At Vesuvius, we think beyond today to create innovative solutions that will shape the future of molten metal flow engineering and technology. Our products and services enable our customers to operate more safely, efficiently, and sustainably. When you join Vesuvius, you join a diverse, entrepreneurial, and decentralized business. You will be empowered to take decisive action while working with like-minded individuals passionate about performance and progress.

Do You Dare to Win?

?The Opportunity:

We are looking for an Autonomous Production Unit (APU) Manager to lead one of our key manufacturing lines. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for overseeing 100–250 hourly team members, including Group Leaders and Team Leaders. You will be accountable for performance across safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost within your APU, while fostering a culture of teamwork, respect, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Team Management

• Serve as first-line supervisor to Group Leaders, Team Leaders, and hourly associates.
• Ensure proper staffing, job rotation, and team member development.
• Drive morale, engagement, and two-way communication within the team.
• Manage performance evaluations, coaching, corrective actions, and training plans.

Safety & Compliance

• Achieve and maintain 90%+ employee Safety Audit participation.
• Lead safety initiatives, audits, accident investigations, and ergonomic assessments.
• Ensure compliance with all safety regulations, PPE standards, and hazardous material handling.

Production & Operations

• Maintain 95% On-Time Availability and 85% efficiency.
• Reduce product quality rejects to 1% or less.
• Monitor and manage production flow, machine utilization, quality, and staffing levels.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts for daily production, quality, and safety issues.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure proper use of quality systems and feedback loops.
• Lead root cause analysis and implement corrective/preventative actions.
• Apply Lean and Vesuvius methods to eliminate waste, reduce variation, and improve processes.
• Lead and contribute to Kaizen, 5S, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Reporting & Communication

• Maintain production reports, KPIs, training matrices, attendance logs, and shift summaries.
• Regularly update KPI boards and initiate improvement activities based on performance data.
• Communicate clearly and frequently with cross-functional teams including Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, and Supply Chain.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Experience: Minimum of 8 years in a manufacturing leadership role, preferably within steel or heavy industry.
• Languages: Fluent English required.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies:

Technical:

• Strong understanding of production systems, scheduling, materials control, and machinery.
• Familiarity with quality management systems and improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.).

Leadership & Behavior:

• Strong safety orientation and commitment to workplace well-being.
• Excellent problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills.
• Effective communication—both written and verbal.
• Collaborative leadership style with a focus on accountability, customer service, and results.
• Ability to drive change, manage complexity, and inspire high performance.

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