Plant Manager

Company Description

Veolia Group is a global leader in environmental services, operating across all five continents with nearly 218,000 employees. Specializing in water, energy, and waste management, Veolia Group designs and implements innovative solutions for decarbonization, depollution, and resource regeneration, supporting communities and industries in their ecological transformation. Within this framework, Veolia's Water Technology Business brings together a dedicated team of experienced professionals committed to tackling the world’s most complex challenges related to water scarcity, quality, productivity, and energy. Together, we pursue a shared mission to create a more sustainable future.

Job Description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced and driven Chemical Plant Manager to lead our Bakersfield, CA manufacturing facility — a critical production hub serving the East and Central U.S. regions. Our facility produces specialty chemicals used in industrial water treatment applications, supporting industries that depend on clean, safe, and sustainable water systems.

This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives on operational excellence, team development, and continuous improvement. If you are passionate about doing meaningful work that contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable world, this opportunity is for you.

You will oversee a workforce of approximately 60 employees and hold full accountability for the safe, efficient, and profitable operation of the plant — spanning EHS, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS:

• Safety-First Leader

–

Uncompromising commitment to EHS compliance and building a culture where every employee goes home safe.

• Operationally Driven

– A hands-on problem solver who relentlessly pursues efficiency, quality, and on-time delivery.

• Strategically Minded

– Able to balance the demands of today's production floor with the vision and planning required to grow the site for tomorrow.

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ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Environmental, Health \& Safety (EHS)

• Serve as the site's top safety leader, ensuring full compliance with all federal, state, and local EHS regulations (EPA, OSHA, RCRA)
• Drive a zero-incident safety culture through proactive hazard identification, audits, and employee engagement
• Maintain all required environmental permits and ensure proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials

Manufacturing Operations

• Direct day-to-day plant operations to meet production schedules, quality standards, and customer delivery commitments
• Monitor KPIs including OEE, yield, downtime, and cost per unit; eliminate bottlenecks using Lean Manufacturing principles
• Ensure On-Time Delivery (OTD) consistently meets customer and regional expectations

Financial Management

• Develop and manage the site's annual operating and capital budgets
• Analyze financial performance, identify variances, and implement corrective actions to maintain cost controls

Strategic Planning

• Develop and execute a long-term site strategy covering workforce development, capital investment, and capacity planning
• Lead site expansion projects from planning through commissioning

People Leadership

• Lead and develop teams across EHS, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, and Production
• Recruit, coach, and retain top talent while fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary site liaison to corporate functions including HR, Finance, Sales, Engineering, and Procurement
• Communicate plant performance, risks, and opportunities to corporate leadership

Quality Assurance

• Ensure all products meet customer and internal quality standards
• Oversee the quality management system and lead root cause analysis and CAPA processes

Qualifications

Education \& Experience

(Required)

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 7–10\+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, with at least 3–5 years in a plant or operations manager role within a chemical, specialty chemical, or process manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated knowledge of chemical manufacturing processes, including handling of hazardous materials and compliance with applicable regulations
• Proven track record of P\&L ownership and managing multi-million dollar operating budgets
• Strong working knowledge of EHS regulations (OSHA, EPA, CalOSHA) in a chemical manufacturing context
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing tools and driving measurable operational improvements
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire cross-functional teams of 50\+ employees
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication skills — able to effectively engage with frontline employees, peers, and executive leadership

Preferred

• Experience in water treatment chemical manufacturing or related specialty chemical sectors
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or similar quality management systems
• Experience managing capital projects and site expansions
• MBA or advanced degree in a relevant discipline