Production: Unit Asset Optimizer (AO)

Celanese; Washington; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Celanese's Washington Works site seeks an Asset Optimizer to partner with Planning/S&OP, Operations, and Maintenance to develop and execute a unit production plan that maximizes asset utilization, labor efficiency, and cost performance while meeting market demand.

The role emphasizes achieving operational excellence through continuous improvement, with oversight of production scheduling, yield, and cost metrics across a manufacturing unit.

Qualifications

• HS Diploma or equivalent required.
• SAP experience or equivalent ERP experience preferred.
• Manufacturing experience in production & maintenance scheduling processes.
• Experience motivating, leading and developing teams to achieve core principles.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills (verbal and written).
• Advanced computer and software experience.
• Ability to solve problems to meet business needs.
• Critical thinking, RCA knowledge, and ability to prioritize.

Responsibilities

• Meet unit production plan by establishing clear priorities and communicating with operations and maintenance leadership to support asset availability and labor utilization decisions.
• Ensure resources (labor, equipment, materials) are available to meet production schedule.
• Manage start-up/shutdown timing and plan changes due to unplanned downtime.
• Create and lead development plans for team members.
• Manage reliability escalations and action items to mitigate business impact.
• Collaborate with S&OP, Supply Chain, Operations, Maintenance, & Reliability to provide a clear operating plan and status updates.
• Oversee integration and execution of daily maintenance and production schedules.
• Align maintenance scheduling (planned & reactive) with operational plans.
• Assist with scope, timeline, and communication plans for unit TARs/shutdowns and monitor progress with maintenance & project personnel.
• Accept unit demand forecasts from Supply Chain and develop evergreen operations plan to maximize throughput and cost per unit objectives.

Skills

Team leadership

Production scheduling

Continuous improvement

Data analysis

Education

HS Diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree

Tools

SAP

Job description

Overview

The Washington Works site currently has an opportunity available for an Asset Optimizer. This member of the production leadership team will collaborate with supply chain (Planner / S&OP / Scheduler), operations (DELs), and maintenance (Scheduler & Planner) to develop and execute a unit production plan that will maximize asset utilization, labor efficiency, and achieve unit cost objectives while also meeting market demand. This role is accountable for meeting business objectives and ensuring operational excellence.

• Production Schedule Execution (Actual vs. Plan)
• Financial – Monthly & Annual Budget Performance (Actual vs. AOP)
• OEE% vs. Goal
• Product Yield (FPFQ Production)
• Achieve Annual Operational Excellence Objectives (Continuous Improvement)

Overview

The Washington Works site currently has an opportunity available for an Asset Optimizer. This member of the production leadership team will collaborate with supply chain (Planner / S&OP / Scheduler), operations (DELs), and maintenance (Scheduler & Planner) to develop and execute a unit production plan that will maximize asset utilization, labor efficiency, and achieve unit cost objectives while also meeting market demand. This role is accountable for meeting business objectives and ensuring operational excellence.

• Production Schedule Execution (Actual vs. Plan)
• Financial – Monthly & Annual Budget Performance (Actual vs. AOP)
• Controllable Cost Per Unit ($/Kg.)
• OEE% vs. Goal
• Product Yield (FPFQ Production)
• Blocked Stock Objectives (Generation & Inventory)
• Achieve Annual Operational Excellence Objectives (Continuous Improvement)

Responsibilities

• Responsible for meeting unit's production plan by establishing clear priorities and ensuring an effective communication process with operations and maintenance leadership to assist their decisions related to asset availability and/or labor utilization.
• Ensure that all resources (labor, equipment and materials) are available to meet production schedule.
• Manages the timeline and decisions related to planned start-up/shutdown of assets and any production schedule changes attributed to unplanned downtime.
• Creates and leads employee development plans for respective team members.
• Manage all reliability escalations and reliability action items to identify emerging maintenance issues and/or implement proactive steps to mitigate business impact.
• Constant collaboration with S&OP, Supply Chain, Operations, Maintenance, & Reliability to provide the unit with a clear operating plan (expectations) and regular status updates on performance versus plan.
• Oversee the integration, communication, and execution of daily maintenance & production schedules.
• Based on business needs, ensures that the maintenance scheduling process (planned & reactive) aligns with operational plans.
• Assists with the development of scope, timeline, & communication plan for unit TARs / shutdowns and monitors daily progress completion per plan by maintenance & project personnel.
• Accepts the Unit's demand forecast from Supply Chain and works with the Unit Asset Lead (Maintenance) & Unit DELs (Operations) to develop the unit's evergreen operations plan focused on maximizing throughput & achieving cost per unit objectives.
• Works closely with Maintenance Scheduler on defining planned PM schedule on assets and executing opportunistic maintenance activities when unplanned downtime on assets occurs to maximize throughput.
• Responsible for reviewing and managing the POLY Quality Release Test Data in efforts of identifying gaps and improving first pass quality through the escalation process and/or assigning QN3s.
• Responsible for UD (usage decision) Assignment for ALL unit production (POLY in-process, PACK in-process, & PACK FG) to maximize product FPFQ, ensure customer satisfaction, optimize the efficiency of product/process flow.
• Accountable for maximizing product yield by identifying opportunities to reclassify materials when appropriate to reduce blocked stock generation and updating the NRM rework spreadsheet as needed.
• Perform monthly Yield & Blocked Stock Data Analysis to identify "bad actors" and lead Operational Learning Teams in collaboration with DELs to achieve business results.
• Accountable for the development and execution of Autoclave's monthly polymerization and packaging production schedules.
• Accountable for managing the Unit Operational KPIs (establishing, updating, communicating/distribution, & the escalation of variances to performance goals).
• Accountable for raw material availability, warehouse inventory & housekeeping standards, establishing and adjusting min./max safety stocks, execution of milk runs for RMs and packaging supplies, and the direct line of leadership communication with external warehousing to ensure proper inventory levels and material transfers.
• Identifies emerging supply issues and appropriately manage inventories.
• Identifies quality issues with raw materials and addresses with purchasing or supplier.

Qualifications

Required qualifications for this role

• HS Diploma or equivalent.
• SAP experience.
• Manufacturing experience related to production & maintenance scheduling processes.
• Experience motivating, leading and developing teams to achieve core principles.
• Drives engagement and possesses effective communication skills (verbal and written).
• Advanced computer and software experience.
• Capacity to solve problems to ensure business needs are met.
• Critical thinking, RCA knowledge, and the capability to prioritize and be decisive.

Preferred Qualifications For This Role

• Advanced Data Analysis.
• LEAN certification.
• Bachelor's degree.
• Advanced data management and report writing skills.