Plant and Site Manager - Portland, OR

Leveraging its deep expertise as the global leader in catalysis and precious metals, BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) serves customers in many industries including automotive, aerospace, indoor air quality, semiconductors and hydrogen economy, and provides full loop services with its precious metals trading and recycling offering. With a focus on circular solutions and sustainability, ECMS is committed to helping our customers create a cleaner, more sustainable world.  Protecting our elements of life is our purpose and this inspires us to ever-new solutions. 

ECMS operates globally in 15 countries with approximately 20 production sites and over 4,000 employees.

As a Plant and Site Manager you will LEAD by……….

The Plant & Site Manager is the senior leader of the Portland site, with overall responsibility for site operations and performance. While R&D activities are led directly by the Head of R&D, the Plant & Site Manager has leadership accountability for all non-R&D functions and holds site-wide compliance responsibility, including activities within R&D.

This role is accountable for the end-to-end performance of the site, including safety, quality, delivery, maintenance, engineering, QA/QC, administrative functions, delegated procurement, asset management, cost control, productivity, and the capability, engagement, and development of the site organization.

As a member of the Temperature Sensing Leadership Team, the Plant & Site Manager plays a critical role in executing business strategy, driving operational excellence, establishing and scaling best practices, and preparing the site to support significant growth in production volumes.

The successful candidate will be accountable for maintaining a safe work environment, ensuring regulatory and site compliance, and delivering exceptional operational performance across the site.

In this role you will….

Safety, Health & Environment

• Own site EHS performance and lead a zero-injury culture through visible leadership, routine audit activity, near-miss reporting, and on-time closure of corrective actions.
• Ensure full compliance with OSHA, Oregon DEQ / EPA, and BASF-ECMS EHS standards; maintain site permits, training compliance, and audit readiness, etc.

Manufacturing & Delivery Performance

• Deliver site output to plan: schedule attainment, on-time-in-full (OTIF) delivery, lead time, yield/scrap, and equipment effectiveness targets.
• Prioritize production in close partnership with the commercial organization and customer service to ensure reliable, quality supply to internal and external customers.
• Establish and run a site daily management system: tiered meetings, visual KPIs, and structured escalation and problem-solving routines

Site Supply Chain & Procurement

• Own the end-to-end site supply chain: production planning and scheduling, materials management, warehousing, and inbound/outbound logistics.
• Own site procurement end to end: direct materials, MRO, and site services, including supplier selection, supplier performance management, and cost negotiation, in compliance with company procurement policies.
• Drive inventory discipline across raw material, WIP, and finished goods: right-size safety stocks, improve turns, and reduce working capital and carrying cost while protecting customer service levels.
• Establish and run the site demand-supply planning (S&OP) cadence in partnership with the commercial organization, ensuring capacity, material availability, and constraints are accurately reflected in the plan.

Quality

• Own site quality performance and the QA/QC organization; maintain and expand certifications and drive measurable reduction in nonconformances, customer complaints, and cost of poor quality.

Cost & Financial Performance

• Own the site conversion cost budget; deliver annual productivity and cost-out targets and manage headcount, overtime, external spend, purchased material cost, and inventory with discipline.
• Partner with Finance on absorption, variance analysis (including purchase price variance), and capital planning; build cost transparency down to the value-stream level.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Deploy lean fundamentals and build continuous improvement capability at all levels of the site.
• Own a quantified site improvement pipeline with clear owners, timelines, and EBITDA impact, reviewed monthly with business leadership.

Engineering, Maintenance & Asset Management

• Ensure asset reliability and uptime through preventive and predictive maintenance programs and disciplined spare parts and asset lifecycle management.
• Direct site capital projects end to end: scoping, financial justification, execution, and startup.
• Provide site infrastructure, utilities, and engineering support for all activities hosted at the site, including business-managed R&D.

People & Organization

• Hire, develop, and retain the site workforce; build supervisory bench strength, cross-training flexibility, and succession plans for critical roles.
• Establish performance management, training matrices, and clear accountability standards consistent with BASF-ECMS's Mission, Vision, and Values.
• Foster a working environment of teamwork, engagement, and empowerment that enables employees to achieve maximum results.

Site Governance & Compliance

• Accountable for site-wide compliance for all activities and personnel on site, including functions not reporting to this role (e.g., business-managed R&D): EHS, quality, regulatory, security, and corporate policy requirements. Holds site-rules and stop-work authority over all on-site activities.
• Provide administrative oversight of site support services, including HR.
• IT infrastructure oversight
• Represent the site with corporate functions, regulators, auditors, customers, and suppliers.
• Contribute as a member of the Temperature Sensing Leadership Team to business strategy and the site roadmap.

Your elements for success……

• BS in Engineering, Science, or a related technical discipline required; advanced degree (MS or MBA) preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including 5+ years leading a plant or site with multidiscipline direct reports (production, maintenance, quality, EHS).

• Demonstrated ownership of a site budget or conversion cost base, with a verifiable track record of improvement in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Working experience across site supply chain and procurement: production planning, materials and inventory management, and supplier management; APICS/CPIM or equivalent certification a plus.
• Hands-on experience deploying lean / operational excellence systems (daily management, standard work, structured problem solving) in a high-mix, technical manufacturing environment.
• Industry experience in sensors, instrumentation, or comparable high-mix technical manufacturing preferred.
• Proven project management capability; able to run multiple business-critical projects on demanding timelines.

You @ BASF ECMS

At BASF ECMS you get more than just compensation, Medical & Dental. Our total offer includes a wide range of elements you need to be your best in every stage of your life.

• Flexible Work Arrangements whenever possible
• Retirement Benefits with company contributions
• Competitive Medical and Dental Plan Options
• Disability and Life Insurance Programs
• Wellness Programs
• Maternity/Paternity Leave, Infertility & Adoption reimbursement
• Mentoring & Development Programs
• Employee Discounts
• Pet insurance

What are you waiting for? Click Apply now to BELONG@BASF!!

BASF takes security & data privacy very seriously. We will never request financial information of any kind via email, private text message or direct message on any social medial platform or job board. Furthermore, we will never send a candidate a check for equipment or request any type of payment during the job application process. If you have experienced any of the above, please contact HR4U.US@basf-catalystsmetals.com to report fraud. BASF is committed to pay transparency practices. The competitive Pay Range for this role is $145k-$175k annually. Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status.