Plant Manager

The Plant Manager (Refrigerant) is responsible for supporting/leading the safe, efficient, and cost-effective operation of the of the Refrigerant production facility. The Plant Manager is responsible for ensuring that the facility is operating in compliance with all Messer internal requirements as well supporting adherence to government regulations. It is expected that the Plant Manager will build, develop, and manage a high-performance team with a focus on safety, quality, and continuous improvement to support Messer's overall business structure while meeting customer needs.

What you'll do:

Safety/Quality:
Responsible for build and maintain a safe, quality focused operation. Respects and promotes Messer's safety objectives and drives initiative to meet these goals. Prepare and present performance to upper management. Ensures all safety, quality, regulatory, accreditation procedures and policies are implemented, and staff appropriately trained.

Operations:
Oversees all production related activities to plan, direct, and coordinate production, filling, and distribution activities. Ensures that the maintenance of the facility, including equipment and property are in good working order and compliant to both internal and industry best practices. Responsible for the safe handling and storage of cylinders at the plant (High pressure and cryogenic). Ensures efficient distribution of cylinders to branches by providing efficient and timely service. Is responsible for accident investigations and reporting for the facility as needed.

Production:
Responsible for scheduling manufacturing activities to ensure on-time shipments and efficient operations. It involves reviewing product lead-times and cycle-times to establish performance goals and managing supply levels to support production demands. This role ensures the effective distribution of cylinders to branch locations and maintains close communication with Management and the Commercial Team to address production and quality concerns. Regular coordination with Sales is essential to support the company's growth strategy. A strong customer focus is maintained by developing and monitoring distribution schedules to ensure timely service. The role also includes providing training to customer service, sales teams, and other plants as needed.

Additional responsibilities include supervising cycle counts and maintaining inventory accuracy through necessary adjustments in SAP. The role leads bi-annual inventory counts and reconciles discrepancies, oversees replenishment reports, and manages Kanban systems and layout revisions. It ensures the availability of raw materials and equipment required to meet production needs, while monitoring plant operations for reliability and efficiency. Executing the production plan and ensuring adherence to work instructions is critical, as is serving as a process expert to resolve operational issues and escalate when necessary. Compliance with corporate standards and best practices is upheld, and both planned and unplanned maintenance activities are managed, including spare parts availability and equipment condition monitoring. Finally, the role arranges and schedules all third-party transportation for cylinder distribution.

Coaching:
Coaches, leads, and motivates plant employees. Facilitates communication within the plant, keeping all informed-on initiatives, strategies, and operational change. Actively listens to staff input concerning daily operations. Provides feedback in annual performance reviews. Recruit, select and develop talent into the organization. Ensure all standard operating procedures and safety standards are enforced.

Technical Process Improvements:
Stays current on developments related to production processes, analytical methods and government regulations effecting the product line and the production process. Participate in development of new production processes and improvements.

Budget:
Is responsible to prepare and manage the plant budget activities. Makes proposals to both improve and control the production and maintenance expense. Forecasts future trend, needs and develops action plant that will enable the plant to meet the predicted situation. Analyzes plant current financial and operational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and constraints to develop, prepare, and implement goals, projects, and policies that will enable the plant to achieve a competitive advantage in the market.

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, would also consider Science (Chemistry, Biochemistry)
• 5 years' management experience in the compressed gas industry or petrochemical
• Prefer minimum 3 years' supervisory experience

Key Skills & Attributes:

• Strong leadership qualities that include giving clear direction, thinking proactively, and having a high sense of accountability
• The ability to lead a team, motivate, and cultivate direct reports to achieve high performance, encouraging individuals to do better
• Demonstrates positive open interpersonal skills with proven ability to work constructively with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders while demonstrating an acceptable level of assertiveness
• Adequate knowledge of business and management principles (budgeting, strategic planning, resource allocation and human resources)
• Be knowledgeable of safety, quality, productivity, inventory, etc.
• Operations/production/distribution management experience.
• Computer literacy and familiarity with Microsoft Office is required, SAP preferred
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel is critical
• Logistics and Transportation of Dangerous goods
• Process systems knowledge and expertise; Experience in manometric and gravimetric blending techniques, and other common methods of gas blending and filling is preferred
• Ability to supervise, problem solve, schedule work assignment, and motivate production personnel