Chemical Plant Operations Manager/Supervisor

THIS POSITION IS BASED IN EASTERN TN & WILL REQUIRE RELOCATION. FULL RELOCATION PROVIDED

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager / Operations Supervisor to lead day-to-day production operations within a chemical manufacturing facility in Greeneville, Tennessee.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of chemical plant operations experience, an engineering or strong technical background, and experience leading production teams in a continuous-process manufacturing environment.

This is a hands-on operations leadership position responsible for ensuring the plant operates safely, reliably, and efficiently. The individual will work closely with the plant leadership team (Plant Manager, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS), and  to improve production performance, troubleshoot operational issues, reduce downtime, and drive continuous improvement.

Relocation to the Greeneville, TN area is required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee daily chemical plant production operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operation.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and development to operators and other production personnel across multiple shifts.
• Monitor plant performance and identify opportunities to improve throughput, reliability, product quality, and operating efficiency.
• Work closely with Engineering and Maintenance to troubleshoot process and equipment issues and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Ensure compliance with plant safety procedures, process safety requirements, and environmental standards.
• Support Process Safety Management activities, including Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Management of Change (MOC), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), incident investigations, and root cause analysis.
• Coordinate production priorities, staffing, equipment, materials, and other resources to achieve operating targets.
• Participate in plant startups, shutdowns, maintenance outages, and turnaround activities.
• Review operating data and key performance indicators (KPIs) and take corrective action when performance deviates from established targets.
• Ensure operating procedures, shift documentation, training materials, and operational records are accurate and current.
• Lead or participate in operational improvement projects focused on safety, reliability, productivity, cost reduction, waste reduction, and product quality.
• Develop operators and frontline leaders through coaching, training, performance management, and succession planning.
• Promote a strong safety culture by ensuring adherence to safe work practices, permits, LOTO, hot work procedures, and process safety requirements.
• Lead and participate in root cause investigations related to operational incidents, equipment failures, and production issues.
• Partner with plant leadership to establish production priorities and align operations with broader business objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline, with an engineering background required.
• Demonstrated operations experience within a chemical manufacturing or chemical processing plant.
• Experience supervising or managing operators, production employees, or plant operations teams.
• Strong technical understanding of chemical processes, process equipment, and continuous-process manufacturing operations.
• Experience working closely with engineering and maintenance teams to troubleshoot plant, process, and equipment issues.
• Knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM) principles and experience working in a safety-focused industrial environment.
• Experience with PHA, MOC, PSSR, root cause analysis, incident investigations, or similar process safety activities.
• Experience with ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, nitrogen-based chemicals, fertilizer manufacturing, petrochemicals, refining, or similar continuous chemical processes is highly valuable.
• Experience supporting or leading plant startups, shutdowns, maintenance outages, or turnaround activities.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and implement operational improvements related to production, reliability, safety, quality, and cost.
• Experience utilizing operational KPIs and production data to identify problems and improve plant performance.
• Knowledge of production planning, staffing, resource allocation, and day-to-day plant operations.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, develop, and hold operations personnel accountable.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, and plant leadership.
• Ability to operate effectively in a 24/7 chemical manufacturing environment and respond to critical operating situations as needed.
• Ability to work in an outdoor and industrial plant environment with exposure to varying operating and weather conditions.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary of $140,000-$165,000, depending on experience and leadership scope.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings plan with employer contribution.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
• Key operations leadership position within a critical, safety-focused chemical manufacturing operation.