Operations Supervisor

Description:

Position Summary

The Operations Supervisor is a safety-critical leadership role responsible for the day-to-day supervision of hourly production personnel at MPP’s CTO fractionation plant in North Charleston, SC. This role ensures the refinery operates safely, reliably, and in compliance with all environmental, health, and safety (EHS) requirements while meeting production and quality targets. The Operations Supervisor is the frontline leader on shift, translating plant priorities into clear work direction for hourly employees, directing all plant shipping and receiving activities, and coordinating closely with engineering, planning, supply chain, and other plant support functions. This position targets experienced manufacturing leaders; prior manufacturing supervisory experience is a plus, and an engineering background is preferred but not required.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide direction, guidance, and leadership to the hourly workforce, promoting a strong safety culture and holding the team accountable to safe work practices.
• Develop daily work instructions and work schedules that align staffing and tasks with production priorities, maintenance needs, and safety requirements.
• Support other team members, including engineers, planners, and coordinators, by coordinating shift activities and clearly communicating operational status, issues, and priorities.
• Ensure compliance with all plant procedures, safety protocols, environmental regulations, and company policies, taking corrective action when deviations occur.
• Oversee all plant training needs for hourly personnel, including onboarding, skills qualification, refresher training, and training documentation.
• Oversee execution of all manufacturing activities in CTO unloading, CTO refining, tolling, and finished good loading.
• Support plant outages and critical operations tasks by coordinating shift resources, sequencing work, and ensuring safe execution of non-routine and high-risk activities.
• Lead or participate in incident investigations, near-miss reporting, and corrective action follow-up to drive continuous safety improvement.
• Monitor process conditions and production performance, troubleshoot operational issues, and escalate to engineering or plant leadership as needed.
• Provide performance feedback, coaching, and development to hourly employees, and support hiring and disciplinary processes as needed.
• Direct all plant shipping activities, including the safe and timely unloading of incoming crude tall oil (CTO) and the loading of outbound finished goods.
• Coordinate with the Production Planner and key supply chain roles (transportation, rail, and customer service) to execute sales orders and meet customer delivery commitments.
• Work directly with Ingevity operations and planning team on tolling activities, coordinating production scheduling, material handling, and shipment timing for tolled product.
• Work with Ingevity Logistics team to execute and manage the load planning and rail activities.

Key Competencies

• Proven strength as a leader and motivator
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within cross-functional teams both internal and external
• Experience with chemical manufacturing operations, preferably 24/7 operations
• Understanding of planning, scheduling, and subcontracting processes and inventory ownership concepts in ERP systems.
• Familiarity with Process Safety Management (PSM) and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) principles.
• Experience coordinating plant shipping/receiving or bulk liquid logistics (e.g., rail or truck) in a chemical or industrial environment.

Work Environment

• Combination of office and plant-floor environments within a manufacturing and logistics setting.
• Exposure to warehouse operations, material handling equipment, and shipping activities.
• Standard business hours with flexibility as operational demands require.

Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• BS in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or equivalent, preferred but not required
• 5 years production / manufacturing experience with some managerial or leadership experience
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple operational tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Working knowledge of shipping documentation, freight coordination, and inventory practices.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic operational systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with ERP or inventory management systems.
• Knowledge of safety standards related to industrial operations and material handling.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout the facility for extended periods.
• Ability to occasionally lift or move materials up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing or warehouse environment.