Senior Operations Site Leader (US)

Treatt Plc; Lakeland (FL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Medical insurance

Dental & vision coverage

401k employer matching

Stock purchase plan

Job summary

Treatt seeks a Senior Operations Site Leader for its Lakeland, Florida facility. This executive will own site performance across manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, planning, shipping, warehousing and EHS, driving safety, quality, service, cost and productivity.

You’ll shape the site strategy, build a strong leadership team and collaborate with global colleagues to meet today’s needs and future growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field; MBA/advanced degree a plus.
• 10+ years in progressive operations management within regulated manufacturing.
• 5+ years of people leadership managing managers/cocus
• Experience leading site/plant operations with safety, quality, service, cost and CI accountability.
• Strong technical/engineering grounding and ERP proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Set site strategy and translate priorities into operational plans.
• Lead and develop site leaders across functions.
• Drive safety, quality, service, cost, productivity and engagement.
• Use KPIs to identify gaps and take corrective action.
• Oversee capital plans, budgeting and cost-improvement initiatives.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Regulated manufacturing

Lean/Six Sigma

SAP/ERP proficiency

Budget management

Capital planning

EHS knowledge

Analytical mindset

Decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

MBA or advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

SAP

Job description

Job title: Senior Operations Site Leader
Reporting to: COO/ Treatt
Location: Lakeland, USA
Hours: 40

The Opportunity (General Summary)

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Operations Site Leader to lead our Lakeland manufacturing facility and play a key role in the continued growth and performance of Treatt North America.

As the senior leader for the site, you’ll have overall accountability for site performance, bringing together Manufacturing, Engineering and Maintenance, Planning, Shipping and Warehousing, & EHS to deliver against our safety, quality, service, cost and productivity goals.

This is a highly visible leadership role for someone who can balance strategy with execution. You’ll set the direction for the site, build alignment across functions, develop a strong leadership team and ensure our operation is positioned to meet both today’s customer needs and tomorrow’s growth opportunities.

You’ll also work closely with colleagues across Treatt and our wider global organization, making this an opportunity to influence well beyond the walls of the Lakeland facility.

What it’s like to work here

We’ve been making the world taste better since 1886 and sell over 3000 products in more than 90 countries, but we’re only just getting started. We’re on an exciting journey and have ambitious plans to become the indispensable partner of choice for the world’s leading flavor and fragrance houses, beverage and consumer brands.
On joining Treatt, you’ll become one of over 300 international experts, working together to collectively surprise and delight our customers. Nothing is more important to us than the happiness of our people as without them, we’d never succeed.
We think Treatt’s a great place to work, but don’t just take our word for it:
“Everyone wants your feedback and opinion; it feels like a place of study where nurturing and encouragement are the standard. It is very clear the hard work that goes into providing excellence for customers, but it is also very apparent that managers have the same goals for helping us all to progress.” – Anita, Innovation Scientist
“Joining my close and supportive team was the most enjoyable way to gain more skills and increase my knowledge” – Ashley, Distillation Control Team Leader
“Treatt creates an environment to help you be the best you can, with no two days the same and opportunities always available to help you learn and develop. The people and the culture create a fantastic company to be part of” – Rebecca, Commercial Coordinator

What you’ll be doing

You’ll have broad ownership for the performance and development of the Lakeland site. Your responsibilities will include:

• Setting the overall site strategy and translating business priorities into clear operational plans, goals and actions.
• Leading and developing site leaders across manufacturing, engineering and maintenance, planning, shipping and warehousing, EHS, quality and continuous improvement.
• Driving performance across safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, reliability and employee engagement.
• Using KPIs and operational data to identify performance gaps, establish accountability and take action when results are off track.
• Partnering with operational leaders to improve production performance, capacity, labor utilization, material flow and overall operational readiness.
• Providing leadership to Engineering and Maintenance, with a strong focus on equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, uptime and long-term asset health.
• Owning the site capital plan from investment justification through execution and post-implementation review.
• Applying strong technical judgment to process improvements, capacity expansion, automation, debottlenecking and new equipment or processes.
• Championing a safety-first culture where leaders and employees take ownership for risk reduction, safe work practices and continuous improvement.
• Ensuring the site consistently meets regulatory, food safety, quality, GMP and customer requirements.
• Leading site planning, shipping and warehousing to support effective scheduling, inventory management, material availability and reliable customer delivery, including OTIF.
• Partnering across our global supply chain and commercial teams to align site capabilities, capacity and service levels with customer and business needs.
• Sponsoring Lean, Six Sigma and operational excellence initiatives that improve safety, quality, efficiency, yield, cost, reliability and service.
• Managing site budgets, operational plans, capital priorities and cost improvement initiatives.
• Supporting the successful rollout and adoption of SAP across site functions.
• Building a high-performing leadership team and creating a culture centered on accountability, collaboration, inclusion, engagement and continuous learning.
• Communicating openly across all levels of the organization so employees understand our priorities, progress and the role they play in our success.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for an accomplished operations leader who understands complex, regulated manufacturing environments and knows how to bring people, processes and performance together.

You’ll ideally bring:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, such as Chemical, Mechanical, Process or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field. An MBA or advanced degree is a plus.
• At least 10 years of progressive operations management experience within flavors, food ingredients or a closely related regulated manufacturing environment.
• At least 5 years of people leadership experience, including leading managers and/or cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated experience leading site or plant operations with accountability for safety, quality, service, cost, productivity and continuous improvement.
• Strong technical and engineering grounding within a process manufacturing environment, with the ability to engage credibly with engineering and technical teams.
• Experience overseeing engineering and/or maintenance functions, including asset reliability, preventive maintenance and capital planning.
• Experience managing budgets, capital projects, cost improvement programs and operational performance metrics.
• Strong knowledge of regulated manufacturing, quality systems, food safety, GMP requirements, EHS expectations and operational controls.
• Experience with GMP, Six Sigma and 5S, with Lean or Six Sigma certification preferred.
• Advanced experience using SAP or another ERP platform, ideally including involvement in an ERP implementation or rollout.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to turn data into clear priorities and action.
• Experience operating successfully within a global or matrixed organization.
• A hands‑on, entrepreneurial leadership style and the ability to move comfortably between strategic thinking and day‑to‑day operational realities.
• The confidence to make difficult decisions, challenge constructively and influence stakeholders across functions and geographies.

This is a fully on‑site leadership position based in Lakeland, Florida, with occasional domestic travel and periodic travel to the UK.

Environment:
Exposure to hazardous Chemicals
Open Office and lab environment – typical spacious room, desks close together.
Shop floor exposure, including some time inside and outside production or workshops environments

Physical Factors:
Sitting, walking, stooping, crouching, crawling, standing.

What we’ll do for you

We offer an excellent package which includes a competitive salary; vacation time as well as the opportunity to purchase additional vacation, we also offer a discretionary annual bonus, medical (including family cover), dental and vision coverage, AFLAC, 401k employer matching up to 6%, company‑paid short term and long‑term disability insurance, company‑paid life insurance and stock purchase options.
With the encouragement and development you need, we help you to become your ultimate you. Beyond building a successful career, we also support the wishes and ambitions of our staff outside of the office in achieving a health work/life balance - the wellbeing of our staff is paramount to us, which we actively promote and support by regularly delivering a variety of wellbeing initiatives. There will also be opportunities to be actively involved in community and charity projects and to take part in numerous subsidized social events.
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