Balchem Corporation: Sr. Manager, Regional Reliability & Opex

COMPANY OVERVIEW:Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures and markets specialty ingredients that improve and enhance the health and well-being of life on the planet, providing state-of-the-art solutions and the finest quality products for a range of industries worldwide.

Our corporate headquarters is located in New Hampton, New York, (Hudson Valley area) and we have a broad network of sales offices, manufacturing sites, and R& D centers, primarily located in the US and Europe.

Founded in 1967, Balchem is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ – “BCPC”) with annual revenues over $700 million and a market cap exceeding $4.0 billion.

The company consists of three business segments: Human Nutrition & Health; Animal Nutrition & Health; and Specialty Products.

Balchem employs over 1,400 people worldwide who are engaged in diverse activities, committed to developing the company into global market leadership positions.

To learn more about our dynamic, stable and growing company, visit www.Balchem.ComPOSITION SUMMARY:Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of maintenance, reliability and operational excellence best practices driving improved plant operational effectiveness.

The Global Continuous Improvement Lead is responsible for specific processes including but not limited to standard work procedures, standards improvements in loss elimination as it applies to asset performance, maintenance organizational capabilities, maintenance metrics, red to green monitoring and gap correction planning, cost controls, plant process and metrics execution framework (work origination, planning, scheduling, coordination, operator care, 5S etc.), MRO purchasing and inventory management, vendor management, maintenance management system usage and deployment, and cause analysis competencies.

In addition, this position is responsible for collaborating with plant managers and EHS leaders to ensure effective safe work permitting and management of change processes as it relates to contract labor and internal maintenance labor including, but not limited to, high risk work such as lockout/tagout, confined space, elevated work, line break, electrical, rigging and lifting, reliability human resource performance goal establishment, and others.ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:Establish, maintain, and continually improve standards for maintenance reliability practices, processes, and organizational competencies, and operational effectiveness including:Develop and improve on a procedure-based cultureSafe work permitting and pre-job preparationDrive wasted spend out of the system through MRO, contract labor, proactive maintenance, wrench time, LEAN applications, internal maintenance cost controls, and vendor managementCollaborate with plant managers in development of M& R personnel performance goalsCollaborate with HR on development and maintenance of M& R role position description summariesEnsure role clarity of teamMonitor and drive down production loss through standard best practice processesCollaborate with the Engineering function to ensure maintainability and safety of proposed capital projectsCollaborate with the Engineering function on an annual capital budgeting process as it relates to capitalized maintenanceProvide for SME resource in the areas of reliability engineering capabilities and incident investigation and related solution implementationBe accountable for maintenance metric performance improvements regionallyCollaborate with the plant managers and other relevant functions to establish annual goals and general maintenance and reliability team performance goals – goals which also include safety, food safety, production, quality, product availability, and asset related operating costsEnsure locations reliability training systems provide the key competencies needed for reliable processes for production, supply chain, quality, and maintenance personnelEstablish connectivity across the business with all maintenance leaders to ensure consistency of vision and the execution of regional and local objectivesEnsure the use of CAPA and accelerated continuous improvement processes to track and capture value initiativesEnsure the proper use of the ERP system driving best practices on Purchase Order Management and maintaining discipline in Purchase Order financial controlsMust participate in all serious incident/near miss investigationsOccasionally must provide updates to senior leadership regarding overall or specific plant reliability performance progressDevelop, continually improve, and promote usability of data visualization tools such as PowerBi and Pi Data Historian within scope of the ‘Maintain’ function.As needed, lead or participate in specific site high speed turn around team effortsFoster a team-oriented culture of coordination, cooperation and communication cross-functionally throughout the companyBuild and maintain a high-performance team environment and coach others in effective team interaction and function; foster an empowerment environmentMust understand the company vision and set goals that will drive the team in that directionMust continuously assess employees for selection, promotion and discipline situationsConduct timely and thorough employee reviews giving accurate and constructive feedback to reports and sign off on all reviews performed by direct reportsCoordinate and conduct meetings with direct and dotted line reports individually and in regularly scheduled team meetings; include support staff as needed to maximize efficient operations and foster “One Team” approachMust be familiar with and comply with company policies and procedures including those of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulationsPreferred labor union relations experienceAbility and willingness to learn, understand, and follow and promote documented work proceduresREQUIREMENTS:Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field from an accredited university/college and/or significant work experienceDemonstrated ability in mechanical and electrical trouble shooting and repairProven direct leadership experience, minimum of 5 years leadership experience in a manufacturing environment preferredProven proactive preventative and predictive maintenance experience and resultsFood or pharmaceutical packaging a plusProficient computer skills (Word, Excel, ERP)Knowledge of PLC’s a plusKnowledge of food GMP’s a plusSpecific knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and TPM systems preferredClear sense of urgency and ability to manage priorities to meet immediate needs and long-term goalsAbility to manage time and workload efficiently, and the ability to prioritize and modify priorities accordinglyStrong safety orientationDocumented effective delegation skillsAwareness of general operating standards for mechanical and electric/electronic systems to recognize and anticipate likely problems before they become criticalSelf-motivation and ability to work independentlyDemonstrated ability to work and develop others in a team environmentSensitive to other cultures/backgrounds, able to work in a multi-cultural workplaceDemonstrated ability to function in a fast-paced environment while moving multiple simultaneous projects forwardStrong verbal and written communication skills to discuss, develop, and implement plansHigh sensitivity to quality and on time delivery of commitmentsAbility to lead and develop othersWillingness and ability to respectfully hold team and peers accountable for execution and overall reliability performanceWillingness to travel up to 50% of the time#INBalchem is committed to a workplace culture that values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equal employment opportunities, and a work environment free of harassment and hostility.