ECO Manufacturing Manager

New Castle, DE, United States of America

The Manufacturing Manager will lead a critical continuous-process operation at Croda's Atlas Point site, with responsibility for ethylene oxide manufacturing, site utilities and power generation, and wastewater-treatment operations.

Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will lead five team leaders and approximately 30 indirect employees across a 24/7 shift organization. You will combine technical credibility with visible people's leadership to strengthen safety, reliability, capability, and day-to-day execution.

This is a hands‑on leadership role for someone who can raise expectations, develop frontline leaders, resolve complex operating issues, and create a culture in which teams take ownership and continuously improve.

Atlas Point is a complex manufacturing site where safe, reliable performance depends on strong leadership, technical discipline, and effective teamwork. This role offers meaningful ownership across a critical continuous operation and the opportunity to strengthen frontline capability, operating standards, and long‑term plant performance.

For a manufacturing leader who enjoys developing people and solving demanding operational challenges, this is an opportunity to make a visible impact across the site.

• Lead the safe and reliable operation of ethylene oxide manufacturing, utility and power‑generation systems, and wastewater‑treatment activities.
• Maintain operational continuity across a 24/7 facility and respond decisively to plant issues, including critical events outside standard working hours when required.
• Strengthen operating discipline, shift handovers, troubleshooting, and escalation practices to reduce disruption and protect plant uptime.
• Bring credible continuous process and high‑hazard manufacturing knowledge to operational decisions and incident responses.
• Lead, coach, and develop five team leaders and approximately 30 indirect employees across four rotating shifts and one day team.
• Raise performance expectations while building accountability, motivation, and consistent follow‑through across the workforce.
• Develop stronger frontline leadership capability and ensure employees are trained and prepared to perform safely and effectively.
• Manage conflict constructively and maintain productive employee and labor relations in a union‑represented environment.

• Apply lean and continuous‑improvement principles to improve safety, reliability, efficiency, and team performance.
• Step back from immediate issues to identify root causes, prioritize actions, and implement sustainable solutions.
• Partner with Engineering and other site functions to improve process knowledge, operating capability, and technical problem‑solving.
• Create a performance culture focused on ownership, learning, and results beyond minimum compliance.

People Leadership: Motivate teams, coach frontline leaders, manage conflict, and build accountability across a diverse shift workforce.

Safety & Operational Discipline: Lead with a rigorous focus on safe execution, process risk, reliability, and continuous‑process operating standards.

Delivery: Turn priorities into action, maintain follow‑through, and achieve results in a demanding 24/7 environment.

Working Together: Build productive relationships with operators, team leaders, Engineering, site leadership, and union representatives.

Adaptability: Respond effectively to changing plant conditions, urgent issues, and competing operational priorities.

Continuous Improvement: Analyze performance, challenge current practices, and implement practical improvements that last.

• Leadership experience in continuous‑process manufacturing, ideally within chemicals, petrochemicals, refining, or another high‑hazard industrial environment.
• Engineering degree or equivalent technical background, with the ability to provide credible operational and process leadership.
• Experience leading frontline supervisors or team leaders within a multi‑shift manufacturing…