JOB DESCRIPTION:

Founded in 1912, Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) is a diversified, Fortune 300 global multi-industrial manufacturing leader with revenues totaling $16.1 billion in 2023. The company’s seven industry-leading segments leverage the unique ITW Business Model to drive solid growth with best-in-class margins and returns in markets where highly innovative, customer-focused solutions are required. ITW’s approximately 45,000 dedicated colleagues around the world thrive in the company’s decentralized and entrepreneurial culture.
Valeron is a $80M Division of ITW with approximately 175 employees with manufacturing and sales operations in Houston and Belgium. Valeron is seeking a Global Director of Operations who will report directly to the Division Vice President& General Manager and be a member of the Divisional Leadership Team. This position will be based in Houston, TX.
The Operations Director is responsible for developing, leading and implementing manufacturing strategies (both tactical and strategic) that drive and support profitable growth for the Division. This includes decisions related to all facets of the supply chain side, such as the manufacturing operations and strategic sourcing.

QUALIFYING REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree or additional educational experience a plus.
• 3-5+ years of progressive experience in operation management experience in leading large, growing, lean manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated ability to produce results within a team environment and to gain alignment and develop productive working relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Must have hands-on process manufacturing experience (ideally in plastics, flexible packaging, and printing), production and inventory control, ERP systems, knowledge and understanding of good purchasing practices, sound engineering practices, and material handling/warehousing, facilities, and shipping functions.
• Must have demonstrated strong financial acumen in previous role.
• Must have a good understanding of environmental and OSHA requirements, QA and QC quality systems.
• Strong change management, analytical, problem solving, organizational, and communication skills.
• Experience building people and organization plans to ensure organizational readiness and capability to meet changing business conditions.
• Excellent understanding of business dynamics and organizational design.
• Excellent business analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent time management, prioritization abilities and project management.
• Exceptional track record of developing and implementing lean operational strategies.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, communication and presentation skills with experience in communicating and working with a remote staff.
• Willing to travel world-wide up to 30 %of travel.

Strategic Planning

• Partner with the leadership team to develop and execute Annual and Long-Range Plans based on in-depth understanding of business and operations.
• Develop the vision, strategic plan and the annual tactics in collaboration with plant leadership to drive the continued improvement in 80/20 cultural adoption while delivering ITW caliber operational and customer facing metrics.
• Analysis of manufacturing productivity, capabilities, and capacity utilization to collaboratively work with the local operation and site leadership to drive global and regional decisions.
• Develop capital expenditure plans. Ensure compliance with company needs for capital investments and improvement projects and execute on all operational CAPEX projects.
• Lead the global strategic sourcing initiatives for the division to ensure supply chain is protected at the most effective cost.

Operational Management

• Partner with plant manager leadership, develop robust manufacturing plans to establish procedures for maintaining high standards of manufacturing operations to ensure that products conform to established customer and company quality standards in cost, quality and responsiveness. (Manufacturing locations are in Houston, TX and Essen, Belgium.
• Drive best in class operations around quality, production efficiency and safety. Driving continuous improvement and waste reduction initiatives.
• Pro-actively direct the resolution of any operational, manufacturing, maintenance and plant services issues to ensure minimum costs and prevent operational delays.
• Collaborate across the organization by working with regional and global manufacturing and sourcing functions to implement strategies and action plans that deliver the most efficient and effective supply chain and distribution. Consistently reduce costs through productivity gains and souring improvements.
• Responsible for supporting business growth activities by working closely with commercial and innovation functions to ensure new products are introduced efficiently and positively. May travel to customer sites as necessary.

Continuous Improvement / ITW Toolbox Implementation

• Ensure consistent use of the ITW Toolbox and strategic segmentation is visibly evident in all manufacturing locations (80/20, In-lining, MRD, PLS, simplification, etc.) and drive results; demonstrated financial improvement.
• Define key performance metrics and monitor performance to exceed KPI targets. Actively adjust and implement changes necessary to drive best-in-industry performance to produce optimum operational results and P improvement.
• Drive consistent workplace policies and procedures that are aligned with ITW approaches and develop key metrics to measure progress of initiatives.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead and develop talent to maximize individual, team and organizational effectiveness. Foster a culture of engagement and accountability, cascading vision, and creating goal alignment
• Use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas and plans. Coach through feedback, development planning and performance management.
• Champion the effective use of change management principles, strategies and techniques to plan, implement and evaluate change.
• Build a strong pipeline of talent to ensure a diverse high performing organization.