Chemistry & Wastewater Treatment Manager

With facilities in Northeast (Ashtabula) Ohio and El Paso, Texas,
Lake City Plating has emerged as a trusted leader in the metal finishing industry. We proudly serve North America’s leading manufacturers and distributors.

Our automated facilities, talented mix of experienced platers and continuous improvement professionals, and our data-driven, systems approach to plating enable us to consistently process parts correctly and on time.

We have the capability to plate complex and delicate parts, and we possess the flexibility to handle high-volume orders as well as small lot orders.

The Chemistry & Wastewater Treatment (WWT) Manager is responsible for leading the chemistry and WWT function and team, ensuring that the operation is safely, effectively, and efficiently providing high quality plating results for our customers and achieving WWT compliance.

Objectives include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

• Foster culture of safety and ensure compliance with safety policies
• Make certain that chemistry and WWT tanks, equipment, and surrounding areas; chemical and waste containers and storage areas; and lab are consistently clean and organized
• Keep chemistry tanks and other processes within optimal operating parameters, utilizing robust process, systems, and tools.
• Enhance systematic approach to chemistry and WWT process development
• Manage troubleshooting of processes with support of the Technical Director and other internal and external support
• Ensure WWT effluent meets permitted parameters
• Make certain chemistry and WWT equipment is calibrating and functioning properly (e.g., inflows/outflows, motors, electrical contacts, pumps, pH controllers, AA, etc.)
• Participate in cross functional teams to support quality and throughput projects including working with Maintenance, Production, Quality, and Procurement teams
• Reduce operational, raw material, rework, and other waste
• Ensure compliance with EPA, hazardous waste, and other regulatory policies
• Devise easy-to-follow documentation for regular chemical activities and tracking mechanisms to ensure compliance

Manage, lead, and train Chemistry and WWT Techs

• Build culture that reflects and reinforces the company’s mission statement and Guiding Principles
• Ensure techs are held accountable to their expectations and operating within company and departmental processes, policies, systems, and standards
• Serve as a Plating and WWT subject matter expert for Chemistry team and other departments
• Develop and execute training programs for Chemistry and WWT processes to meet quality system requirements
• Handle minor disciplinary issues/disputes for Chemistry / WWT Team

Other Duties

• Lead process troubleshooting and as needed in alignment with priorities set out by Plant Manager
• Support Quality Team and Plant Manager implementation of corrective actions

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in science field
• 5+ years of plating experience
• Lab experience in keeping plating chemistry under control
• Experienced and adept at developing, improving, documenting, and measuring processes
• Strong computer skills, primarily Microsoft Word and Excel
• Comfortable working in a high-energy, results focused environment

Preferred Experience and Education

• Master’s degree in science field
• Five or more years of experience supervising a staff of 5 or more associates

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Ability to speak, read and write in Spanish a plus