Tolling Operations Manager

Imerys leads the way in mineral-based specialty solutions for industry​ globally. Imerys provides renowned expert solutions based on processing and refining mineral resources, synthetic minerals, and formulations. Guided by its SustainAgility program, Imerys embeds sustainable thinking into everything and sets ambitious mid-term targets as part of our global strategy and in line with the Group's purpose: Unlocking better futures for our people, our customers, and our planet.

As one of the business areas of Imerys Group, the Business Area Refractory, Abrasives & Construction (RAC) has approximately 40 sites in total, including S&T facilities in 18 countries worldwide, 4,600 employees, and €1.3b revenue). The third-party toll manufacturing is an important and complementary part of the business in addition to the assets in the business area to maintain high flexibility and agility by outsourcing some processing activities (e.g., milling, mixing, and packaging, etc.) and support fast-growing businesses of new capacity, new products or in new geographic areas.

In the United States, business growth opportunities and development strategies demand delegated resources to coordinate the tolling activities in a systemic approach and close collaboration with the functional teams globally.

MISSIONS

• Report directly to the Global Tolling Manager based in Europe, manage or drive the tolling activities in the region, such as production allocation, quality management, supply and profitability review with the existing tollers;
• Report functionally to the hosted Site Manager in Norfolk (VA), coordinate the materials flow, production planning, quality control and change management with the relevant internal industrial assets and functional support;
• Act as a key referent in the Imerys RAC Industrial Center of Excellence to the third-party tollers in the region to ensure full compliance with Imerys’ business code of conduct, quality requirements, and EHS standards in aligned with regulatory, contractual, and financial frameworks;
• Liaison with the functions of sales, supply chain, business planning, and product management for maintaining a tolling supply base delivering production flexibility and reliability at a competitive total cost, and coordinating and consulting the different functions on tolling and toller-related topics;
• Replicate the good practices in other regions and implement the defined business processes related to tolling business via SAP system; contribute/configure/improve the master data and be responsible for the reliability of the information (automatic laboratory data, IP21/PCS7 factory instrumentation and systems, etc.) in collaboration with the global network and the regional teams;
• Participate in the regular business rituals such as weekly production review, monthly business review, project-based meetings, monthly stock & supply review, etc.; administrate or assist the subcontracting orders, purchasing management, stock monitoring, invoicing, etc.;
• Track, analyze, and consolidate the tolling-related information for timely and robust business review, budgeting, and decision making;
• Establish and maintain a reliable tolling business partnership network in the region and support the market segments for specific business growth opportunities with new tolling capacity, portfolio optimization, and profitability management;
• Make regular visits to the active tollers to:
• maintain positive relationships and enforce appropriate management processes;
• address any significant operational issues that arise with the tollers appropriately;
• support EHS and quality audits and drive timely response on findings and action plans;
• investigate complaints and ensure resolution through the appropriate interfaces;
• measure tollers’ performance and drive continuous improvement where appropriate
• Liaison with the functions of purchasing and legal, as well as the hub management for contracting, compliance assurance, and product/service certification as required

Education/Experience required:

• Bachelor’s degree or minimum 5 years equivalent experience in a similar industrial environment
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in production, supply chain, technical support, or quality management; specific experiences with third-party tolling as a plus;
• Basic understanding of materials formulation, fill & pack technology, and common industrial processes, preferred
• Good knowledge of industrial subjects, such as quality, EHS, and regulatory compliance;
• Proficient in the use of Google Suites, common collaboration tools, social networks, and media for efficient collaboration and effective communication;
• SAP knowledge and experience as plus

OTHER SKILLS OR EXPECTATIONS

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and customer service approach,
• Structured, self-motivated, and strong commitment to compliance, risk control, continuous improvement, and step evolution,
• Strong stakeholder management and partnership building,
• Well organized/Self-starter/autonomous, results oriented, up to 40% of travel