Area Manager at Alcoa USA Group in Newburgh, Indiana

Job Description:

Alcoa (NYSE: AA) is a global industry leader in bauxite, alumina and aluminum products, with a strong portfolio of value-added cast and rolled products and substantial energy assets. Alcoa is built on a foundation of strong values and operating excellence dating back nearly 130 years to the world-changing discovery that made aluminum an affordable and vital part of modern life. Since inventing the aluminum industry, and throughout our history, our talented Alcoans have followed on with breakthrough innovations and best practices that have led to efficiency, safety, sustainability and stronger communities wherever we operate.

The Area Manager position has full accountability for leadership in the areas of safety, environment, production, maintenance, engineering, quality, cost, and customer service. The principal emphasis of this role is to manage strategic business plan deployment and operations alignment with tactical execution of the monthly production plan. These goals need to be accomplished while building a safe and effective organization through sustained employee engagement at all levels of the organization and application of lean manufacturing principles to maximize profitability.

The Area Manager reports directly to the site manufacturing manager. The successful candidate in this job must function as a business partner with other managers/leaders within the local and broader organization. The candidate must also deliver results in a manner in which they can be sustained, leveraged, and built upon for future success. The ability to lead and develop people is essential, along with passion, drive, and vision.

Responsibilities include:

Strategy
• Be knowledgeable of plant’s products, processes, and technologies which allow the plant to meet customers’ expectations and needs, so that each internal and external customer is appreciative of the customer-supplier partnership.
• Establish and communicate a strategic vision with appropriate stretch goals that establish a clear direction for the organization, while providing the tools necessary for binary communication with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Develop strategic manufacturing direction for one to three year planning horizon, utilizing lean manufacturing techniques, automation, and kaizen disciplines.
• Lead the ongoing development and modification of product strategies to optimize costs, product performance and financial return for the business.  Key partners in this process will be Commercial teams, Finance, Supply Chain, Quality, Procurement, and plant leadership teams.
• Direct preparation of operational budgets, capital plans, appropriation requests, and project follow-up.
• Implement quarter-over-quarter improvement strategies to increase efficiency, spend performance, customer delivery, and safety record.
• Efficient operation and management of all departments and related multi-discipline activities involved in production, in order to maximize return on investment consistent with service, product quality, and social responsibility objectives.
• Establish and maintain effective organization and production facilities to assure competitive manufacturing for increased profits and greater penetration into the marketplace.
• Teach and coach direct reports in establishing new innovative processes for making products, with the goal of improved customer satisfaction and return on investment.
• Act in such a manner that the dignity of the position constantly and consistently reflects Alcoa’s values.
 

Safety
• Ensure effective safety and health programs are in place to meet or exceed safety goals.  Monitor key program indicators to identify periodic need for program effectiveness review and improvement.
• Ensure effective environmental programs are in place to meet or exceed compliance requirements.  Monitor key program indicators to identify periodic need for program effectiveness review and improvement.
 

Operations
•  Manage the production and shipment of products to furnish a product ready for consumer use at minimum cost, consistent with customer requirements.
•  Support and coach department leaders on tactical execution of monthly production and maintenance plans, ensuring monthly financial goals are met.
• Coordinate and direct departmental activities so that the necessary sustaining maintenance and established production schedules are met at optimum cost.  Of equal significance is the incumbent's concern with constantly improving the effectiveness of the people, processes and facilities under his or her direction.  The incumbent will also have a demonstrated ability to identify and improve system issues across the entire plant flow path.
• Ensure safe, efficient, cost effective and reliable production that meets changing volume requirements and production schedules.
• Analyze and implement process flow, inventory, and velocity improvements throughout entire value stream, including key supply base and outside vendors.
• Monitor the work flow and inventory levels to ensure that schedules are met and bottlenecks are identified and corrected.
• Manage relationship with union committee; maintain compliance with collective bargaining agreement.
•  Work with planning, sales, quality and finance to ensure cooperative spirit, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction are constantly driven forward
• Oversee process integrity and equipment reliability, ensuring that production goals are met by designing and implementing definitive metrics, employee support, and strategic planning for current production processes as well as future needs.
 
People
• Create an environment that ensures a high level of engagement, performance, fulfilling and challenging jobs, employee participation, effective development and utilization of human resources under his/her direction, and compliance with all government requirements.
• Create a positive work environment where employee contributions are encouraged and recognized, and where individual employee growth is fostered while integrity is developed and protected.
• Represent Alcoa surrounding communities in a positive fashion, demonstrating both personal and corporate responsibilities in all actions

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or technical field


• 10 or more years progressive management experience in heavy industry


• Change management and continuous improvement experience in a lean manufacturing environment


• Ability to lead a team; promoting business ownership, employee engagement, and empowerment to the organization


• Excellent interpersonal skills; can build solid and lasting relationships at all levels of the organization


• Effective communication skills (both oral and written)


• Ability to analyze problems and develop creative and effective solutions

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced college degree


• Significant level of exposure to, and familiarity with, aluminum production equipment, processes, and customer base.


• Leadership experience across a range of aluminum manufacturing processes including ingot casting, hot rolling, cold rolling, and finishing.


• Broad experience with production, maintenance, and engineering.


• Excellent working knowledge of organization and how it operates, or the ability to quickly acquire knowledge of the operation


• Ability to think creatively


• Ability to be a change-agent in both creating and driving change


• Ability to make tough decisions and execute accordingly


• Excellent organizational skills

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