Operations Area Leader

Owner of assets, processes and business goals for plant and corporate initiatives. Responsible for developing and managing performance for plant operation's teams. Supports and manages contractual agreements in area. Ensures safety is embedded in business and provides appropriate reinforcement to ensure safety culture is in place. Collaborates with cross-functional teams to achieve results. Serves as primary back-up to the Production Leader. Role models DuPont's core values and inspires others. See job description for further information regarding position.

Qualifications:

• BS engineering discipline or equivalent experience required
• 5-10 years of manufacturing or related experience required
• Line of business (Kevlar/Tyvek/Nomex) experience preferred
• Process Safety Management (High Hazard Process) experience preferred

Responsibilities:

• Partners with the Production leader to drive a strong personal safety, process safety, and environmental improvement plan to achieve EH&S goals and ensure compliance with regulatory and permit requirements.
• Relentlessly pursues maximum plant reliability to reduce department unplanned events and support safe operations. Teaches and encourages behaviors to support reliable operations.
• Knows and advocates Life Saving Rules within the facility. Demonstrates priority and commitment through personal behavior and coaching in the field. Provides the needed positive and negative reinforcement to address deviations with appropriate follow up and investigations.
• Ensures appropriate technical review of work permits and plans (maintenance or improvement) such that Life Saving Rules are applied appropriately for the job.
• Partners with Production Leader to ensure capital is allocated appropriately to design improved environmental compliance and reduce personal/process safety hazards. Implements administrative controls and process controls for safe and reliable operation.
• Shows courageous leadership by coaching, asking questions, and intervening when needed. Challenges status quo and past norms to make the operation safer and more effective.
• Keeps active field presence and assesses work activities routinely to maintain awareness of plant needs and understanding of personnel behaviors.
• Ensures the operation team is fully prepared for immediate response situations, including where technical resources might be needed to analyze process conditions and guide the response.
• Supports Production Leader to provide motivation, explanation, context, and communication purpose of messages to the empowered organization.
• Inspires and motivates the organization through leadership and strong connection with the team fostering an empowered organization. Shows appreciation for employees and maintains a servant leadership mindset.
• Accountable for maintaining and improving training matrix for operators for the facility, ensuring that appropriate knowledge remains within the facility.
• Works closely with Human Resources as needed to hire operators with strong skill sets. Ensures operators are on-boarded and trained via a comprehensive plant training program to maximize their opportunity for success and increase plant expertise.
• Models DuPont's core values and behaviors and understands that his/her behavior shapes the operation team's culture.
• Develops operation employees and ensures career success via goal-setting, performance management, promotion processes, and employee development plan.
• Resolves operation discipline issues and escalates to proper channels where needed.
• Enhances the working relationship with operation team, collaborates with work force, and supports Labor contractual agreements if applicable.
• Coaches the following roles, Activity Coordinator/Gate Keeper, Shift Activity Coordinator and Operator within the plant to be effective within their roles.
• Knows the business model and strategy for facility. Explains to operations how the plant fits into the business and corporation.
• Understands how much money the plant makes each day along with product margins, and takes actions as needed partnering with the Production Leader and business to maximize total margin, EBITDA, and enhance performance. Is flexible and assists the Production Leader in dealing with changing conditions.
• Continuously works to improve the total cost of production (raw material, conversion cost and activity rate, etc.). May take a leadership role in maintaining the budget as delegated by the Production Leader.
• Develops financial acumen skills across the organization (operators, engineers, maintenance, etc.) to accelerate profitability and productivity.
• Holds themselves and others accountable for return on investment of projects, and ensures compliance with financial reporting rules/practices within the facility.
• Supports and drives continuous improvement by being active and ensuring operations participation in opportunity analysis sessions and plant improvements.
• Partners with improvement teams to reach agreement on proposed improvement plans and ensures plant resources are available to achieve the plan. Ensures controls are implemented in operating discipline and process control as applicable to sustain improvements.
• Develops strong partnerships with support functions such as EH&S, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and others to drive improvement in the organization and assure alignment.
• Partners with the Production Leader to steward employee health through practices associated with a Healthy Workplace and employee fitness for duty.

Capabilities Required for this Role (Knowledge Skills & Abilities)

• Education: Bachelor's Degree
• Discipline: Engineering or equivalent experience
• Advanced degrees and training are beneficial
• Proven influential leadership skills in previous areas of responsibility
• Demonstration of influential leadership to lead & mentor others
• Previous Functional Leadership Experience is advantageous
• Six Sigma or Lean skills beneficial

Behaviors Required for this Role

• Emotional Intelligence - Being aware of your and others' emotions and using that awareness to guide your interactions in a way that achieves our business goals
• Inspiring Trust - Earns the respect of others; follows through on commitments; authentic; open to feedback; acknowledges and affirms contributions of others
• Collaborating with Others - - Empowers purposeful engagement; "servant leader"; keeps things simple; engages individuals/team to achieve superior results; creates an atmosphere of value-driven outcomes
• Resilient - Does not fall to pieces at the first "blow" or failure; stays focused during organizational turmoil; handles pressure and does not take things personally
• Playing to Win - Just won't give up; finds a way when others find excuses; will not let obstacles get in the way; goes beyond "tolerating" complexity and grey zones
• Accountable - Takes responsibility for actions; communicates with transparency; recovers from mistakes; owns their impact