Production Unit Leader

US641 Valmet, Inc.; Florence (AL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Valmet is seeking a senior operations leader to own the workshop budget and drive financial and operational performance in our Florence, AL area. You will lead daily production, scheduling, and Lean initiatives while ensuring safety, quality, and on-time delivery.

The role requires at least 5 years in manufacturing leadership, strong financial acumen, and experience with ERP systems and continuous improvement. A Bachelor’s degree is required and a pension/401(k) plan is offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 5 years of manufacturing or industrial operations leadership experience.
• Strong financial and business acumen; lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience.
• Knowledge of ERP systems, production planning, quality systems, and HSE.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the workshop operating budget and financial performance.
• Deliver targets including revenue, product margin, profitability, and cost performance.
• Monitor KPIs and implement corrective actions.
• Lead productivity, profitability, and cost competitiveness initiatives.
• Develop forecasts, capacity plans, and investment recommendations.
• Prepare monthly operational, financial, quality, and HSE reports.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities while maintaining safety and quality.
• Lead daily workshop operations to achieve production, delivery, quality, and financial objectives.
• Manage production schedules, capacity, labor, equipment, and subcontracting.
• Establish long-term operational strategies and drive continuous improvement.
• Promote data accuracy and reporting; support decisions through analytics.
• Build and develop a high-performing, engaged team.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Financial Acumen

ERP Systems

Production Planning

Leadership

Problem Solving

Change Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations Management/Business

Tools

ERP software

Job description

JOB STATEMENT & ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Financial & Business Performance

• Own the workshop operating budget and financial performance.
• Deliver business targets including revenue, product margin, profitability, absorption, and indirect cost performance.
• Monitor operational and financial KPIs and implement corrective actions.
• Lead initiatives that improve productivity, profitability, and cost competitiveness.
• Develop forecasts, capacity plans, and investment recommendations.
• Prepare monthly operational, financial, quality, and HSE reports.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities while maintaining safety and quality.

Operations Leadership

• Lead daily workshop operations to achieve production, delivery, quality, and financial objectives.
• Manage production schedules, capacity, labor, equipment, and subcontracting.
• Establish long-term operational strategies.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Optimize throughput, equipment utilization, logistics, and material flow.

Health, Safety & Environmental Leadership

• Promote a strong safety culture.
• Ensure compliance with HSE policies and regulations.
• Lead safety observations, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Maintain safe equipment and facilities.

Quality Management

• Maintain responsibility for workshop quality performance.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Reduce scrap, rework, and Cost of Poor Quality.
• Drive First-Time-Right performance.

Continuous Improvement

• Champion Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen.
• Standardize best practices.
• Improve productivity through process optimization.

Systems & Operational Data

• Ensure effective ERP and production planning system utilization.
• Promote data accuracy and reporting.
• Support operational decisions through analytics.

Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and employees.
• Conduct performance management and succession planning.
• Build an accountable, engaged, high-performing team.

Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Quality.
• Maintain strong customer relationships.
• Support business development and procurement planning.

Decision Making Authority

• Daily management of workshop operations.
• Production scheduling and workforce planning.
• Operational spending within authority limits.
• Continuous improvement implementation.

Key Performance Indicators

• Financial: Revenue, Product Margin, Profitability, Absorption, Indirect Cost.
• Operations: OTD, Productivity, Capacity Utilization, Throughput, Schedule Adherence.
• Quality: COPQ, Scrap, Rework, Customer Complaints, First-Time-Right.
• HSE: LTIR, Near Misses, Safety Observations, Compliance.
• People: Engagement, Training, Workforce Stability, Succession.

AUTHORITY & LEADERSHIP:

This position requires a high degree of decision-making authority working in conjunction with theSenior Manager, Global Workshop Operations andArea Management Team members and the leaders within assigned Business Line responsibilities.Position hasdirect reports.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS – Education & Experience:

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 5 years of manufacturing or industrial operations leadership experience.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of ERP systems, production planning, quality systems, and HSE.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills

COMPENTENICES:

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Operational Excellence
• Financial Acumen
• Lean Manufacturing
• Customer Focus
• Decision Making
• Talent Development
• Change Leadership
• Continuous Improvement
• Collaboration

We offer

We offer a challenging work environment that values innovation and suits development-minded people who enjoy working in a fast-paced and dynamic setting. Includes a generous wage and benefits package that includes a pension and a 401k with company match.

Please note that any offer of employment is contingent upon a background check and pre-employment physical and drug screen.

Additional Information

Delivering competitive technologies and services is what we do best. At Valmet, we continue to push forward and develop ourselves, concentrating on technology, services, sustainability, local presence, and our people.

When everything works together

Valmet is where the best talent from a wide variety of backgrounds comes together. With 19,000 professionals around the world, we are the leading global developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries. Our commitment to moving our customer's performance forward requires creativity, technological innovations, service know-how - and above all, teamwork. www.valmet.com/careers