Manufacturing Operations Manager Jobs in Delaware

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 operation.
• Strong employee relationships, coaching, motivation, and conflict‑management capability.
• A hands‑on operating mindset, with the judgment to analyze issues, make decisions, and drive actions to completion.
• Ethylene oxide experience is strongly preferred; experience with comparable hazardous continuous processes or refinery operations will be considered.
• Union, emergency‑response, lean manufacturing, utility, power‑generation, or wastewater‑treatment experience is advantageous.
• Ability to support a 24/7 operation and respond to critical operational issues outside standard working hours when required.

Site‑based leadership role at Atlas Point with five direct‑report team leaders and approximately 30 indirect employees. The operation follows a 24/7 schedule, including four 12‑hour rotating shifts and one day team. The role oversees ethylene oxide operations, site utilities and power generation, and wastewater‑treatment activities, and reports to the Operations Manager.

This is a full time, on‑site position located in New Castle, Delaware.

At Croda, our purpose is Smart science to improve lives™.

As a global leader in specialty ingredients and life sciences innovation, we partner with customers to solve complex challenges that improve health, sustainability, and quality of life around the world.

Our success is built on the expertise of our people and a culture grounded in our values of Responsible, Innovative, and Together. We believe diverse perspectives, scientific curiosity, collaborative leadership, and practical execution create the conditions for sustainable growth and meaningful impact.

Joining Croda means becoming part of a business where your work will directly contribute to customer success, business performance, and innovations that improve lives globally.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the hiring process or experience any issues with our online application process, please email jobs@croda.com.

Croda recognizes employees as our strength and the diversity they bring to our workforce are directly linked to our ongoing success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. In accordance with applicable law, we make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as any mental health or physical disability needs.

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