Job Description

Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples' lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.​

SUMMARY

This position has overall responsibility for the PVC Unit in Geismar, Louisiana. The Sr. Unit Manager is responsible for ensuring that production and product quality goals are achieved in a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sound manner. This role provides leadership for unit operations, supports employee development, drives continuous improvement, and ensures alignment with site and corporate objectives. The position reports directly to the Geismar Operations Manager.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May include, but are not limited to, the following:

Safety, Environmental, Health, Security and Compliance

• Through personal behavior, actively demonstrates and advances a strong culture of safety according to the cultural belief system.
• Ensures compliance with EHS&S programs, policies, and procedures in coordination with EHS&S leadership for the assigned area.
• Through personal behavior, models, promotes, and advances a safe work environment.
• Ensures compliance with governmental laws and regulations and corporate policies.
• Verifies programs, policies, and procedures are being followed and initiates change where appropriate.
• Establishes and maintains high ethical standards.

Leadership, People Development and Employee Engagement

• Develops plant personnel, delegates work for staff development, and works with HR to develop and maintain succession plans.
• Ensures that performance management is used to establish goals for work proficiency, attendance, advancement, and performance expectations, and to correct deficiencies.
• Develops and drives a culture of continuous improvement.
• Advances and promotes employee engagement, ownership, accountability, and goal focus.
• Communicates and interacts with departments to ensure consistent application of policies and procedures.
• Maintains relationships with the communities and builds relationships with local government leadership.

Operations, Reliability and Maintenance

• Coordinates production and maintenance activities in accordance with policies, principles, and procedures established by management and corporate staff.
• Responds appropriately to deviations, keeps necessary parties informed, and drives alternate plans as needed.
• Ensures plant equipment and facilities are maintained to provide reliable operations at the lowest cost.
• Ensures effective use of support groups to help solve operating, personnel, and maintenance problems and to acquire materials, supplies, and services to minimize operating costs.
• Aligns plant activities with corporate direction.

Production Performance, Cost Control and Continuous Improvement

• Reviews production efficiency, costs, and product quality, and modifies production and inventory control programs to maintain and enhance profitable operation of the site.
• Ensures raw material efficiencies and utility consumption are optimized to maximize operating profit.
• Prepares and maintains accurate short- and long-term budgets for capital and expenses in coordination with site management.
• Sets annual goals for the assigned area in coordination with the Site Manager.
• Provides guidance and direction for Six Sigma initiatives.

Other Responsibilities

• Performs other duties as assigned.
• This position may be required to drive company vehicles from time to time.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; Chemical Engineering preferred.
• Six Sigma Black Belt or Lean Manufacturing background/certification preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of operations or related experience in a manufacturing facility with responsibility for unit operations.
• Proven leadership ability.
• Prior management of direct reports required.
• Strong organizational, computer, interpersonal, and communication skills, both verbal and written.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to touch, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee may be required to use stairs/elevators and must have the ability to occasionally work at elevated heights. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Additionally, this position must make general decisions requiring judgment and perform activities requiring sustained concentration.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, as the position is normally based in an office environment. Some work may be required in operating units, which can require the use of required personal protective equipment, including safety glasses, hearing protection, FRC flame-retardant clothing, and other site-required protective equipment. Work in operating areas may also result in exposure to outside elements and may require the use of stairs and elevators. Travel, including air travel or auto travel, may occasionally be required.

Westlake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable legislation.

If you are an active Westlake employee (or an employee of any Westlake affiliates), please do not apply here. You will apply via the Jobs Hub application in Workday.