Production Manager

Powering the cars of today and tomorrow. Reducing harmful emissions. Giving unique properties to high-end applications. Giving new life to used metals. As a global advanced materials and recycling group, we develop, produce, and recycle materials for a better life. About Electro Optic Materials Power in space. Vision at night. Coatings thinner than human hair. Umicore is a world leader in material solutions for the space, optics and electronics sectors – enabling every day cutting-edge technologies. We guarantee our customers secure access to supply, plus recycling technologies that give materials a new lease of life. To produce materials with even higher performance, and provide recycling to new markets, we cannot stand still. We need to find new ways to do things, discover new solutions and develop new processes. Which is where you come in. We are seeking an experienced Production & Operations Manager to lead MET and HPC manufacturing operations at our Quapaw facility. This role is responsible for delivering safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective production while providing leadership in production planning, employee development, operational performance, quality, inventory management, continuous improvement, capital projects, and business planning. Key Responsibilities Operations & People Leadership Lead daily manufacturing operations with accountability for safety, quality, production, cost, and reliability. Establish production priorities and ensure execution through supervisors and operating teams. Provide leadership, coaching, and development for supervisors, operators, and technical staff. Ensure appropriate staffing, shift coverage, communication, and technical support for a 24/5 operation. Foster employee engagement, accountability, cross-training, and succession planning. Promote a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement. Production Planning & Performance Develop and execute short-, medium-, and long-term production plans aligned with customer demand and business forecasts. Balance production requirements with equipment capacity, staffing, inventory, and material availability. Identify and mitigate operational risks that may impact production or customer commitments. Monitor and report performance metrics related to production, safety, quality, yield, inventory, reliability, and cost. Ensure accurate SAP reporting, inventory management, and production reconciliation. Leverage data and KPIs to improve performance and drive corrective actions. Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all EHS and process safety requirements. Lead participation in incident investigations, risk assessments, and corrective action activities. Partner with Quality, Laboratory, Engineering, and Maintenance teams to resolve operational issues. Drive improvements in productivity, throughput, quality, recovery, reliability, waste reduction, and cost performance. Maintain effective operating procedures, work instructions, and training documentation. Capital Projects & Expansion Identify and develop capital investment opportunities that improve safety, reliability, capacity, quality, and productivity. Support projects from concept and justification through execution, commissioning, startup, and operational handoff. Provide operational leadership for facility expansion, new equipment implementation, and process improvements. Ensure operational readiness through training, procedures, maintenance planning, and system integration. Business Planning & Cross-Functional Collaboration Lead operational input into budgeting, forecasting, and annual business planning activities. Develop assumptions and plans related to production volumes, staffing, inventory, maintenance, and capital requirements. Monitor performance against plans and budgets, implementing corrective actions as needed. Partner with Supply Chain and Commercial teams to align production plans with customer demand. Represent operational capabilities, constraints, and risks in cross-functional business discussions. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline; equivalent manufacturing experience may be considered. 5+ years of progressive manufacturing, operations, or process-industry experience. Demonstrated leadership experience in a production environment. Experience with production planning, scheduling, forecasting, and resource allocation. Experience supporting capital projects, commissioning, and startup activities. Working knowledge of ERP systems, preferably SAP. Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic manufacturing environment. Preferred Qualifications 7+ years of manufacturing or process-industry experience with increasing responsibility. Previous manufacturing management experience with responsibility for production performance and employee leadership. Experience in chemical processing, specialty metals, advanced materials, refining, or high-purity manufacturing. Experience in environments involving hazardous materials and process safety requirements. Experience leading capital projects and manufacturing expansion initiatives. Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience. Experience collaborating with Supply Chain and Commercial teams on forecasting, capacity planning, and customer commitments. Your Key Accountabilities Leads and develops the General Production team to deliver safe, high-quality outcomes, setting clear objectives, feedback, and growth plans. Translates functional priorities into actionable plans for the General Production area, allocating resources and removing delivery obstacles. Ensures robust production management and production planning across the department, meeting quality, cost, and timeliness targets. Embeds governance, internal controls, and compliance standards, monitoring risks and implements corrective actions promptly. Drives continuous improvement, standardization, and digital enablement in General Production, tracking KPIs and delivering year‑on‑year performance gains. Partners with department professionals and adjacent teams to align priorities, address escalations, and ensure consistent application of departmental policies. What we offer We aim to lead the way. Not just for our customers, but for our employees too. That is why we strive to create a collaborative environment in which we can all succeed, and a culture through which we can all share ideas, develop our expertise and advance our careers. We engage in building an inclusive work culture that offers equal opportunities for all employees irrespective of their diverse backgrounds. As you would expect from a world-leading organisation, we will also reward your contribution with a competitive salary and benefits. With all this and more, imagine what you could do? #J-18808-Ljbffr