Axalta Coating Systems
Plant Manager – Front Royal
Location: Front Royal, Virginia
Reports to: Vice President- Global Operations Refinish- Supply Chain
Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. ("Axalta," or the "Company"), is a leading global manufacturer, marketer and distributor of high-performance coatings systems. With over a 150-year heritage in the coatings industry, Axalta is known for manufacturing high-quality products with well-recognized brands supported by market-leading technology and customer service.
Over the course of the Company's history, Axalta has remained at the forefront of the industry by continually developing innovative coatings technologies designed to enhance the performance and appearance of customers’ products, while improving the customer's productivity and profitability. Axalta's diverse global footprint of manufacturing facilities, technology centers, customer training centers and more than 14,000 team members allows the Company to meet the needs of customers in over 130 countries. Axalta serves its customer base through an extensive sales force and technical support organization, as well as through approximately 4,000 independent, locally based distributors. The Company's scale and strong local presence are critical to its success, allowing leverage of the technology portfolio and customer relationships globally while meeting customer demands locally.
Axalta operates its business in two operating segments: Performance Coatings and Transportation Coatings, serving four end markets, including: Refinish, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across the following four regions: North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
Position Description
Reporting to the Vice President- Global Operations Refinish- Supply Chain, the Front Royal Plant Manager will develop and execute the manufacturing strategy to: meet Axalta’s business requirements; drive process excellence in every step of the manufacturing process; implement improvements to reduce in cost of goods sold (COGS); and, direct Plant Management, including Quality, Engineering and EH&S.
This position is responsible for analyzing local plant requirements and working cross-functionally within operations (internal manufacturing, external manufacturing, supply chain, procurement) as well with functions outside operations (businesses, R&D, HR, Finance, Legal). The successful candidate will leverage knowledge of industry best practices and financial analysis/modeling to recommend solutions to enhance operations performance and profitability. The position will translate Regional and Global operations strategy into local execution while developing and ensuring consistent and efficient flow of product and supply chain from supplier to customer, as well as enabling best-in-class service to internal and external customers. The position will also consider the latest developments in competitive technology, EH&S, and team development.
The qualified candidate will be a high-energy self-starter with a strong work ethic who must excel at both day-to-day tactical execution as well as long-term strategic planning. This individual must be motivated by a competitive industry and be an expert at fulfilling customer requirements and maximizing profitability. Excellent communication and leadership skills, as well as deep, relevant experience across multiple functions/facets of a best-in class manufacturing organization(s), will be critical to success in this role.
Additional responsibilities include:
Responsible for all plant operations and facilities
Direct line responsibility for a 400+ employee operations organization, including ~11 exempt direct reports
Full accountability for all aspects of an integrated coatings facility including production, warehousing, and maintenance
Inculcate a continuous improvement mindset that drives improvements in quality, cost, delivery, and inventory every day
Provide strong leadership to Manufacturing, Quality, EH&S and Engineering, and build capabilities around these areas
Manage operations budget through continuous productivity improvement and Quality control
Collaborate with Commercial and Technology teams to best meet customer needs
Lead strategic capital investment projects and deliver expected outcomes
Bring Operational excellence and discipline to the site
Be data driven yet able to implement solutions at an appropriately urgent pace
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field
Minimum 10 years manufacturing experience, including 5 years in the chemicals or related industry (Coatings experience strongly preferred), as well as 5 years leading people
Strong financial and analytical skills; must be able to develop and implement a strategy to maximize productivity and profitability
Strong chemical batch processing knowledge in a lean environment with high customization amongst products, including experience applying or implementing lean manufacturing, kaizen methodology and productions systems
Large capital project management skills a plus
Strong communication and influence skills required; must be able to effectively enact change management and implement and lead new initiatives and programs
Strong bias for action and keen sense of urgency
Demonstrated ability to take calculated and intelligent risks using creative/innovative thinking
Flexible and adaptable to demanding and fast-paced work environment
Able to adeptly operate in a matrixed reporting structure
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Axalta is committed to a diverse workforce.
Our Company:
Axalta has remained at the forefront of the coatings industry by continually investing in innovative solutions. We engineer technologies that protect customers’ products – whether they are battling heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture, or chemicals – and add dimension and beauty with colorful finishes. We have a vast and ever-evolving portfolio of brands primed to play an important part in everything from modernizing infrastructure around the world to enabling the next generation of electric and autonomous vehicles.
Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Our diverse global footprint allows us to deliver solutions in over 140+ countries and coat 30 million vehicles per year. We’ve recently set an exciting 2040 carbon neutrality goal, in addition to 10 other sustainability initiatives, and we take pride in working with our customers to optimize their businesses and achieve their goals.
1.2 - First/Mid Level Officials and Managers (EEO-1 Job Categories-United States of America)