• Partner with Quality, Laboratory, Engineering, and Maintenance teams to resolve operational issues.
• Drive improvements in productivity, throughput, quality, recovery, reliability, waste reduction, and cost performance.
• Maintain effective operating procedures, work instructions, and training documentation.
• Identify and develop capital investment opportunities that improve safety, reliability, capacity, quality, and productivity.
• Support projects from concept and justification through execution, commissioning, startup, and operational handoff.
• Provide operational leadership for facility expansion, new equipment implementation, and process improvements.
• Ensure operational readiness through training, procedures, maintenance planning, and system integration.
• Lead operational input into budgeting, forecasting, and annual business planning activities.
• Develop assumptions and plans related to production volumes, staffing, inventory, maintenance, and capital requirements.
• Monitor performance against plans and budgets, implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Commercial teams to align production plans with customer demand.
• Represent operational capabilities, constraints, and risks in cross‑functional business discussions.
• Lead the General Production team to deliver safe, high‑quality outcomes and growth plans.
• Translate priorities into actionable plans for the General Production area.

Skills

Leadership

Production planning

Forecasting

Communication

Problem solving

Multi-priority management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or related technical discipline

Tools

SAP

Job description

Umicore Electro Optic Materials in Quapaw, OK is seeking an experienced Production & Operations Manager to lead MET and HPC manufacturing operations. You will deliver safe, reliable, and cost‑effective production while providing leadership in planning, employee development, operational performance, quality, inventory management, continuous improvement, capital projects, and business planning.

The Production & Operations Manager will lead a multidisciplinary team supporting a 24‑hour, 5‑day