Unit Manager, Chlor-Alkali

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

Westlake makes chemical and plastic products, which in turn make life better for people every day. We are a quality manufacturer and dependable global supplier of petrochemicals, plastics and building products. Our mission is to serve our clients by enhancing daily life through the products and services we provide. 

The Unit Manager has overall responsibility for the Chlor-Alkali Unit in Geismar, Louisiana. This role is accountable for achieving production, product quality, safety, environmental, cost, reliability, and people-development objectives for the assigned unit. The Unit Manager reports directly to the Geismar Operations Manager and works closely with peer unit leadership and functional support groups to ensure safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

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

Safety, Environmental and Compliance

• Demonstrates, models, and reinforces a strong safety culture through personal behavior and leadership expectations.
• Ensures compliance with EHS&S programs, governmental regulations, corporate policies, and site procedures for the assigned unit.
• Verifies that programs, policies, and procedures are followed and initiate corrective action or improvement where appropriate.
• Establishes and maintains high ethical standards in all operational and personnel decisions.
• Drives a safe working environment through field presence and accountability.

Operations, Reliability and Maintenance Coordination

• Coordinates production and maintenance activities in accordance with policies, principles, and procedures established by site and corporate leadership.
• Responds appropriately to operating deviations, keeps necessary stakeholders informed, and drives alternate plans when required.
• Works closely with peer unit leadership at Geismar to align activities, priorities, and resources across the site.
• Ensures plant equipment and facilities are maintained to support safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations.
• Adjusts production processes as needed in response to changing operating conditions.
• Remains available on a 24-hour call basis to respond to plant problems or emergencies.

People Leadership and Organizational Development

• Develops unit personnel by delegating work, providing coaching, and creating opportunities for staff development.
• Works with Human Resources to develop and maintain effective succession plans.
• Uses performance management processes to establish expectations, address deficiencies, support advancement, and improve work proficiency and attendance.
• Promotes employee engagement, ownership, accountability, and goal focus.

Financial Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Reviews production efficiency, costs, product quality, raw material efficiency, and utility consumption to maintain and improve operating profitability.
• Modifies production and inventory control programs as needed to support safe, reliable, and profitable operations.
• Prepares and maintains accurate short- and long-term capital and expense budgets in coordination with site management.
• Sets annual goals for the assigned unit in coordination with site leadership.
• Develops, drives, and supports continuous improvement initiatives across the assigned unit.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Communicates and collaborates with operations, maintenance, laboratory, engineering, business, and other support functions to achieve unit and site goals.
• Ensures effective use of support groups and resources to solve operating, personnel, and maintenance issues and to obtain materials, supplies, and services at the lowest practical cost.
• Aligns assigned unit activities with site priorities and corporate direction.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Minimum of 10 years of operations or related experience in a manufacturing facility, including responsibility for unit operations.
• Chlor-Alkali experience preferred.
• Prior experience managing direct reports.
• Proven leadership ability.
• Strong organizational, computer, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Chemical Engineering degree.
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification or Lean Manufacturing background/certification.

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 must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. This position also requires sound judgment and the ability to perform activities requiring sustained concentration.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is sometimes moderate in office settings. Some work may be required in operating units, where use of required personal protective equipment, including safety glasses and hearing protection, is mandatory. The role may involve exposure to outdoor elements and may require the use of stairs and elevators. Occasional travel by air or automobile may 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.