Senior Operations Manager

Senior Operations Manager (Strategic Operations & Production Systems)

CRB Water is seeking a strategic, high-accountability Operations Manager to lead operational performance across our St. Charles production and warehouse site and assist in coordination of execution across two external warehouses in Joplin, MO and Avondale, PA.

This role is designed for an operator who thinks like a Director: building scalable operating systems, improving production performance through KPI rigor, and ensuring cross-site alignment between production planning, inventory quality, warehousing execution, and fleet management. The Operations Manager will partner closely with the Corporate Operations Director and is viewed as a key leader in CRB's succession planning.

This is not a "floor supervisor" role. It is a strategic leadership position focused on operating rhythm, performance management, and continuous improvement.

Core Outcomes (What Success Looks Like)

• Establish a consistent, data-driven operating cadence across production, warehouses, and fleet.
• Improve production KPI performance (attainment, throughput, schedule adherence, inventory accuracy).
• Reduce operational volatility ("fire drills") by strengthening planning discipline and execution alignment.
• Drive measurable improvement in external warehouse service levels and accountability.
• Improve visibility and decision-making using Datacor ERP and KPI dashboards.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Performance Leadership (St. Charles)
• Own operational performance across:
• St. Charles production + warehousing
• Assist with External warehouses (Joplin, MO and Avondale, PA)
• Translate business demand into operational readiness: people, schedule, capacity, inventory, and delivery execution.
• KPI Ownership & Continuous Improvement
• Own production and operations KPI definition, tracking, and improvement initiatives including:
• schedule adherence / production attainment
• labor efficiency and throughput
• quality holds, scrap, rework
• on-time shipment readiness / OTIF support
• safety performance
• Build performance visibility: dashboards, weekly scorecards, and root-cause problem solving.
• Lead structured improvement projects using Lean / CI tools (standard work, 5 Whys, Pareto, constraint analysis).
• Production Planning Systems
• Oversee production planning and scheduling systems to ensure:
• stable, executable schedules
• proactive capacity planning
• reduced changeovers / downtime
• improved service reliability
• Directly manage the Production Planner/Scheduler and set expectations for planning rigor.
• Leadership of Production Execution (via Production Manager)
• Directly manage the Production Manager, who leads 5 blenders who also deliver product.
• Ensure execution discipline and performance management (without being the daily floor expeditor).
• Drive clear expectations for safety, quality, and productivity.
• Fleet Management
• Drive better utilization, fewer expedites, and improved communication across production → shipping → delivery.
• ERP / Systems Discipline (Datacor)
• Ensure Datacor ERP is used as a true operating system (not an after-the-fact reporting tool).
• Improve data accuracy and transaction compliance across production, inventory movements, and warehouse transfers.
• Partner with leadership on system improvements and reporting structures.

Direct Reports

• Production Manager (leads 5 blenders who also deliver product)
• Production Planner/Scheduler (future)

Qualifications

Required

• 10 years in operations leadership in manufacturing/production + warehouse environments.
• Proven track record improving operational KPIs through structured systems.
• Experience managing planning/scheduling functions and aligning execution to plan.
• Experience coordinating with external partners (external warehouses, co-packers).
• Strong analytical ability: able to identify root causes and drive sustained improvements.
• Comfortable using ERP systems for operational control and reporting.

Preferred

• Experience in chemical blending / industrial chemical manufacturing / water treatment.
• Experience with Datacor ERP.
• Lean/CI experience and measurable improvement project outcomes.
• Multi-site operational responsibility.

Leadership Profile

• This role is ideal for a leader who:
• is highly structured and KPI-driven
• can balance urgency with discipline (no "whack-a-mole operations")
• holds peers and partners accountable with clarity and professionalism
• can operate as the Corporate Operations Director's right hand
• is capable of stepping into broader leadership over time (succession-track)