Operations Manager

We are seeking a hands-on Operations Manager to lead day-to-day manufacturing at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania facility. This is a floor-first leadership role: roughly 75% of your time will be spent on the shop floor, leading four supervisors and a unionised hourly workforce.

You will be the right hand to the Plant Manager and a clear succession candidate for that seat.

The site is a batch speciality chemical facility operating under strict PSM, ISO 9001, and OSHA requirements. A genuine commitment to safety and environmental compliance is non-negotiable.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading daily manufacturing operations across a three-shift environment, with a mandate to rebuild toward 24/7
• Managing and developing four supervisors and hourly operations personnel
• Driving schedule adherence, cycle-time efficiency, first-time-right quality, and manpower coverage
• Transforming operational culture and championing continuous improvement initiatives
• Coordinating production schedules with Supply Chain, Logistics, and Purchasing
• Partnering with Maintenance to maximise equipment uptime and plant reliability
• Administering a collective bargaining agreement and building positive union relations
• Ensuring full PSM and ISO 9001 compliance throughout operations

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering; Chemical Engineering strongly preferred
• 10+ years in manufacturing, with at least 2-4 years in batch chemical manufacturing
• Proven leadership of manufacturing teams in a union environment
• Strong knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM)
• A change-agent with a boots-on-the-ground style and a track record of building high-performing teams
• Experience with Lean, operational excellence, or continuous improvement
• Comfortable with an urban site environment and commute (Philadelphia city location)

If this could be of interest, I look forward to seeing your application come through