Senior Director - Manufacturing (West Coast & Central Regions)

Ecovyst, Inc.; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 254,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Ecovyst, Inc. is seeking a Sr Director Manufacturing to lead multiple chemical sites across the West Coast and Mid-West. The role focuses on safe, efficient operations, capital planning, and cross-functional leadership to meet corporate goals.

The position requires 10+ years of leadership in chemical manufacturing, with a strong grasp of EH&S and process excellence. Travel will be 40–65% to sites, and the company emphasizes operational excellence and safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or mechanical engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in large-scale chemical manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of EH&S regulations and operational excellence frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple chemical manufacturing sites in the West Coast and Mid-West regions.
• Ensure safe, efficient, compliant operations and drive performance improvements in production, maintenance, EH&S, quality, and supply chain.
• Lead site leadership teams and align regional goals with corporate strategy.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, PSM, and reliability programs to improve OEE and OST.
• Oversee capital planning, investments, and capacity expansions.
• Foster a culture of safety, engagement, and continuous improvement across sites.
• Collaborate with supply chain, engineering, EH&S, and finance to achieve regional objectives.
• Travel approximately 40–65% to sites across regions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Operations management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering

Master’s degree or MBA preferred

Job description

Position Summary

The Sr Director Manufacturing is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of multiple chemical manufacturing sites within the

The Sr Director Manufacturing is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of multiple chemical manufacturing sites within the West Coast and Mid-West region of the US. This role ensures safe, efficient, and compliant operations while driving performance improvements across production, maintenance, EH&S, quality, and supply chain functions. The director will lead site leadership teams, align regional goals with corporate strategy, and foster a culture of operational excellence, safety, and continuous improvement.

Travel to the sites will be about 40-65%

The base salary range for this position in as for the job description criteria as listed is $254,000 to $300,000 annually. Our salary ranges are determined by market data based on position and level. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum salaries for that position. Where an individual's pay falls within the range is determined by factors including, but not limited to, location, job related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

In some cases, compensation may fall outside of this range depending on factors, including a candidate's qualification, skills, competencies, experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Rewards package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Provide oversight and direction to site managers across multiple chemical plants.
• Ensure consistent execution of production plans, maintenance programs, and reliability strategies.
• Monitor and improve KPIs including safety, quality, throughput, cost (FMC & VMC), reliability and environmental performance.
• Lead regional operations reviews and performance benchmarking.

Safety, Health & Environmental Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, and other regulatory bodies.
• Support implementation of Process Safety Management (PSM) and Responsible Care® initiatives.
• Drive incident prevention, emergency preparedness, and environmental stewardship.

Strategic Planning & Execution

Align regional operations with corporate goals and long-term strategic plans.

• Lead capital planning and investment prioritization across sites.
• Support new product introductions, technology upgrades, and capacity expansions.

People Leadership & Development

• Build and mentor high-performing site leadership teams.
• Promote talent development, succession planning, and workforce engagement.
• Foster collaboration across sites and functions.
• Champion of the Ecovyst SHINE values and Employee Engagement across the region.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Implement Lean, Six Sigma, and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) practices to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as well as site / unit On Stream Time (OST)
• Drive standardization of best practices across sites.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action programs.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with supply chain, engineering, EH&S, finance, and commercial teams.
• Represent regional operations in executive forums and strategic initiatives.
• Engage with local communities, regulators, and external stakeholders as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Mechanical Engineering; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in chemical manufacturing operations.
• Proven track record of managing multiple sites or large-scale operations.
• Strong knowledge of chemical process technologies, EH&S regulations, and operational excellence frameworks.
• Experience with PSM, ISO standards, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and strategic thinking skills.
• Must be okay with travel