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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Unit Operations Manager

💰 $ - $

OperationsManufacturingPlant Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Unit Operations Manager is responsible for end-to-end leadership of a plant unit or process area, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient production while driving continuous improvement, cost control, and cross-functional alignment. This role combines team leadership, process engineering oversight, operational planning, and regulatory compliance to deliver production targets, quality expectations, and operational excellence.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Manufacturing Supervisor / Shift Supervisor leading frontline teams in production.
  • Process Engineer or Chemical Engineer responsible for unit process optimization.
  • Operations Supervisor or Production Manager with hands-on shift management experience.

Advancement To:

  • Plant/Facility Manager with full-site P&L and multi-unit responsibility.
  • Director of Operations overseeing multiple sites or business units.
  • Head of Manufacturing, VP of Operations, or Senior Operations Executive.

Lateral Moves:

  • Continuous Improvement Manager (Lean/Six Sigma leadership).
  • Maintenance / Reliability Manager overseeing asset management and TPM.
  • Quality Assurance / Regulatory Affairs Manager for process validation roles.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead day-to-day operations of the assigned production unit to consistently achieve safety, quality, throughput, and cost targets, ensuring alignment with plant objectives and corporate KPIs.
  • Own staffing, scheduling, and labor allocation for the unit, including hiring recommendations, shift planning, overtime control, performance management, and workforce development to maximize productivity and reduce turnover.
  • Develop, monitor, and report on unit KPIs (OEE, yield, throughput, downtime, first-pass quality, safety incidents) and translate data into action plans to improve operational performance and accountability.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma) within the unit by identifying waste, standardizing processes, sponsoring improvement projects, and coaching teams to implement sustainable gains.
  • Ensure strict adherence to all health, safety, and environmental regulations (OSHA, EPA, local EHS requirements) and lead incident investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and safety culture building.
  • Manage process safety and compliance programs (PSM, HAZOP follow-up, permit-to-work) to mitigate operational risk and ensure the unit meets regulatory and corporate standards.
  • Coordinate production planning, scheduling, and changeover activities with supply chain, planning, and other units to meet customer delivery requirements while minimizing inventory and lead times.
  • Control unit operating expenses (OPEX) and capital spending (CAPEX) priorities; prepare business cases for equipment upgrades, debottlenecking projects, and reliability investments.
  • Oversee equipment reliability and maintenance planning in partnership with maintenance/reliability teams to minimize unplanned downtime and extend asset life through preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
  • Maintain product quality and process control by enforcing SOPs, monitoring critical process parameters, leading troubleshooting activities, and partnering with Quality Assurance for deviation management and CAPA implementation.
  • Implement and sustain robust change management and production escalation processes to manage process deviations, lot holds, recalls, or urgent customer issues with clear communication and timely resolution.
  • Lead cross-functional projects involving engineering, QA, SCM, and R&D to commission new equipment, introduce new products, or scale-up processes while ensuring risk assessments and validation protocols are completed.
  • Manage vendor and contractor relationships for outsourced services and capital projects, ensuring scope, timeline, safety, and quality requirements are met and contracts deliver value.
  • Drive cost reduction and productivity programs through value-stream analysis, standard work, takt time optimization, and continuous cycle-time improvements that align with corporate financial goals.
  • Establish and maintain unit documentation including SOPs, work instructions, training matrices, batch records (if applicable), and process change logs to enable repeatable, auditable operations.
  • Cultivate a high-performing team culture by coaching frontline supervisors, conducting development plans, setting performance expectations, and implementing recognition and corrective action as needed.
  • Prepare and present regular operational reviews, performance dashboards, and business updates to plant leadership and corporate stakeholders, translating technical performance into financial and business impact.
  • Ensure robust training and competency programs for operations personnel including onboarding, technical skill development, safety certifications, and qualifications for critical tasks and equipment.
  • Lead emergency response and business continuity planning for the unit, including drills, crisis communication, and contingency plans to protect people, product, and equipment.
  • Champion sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives within the unit by identifying opportunities to reduce waste, energy consumption, and water usage while supporting corporate sustainability goals.
  • Enforce material and inventory controls in collaboration with warehouse and supply chain teams to minimize stockouts, FIFO rotation issues, and material-related production interruptions.
  • Drive data-driven decision making by leveraging MES/SCADA/ERP systems for real-time monitoring, root cause analysis, batch review, and continuous improvement metrics.
  • Ensure regulatory readiness for internal and external audits (ISO, FDA, GMP, third-party audits) by proactively maintaining documentation, training records, and evidence of process controls.
  • Support product lifecycle activities including troubleshooting product performance issues, collaborating with R&D for technical resolutions, and ensuring smooth product transitions and scale-up.

Secondary Functions

  • Participate in cross-site operational forums to share best practices, benchmarking data, and lessons learned to accelerate site-wide improvements.
  • Mentor and develop rising supervisors and process engineers through structured coaching, job rotations, and leadership development programs.
  • Assist in developing unit-level budgets, forecasting labor needs, and delivering cost variance analyses to plant finance and operations leadership.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert in process safety, process control, and unit operations during capital project design and commissioning phases.
  • Lead or support reliability-centered maintenance projects, root cause failure analyses, and spare-parts optimization initiatives to improve uptime.
  • Collaborate with IT and digital teams to define MES, SCADA, and data-collection requirements that support operational transparency and automated reporting.
  • Coordinate environmental and community relations activities for the unit, including permit compliance and local stakeholder communication as required.
  • Support supplier qualification and incoming material inspection processes when material issues impact unit performance.
  • Participate in talent review and succession planning to ensure continuity of leadership and technical knowledge within operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong knowledge of unit process operations (chemical, thermal, mechanical, or biological processes depending on industry) with hands-on experience optimizing process parameters and control loops.
  • Experience with PLC/SCADA/MES systems and the ability to translate control data into operational improvements and automated reporting.
  • Proficiency in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Infor) for production scheduling, inventory control, and cost tracking.
  • Demonstrated expertise in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies (Kaizen, DMAIC) with a record of leading projects that delivered measurable outcomes.
  • Solid understanding of safety and regulatory frameworks (OSHA, EPA, PSM, GMP, FDA or industry-specific regulations) and experience leading compliance programs and audits.
  • Budgeting and financial acumen including P&L awareness, cost-to-serve analysis, CAPEX justification, and managing OPEX within defined targets.
  • Proficiency in data analysis tools and reporting (Excel advanced functions, Power BI/Tableau, statistical tools) to drive KPI monitoring and continuous improvement.
  • Knowledge of maintenance strategies (TPM, RCM, preventive and predictive maintenance) and experience collaborating with reliability engineering.
  • Experience with quality systems (ISO, HACCP, GMP) and deviation/CAPA management to ensure product conformance and audit readiness.
  • Strong project management skills including scope definition, risk management, schedule control, and stakeholder management — PMP or equivalent is a plus.
  • Familiarity with process safety tools (HAZOP, LOPA, layers of protection analysis) and incident investigation methodologies (5 Whys, Ishikawa).
  • Ability to read and understand technical drawings, P&IDs, and equipment specifications for commissioning and troubleshooting.

Soft Skills

  • Demonstrated leadership and people-management skills with proven ability to motivate cross-functional teams and develop frontline supervisors.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for conveying complex operational matters to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking with a bias for action and delivering practical, sustainable solutions.
  • Effective prioritization, decision-making under pressure, and resilience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
  • Collaborative mindset and ability to influence peers, suppliers, and senior leaders to achieve shared objectives.
  • Coaching and mentoring aptitude to build bench strength and create a culture of continuous learning.
  • Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
  • Change leadership and stakeholder management to successfully implement process changes and new technologies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree in Engineering, MBA, or advanced degree preferred for senior unit or multi-unit responsibilities.
  • Professional certifications such as Six Sigma Black/Green Belt, PMP, Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP), or Lean Practitioner are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Operations Management
  • Manufacturing Engineering
  • Process Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–12 years of progressive experience in manufacturing or process operations with a minimum of 2–4 years in a supervisory or managerial role.

Preferred:

  • 8–15+ years of experience in plant/unit operations, including demonstrated success leading complex process units, continuous improvement programs, and regulatory compliance in industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, oil & gas, or advanced manufacturing.
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