Production Manager

Position Summary

Join Vantage Specialty Chemicals as the Gurnee Production Manager and lead our production team to ensure safe, compliant, reliable and efficient operations. Drive excellence in production, quality, process troubleshooting and operations excellence, and contribute to our success in the chemical manufacturing industry.

Position Scope

This is an in-office position that works out of the Gurnee, IL manufacturing site. Reporting to the Site Leader, the Production Manager sits on the Site Leadership team. Direct Reports include one assistant production manager, five production supervisors, 65 production operators and a training coordinator. The Gurnee site is a 24/7 batch chemical manufacturing operation, operating 19 reactors, 21 mixing vessels and 90 storage tanks.  Primary chemistries include ethoxylation and esterification producing surfactants, emulsifiers and surface release agents serving industrial, foods and personal care industries.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Culture: Maintain a culture of collaboration and ‘care’ within the production team and across departments.  Ensure a proactive and professional culture within the production team to drive positive morale, engagement and ownership.

• Production Plan: Ensures the production team executes the site production plan as set by site production planning team.  Ensures procedures and recipes are executed flawlessly to ensure right first time production.

• Production Team Capability: Ensure production team competency and training program remains current and production operators remain current within the program.  Ensure new SOP’s are developed in alignment with MOC process and production operators are training on new procedures and periodically refreshed on existing procedure.

• Operations Excellence: Ensure the production teams operates at a high degree of proficiency with respect to execution of critical life safety procedures including but not limited to control of work, equipment isolation, hot work, breaking containment, confined space entry, working at heights, etc.

• Operations Rigor – Ensure housekeeping is maintained to a high standard within the manufacturing areas.  Drive a culture of pride in the manufacturing area ensuring housekeeping is maintained, hoses are maintained and managed, equipment is put away when not in use, floors remain clean and dry and maintenance request are entered to ensure repairs are made as appropriate.

• Compliance – Ensure all compliance related production tasks are executed are required by state and federal regulators.  Including but not limited to operation of air pollution control equipment, spill prevention programs, process safety requirements, food safety requirements, etc.

• Process Optimization and Troubleshooting: Drive a culture of learning

Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in chemical manufacturing or equivalent industries.

Knowledge, Skills, & Talents

• Process Expertise: Proven experience with batch reactors, mixers, agitators, pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, distillation columns, filters & centrifuges, storage tanks, conveyors, and dryers.

• Technical Expertise: In-depth knowledge of continuous or batch chemical manufacturing.  Familiarity with ethoxylation or esterification manufacturing is a significant benifit.

• Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve maintenance processes.

• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information to team members, management, and external partners.

• Leadership: Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and guide a diverse team towards achieving common goals.

• Problem-Solving: Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly diagnose and resolve complex maintenance issues.

• Attention to Detail: High level of attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in all maintenance activities.

Pay and Benefits

The estimated base pay range for this position is:  $112,000 - $168,000 annually.  Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, qualifications, skills and geographic location.  This position is eligible to participate in a short-term incentive program.

Vantage offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including:

• Medical, HSA, dental, vision

• FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking)

• Life and AD&D insurance

• Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance

• Short- and long-term disability

• EAP, identity theft protection

• Paid time off, Parental Leave

• 401(k) with company match

Equal Employment Opportunity

Vantage is an equal opportunity employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. 

About Vantage

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here.  For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage.