SMS Mill Services, LLC.

Outsourced on-site services for steel mills

Operations Manager

Manufacturing & Production OperationsConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeCuyahoga Heights, OH, USAIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

Demonstrated expertise in safety management and experience working in high-risk environments involving rail cars and heavy equipment.
Ability to perform effectively in a dirty, dusty, and physically demanding outdoor environment.
A bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or Industrial Management is preferred; equivalent work experience is considered.

Responsibilities

Direct, manage, coordinate, and monitor daily activities of the site team to achieve production, shipping, and related targets.
Drive a safety-first culture and ensure compliance with OSHA standards, site rules, company safety policies, and applicable laws and regulations.
Oversee and enforce safe operations involving rail cars, heavy industrial machinery, and high-risk equipment.
Maintain a visible field presence by observing, coaching, and correcting operations to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant performance.
Lead and motivate a unionized workforce while fostering positive labor relations, accountability, productivity, and adherence to procedures.
Collaborate with mill leadership, subcontractor management, and safety teams to achieve operational objectives.
Lead the production team and manage site costs and profitability to achieve safety and productivity objectives.
Optimize resource utilization by establishing an effective leadership group, supervising and motivating hourly and salaried employees, and analyzing daily reports.
Meet key performance indicators and efficiency and performance standards.
Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly production reports and respond to information requests from site, division, and corporate teams.
Coordinate with maintenance to implement and manage weekly planned and corrective maintenance schedules and maintain reliable equipment to meet production goals.
Prepare project production schedules and weekly employee schedules to optimize performance.
Monitor production, equipment downtime, and availability; adjust schedules as needed to manage headcount and payroll expenses.
Coordinate, establish, and implement standard operating procedures for production operations.
Provide clear communication, on-the-job training, and assistance as needed.
Implement and drive continuous improvement, including change management.
Mitigate risks associated with contractors and vendor insurance and indemnification.
Ensure expenses are submitted and authorized before financial commitments and that goods and services are received and recorded in the correct financial period.
Follow cost-saving initiatives, identify ways to reduce costs and enhance revenue, and manage company expenses prudently.
Participate as a member of the management team, align with company values and policies, and escalate and report issues as appropriate.
Plan, participate in, and contribute to internal and external business meetings as needed.
Conduct daily production meetings to review prior-day performance, the current-day plan, next-day needs, projects, and issues.
Walk the facilities daily to follow up on plans, verify execution, ensure conformance to standards, and monitor inventories.
Treat employees, customers, suppliers, and others professionally, respectfully, and courteously.

Desired Qualifications

Strong leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills.
Uncompromising commitment to safety.
A hands-on, visible leadership style.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with diverse stakeholders.

SMS Mill Services, LLC is a leader in the steel mill services industry prioritizing recycling and environmental/workers’ safety and handling all operations with integrity. SMS located in Cuyahoga Heights, OH is seeking a highly skilled and safety-focused Operations Manager to serve as the site lead for subcontractor operations within a major steel mill (Charter Steel). This individual will oversee daily activities, ensure compliance with strict safety requirements, and provide strong leadership in a challenging industrial environment. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in manufacturing or heavy industry, and the ability to lead with visibility in the field.

SMS provides a comprehensive range of services for steel mill customers. We partner with our customers to design custom, cost-effective solutions, which focus on adding value and achieving goals for the operation and the environment. Our range of services includes, but is not limited scrap yard management, finished or semi-finished product services, melt shop services, logistics/transportation support, and slag processing.

This position will direct, manage, coordinate and monitor daily activities of the entire SMS Cuyahoga Heights team to achieve production, shipping and other related targets and goals. This position will report to the Regional Operations Director.

Responsibilities:

Drive a safety-first culture, ensuring all activities are performed in compliance with OSHA standards, site rules, and company safety policies.
Oversee and enforce safe operations involving rail cars, heavy industrial machinery, and high-risk equipment.
Maintain a strong presence in the field by observing, coaching, and correcting operations to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant performance.
Lead and motivate a unionized workforce, fostering positive labor relations while ensuring accountability, productivity, and adherence to established procedures.
Collaborate with mill leadership, subcontractor management, and safety teams to achieve operational objectives.
Lead a production team and effectively manage costs and profitability (P&L) of dedicated production site to achieve optimal safety and productivity.
Optimize resource utilization by implementation of an effective leadership group, including supervising and motivating the team of hourly and salary employees, as well as analyzing daily reports.
Meet KPI’s to exceed efficiency and performance standards.
Prepare daily, weekly, & monthly reports of all the production activities and respond to information requests from site, division, and corporate teams.
In conjunction with maintenance, implement and manage a coordinated weekly planned and corrective maintenance schedule, ensuring reliable equipment is maintained to meet production targets and goals.
Prepare production schedules for each project and weekly employee schedules to optimize performance.
Monitor the production process, including equipment downtime and availability and adjust schedule as needed to
manage headcounts and payroll expenses.
Coordinate, set up and implement standard operating procedure for all production operations.
Communicate clearly, including providing on-the-job training and assistance as needed.
Implement and drive continuous improvement, including through change management.
Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including Environmental, Safety and Health guidelines and best practices, including mitigating risks associated with contractors and vendor insurance and indemnification.
Ensure all expenses are submitted and authorized prior to any financial commitments and receipts of all goods and services are completed within the correct financial period.
Comply with cost savings initiatives, identify, and recognize ways to reduce costs and enhance revenue, including treating any company expenses the same as you would if it was your own money.
Function as part of the management team and align with core values to meet company policies and goals, escalating and reporting issues that require further assistance as appropriate.
Plan, participate and actively contribute to internal and external business meetings as needed.
Conduct daily production meetings to review the previous day’s performance, current day plan, needs for the next day, and any relevant projects, issues, etc.
Walk the facilities daily to ensure follow-up on plans, verify execution, ensure conformance to standards, and monitor inventories.
Treat employees, customers, suppliers, etc. professionally, respectfully, and courteously.

Qualifications:

Demonstrated expertise in safety management and working in high-risk environments with rail cars and heavy equipment.
Strong leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
Ability to perform effectively in a dirty, dusty, and physically demanding outdoor environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Industrial Management, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent work experience considered.

Competencies:

Uncompromising commitment to safety.
Hands-on, visible leadership style.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with diverse stakeholders.

What we can Offer:

A comprehensive compensation package to commensurate with experience including bonuses
Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, company-paid life insurance, etc. offered on day 1!
401(k) with 4% matching, 100% vested as of first contribution
Paid holidays, 4 weeks paid vacation
Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team.
Opportunities to grow and learn with the industry.

SMS Mill Services, LLC is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. SMS Mill Services, LLC makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

About the Company

SMS Mill Services, LLC.

Outsourced on-site services for steel mills

SMS Mill Services provides on-site, outsourced support for steel mills, managing the full lifecycle of scrap metal—from receipt and inspection to inventory control and loading for electric arc furnaces, plus slag handling, metal recovery, and melt-shop maintenance. Client mills contract SMS to run essential operations with on-site teams using specialized equipment and technology to manage scrap, process slag, recover metal, and handle logistics under multi-year agreements. The company differentiates itself through end-to-end, mission-critical services with a global footprint (14+ locations) and long-term partnerships, combining scrap management, slag handling, metal recovery, and asset/environmental services. Its goal is to help steel producers operate more efficiently and reliably, expand market share through long-term contracts and geographic growth, and pursue strategic growth opportunities while keeping the core scrap processing business with SMS.

Company size: 201-500
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Portage, IN
Founded: 2008

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