Job Title:  Manager, Plant Operations

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
# 155234 - Emporia, Kansas, United States

Who We Are
Colgate-Palmolive Company is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, their pets and our planet. Focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition, we sell our products in more than 200 countries and territories under brands such as Colgate, Palmolive, elmex, hello, meridol, Sorriso, Tom’s of Maine, EltaMD, Filorga, Irish Spring, PCA SKIN, Protex, Sanex, Softsoap, Speed Stick, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

We are recognized for our leadership and innovation in promoting sustainability and community wellbeing, including our achievements in decreasing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, saving water, conserving natural resources and improving children’s oral health.

If you want to work for a company that lives by their values, then give your career a reason to smile and join our global team!
 

As an Operations Manager, you will be responsible for leading and overseeing the production and operational activities at our plant site. Your role will involve playing a pivotal part in optimizing processes, improving efficiency, and ensuring the overall success of our manufacturing operation.

In this role, you will lead the largest team in the plant! You will manage 7 Operations Engineers and their teams as well as the Planning and the Continuous Improvement Leaders of the site. You will also be part of the plant leadership team, reporting directly to the Plant Manager.

The Emporia plant manufactures dry pet food. This facility started operations in 2010 and it is climate controlled in most of the operating areas. The team has embarked in a digital transformational journey where automation is the cornerstone of its operations. The proximity to Hill’s headquarters and the Pet Nutrition Center provides an outstanding opportunity to collaborate in strategic projects with greater visibility to the business and its leaders creating great opportunities to advance your career even further!

Key Responsibilities:
Safety and Quality Focus:

• Provide unwavering support for Environmental Health Safety (EHS) initiatives to maintain a safe working environment.
• Ensure alignment with Quality initiatives, particularly during new product start-ups and Quality audits, to uphold product quality standards.

Employee Relations and Development:

• Effectively manage employee relations and performance management issues in coordination with Human Resources department.
• Lead the development and training of both salaried and non-exempt salaried employees to build a highly skilled and engaged workforce.

Team Performance Enhancement:

• Coach and mentor team members through effective communication and engagement at all levels of the operation team.
• Champion a culture of accountability and excellence within the workforce.

Collaborative Partnerships:

• Establish and cultivate positive relationships with other departments to ensure seamless plant operations.

Continuous Improvement Leadership:

• Lead and champion continuous improvement initiatives to optimize plant processes, increase asset utilization, and improve operational efficiency.
• Implement and uphold the standards of our Manufacturing Excellence program within the plant, emphasizing areas such as People Capability, Visual Workplace, Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, Continuous Improvement, Production Planning, and Standard Daily Meetings

Savings Initiatives:

• Contribute to the achievement of Plant Savings goals by strategically reducing total labor costs and actively participating in plant savings conceptualisation sessions.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree 
• 8 or more years of progressive supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment
• Proven experience in production/operation management, as well as project or process engineering experience 
• Proven experience or understanding of the Quality function 

Preferred qualifications:

• Engineering or technical degree
• MBA or Supply Chain related post graduate degree
• Pet food experience
   

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $112,000.00 - $147,000.00 USD

Pay is based on multiple non-discriminatory, individualized factors including but not limited to experience, job-related knowledge and education, skills and office/market location. In addition to base salary, salaried employees are eligible for annual discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing and, for Executive-level (salary grade 16 and above) roles only, long-term incentives in the form of Restricted Stock Units and/or Stock Options.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable benefits plans then in effect, all salaried employees are also eligible for a competitive benefits package which includes:

• Insurance: Employees (and their eligible dependents) are eligible to participate in Company-sponsored Medical, Dental, Vision, Basic Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and Disability insurance plans.
• Retirement Plans: Employees are eligible to enroll in Colgate's 401(k) plan, which provides for company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements
• Vacation/PTO: Employees receive a minimum of 15 days of vacation/PTO leave annually
• Paid Holidays: Employees receive a minimum of 13 paid/floating holidays annually
• Paid Sick Leave: Based on location and consistent with applicable state and local law, employees receive a minimum of 40 hours of paid sick leave on January 1st of each year
• Paid Parental Leave: Eligible employees may take up to eight weeks of paid parental leave and 12 weeks of unpaid leave (varies for employees with fewer than 12 months of service and is subject to hours worked requirements)

Our Commitment to Sustainability
With the Colgate brand in more homes than any other, we are presented with great opportunities and new challenges as we work to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our business and create positive social impact. We are determined to position ourselves for further growth as we act on our 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our purpose starts with our people — ensuring our workforce represents the people and communities we serve —and creating an environment where our people feel they belong; where we can be our authentic selves, feel treated with respect and have the support of leadership to impact the business in a meaningful way.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Employer Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please contact Application_Accommodation@colpal.com with the subject "Accommodation Request" should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.

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