Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Unit Operations Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Unit Operations Director leads all aspects of a manufacturing/processing unit — driving safety and environmental compliance, operational excellence, production planning, cost and budget control, quality assurance, equipment reliability, workforce development and continuous improvement initiatives. This role is accountable for delivering reliable, predictable production to plan and margin targets while enabling plant scalability, capital projects (CAPEX), and strong cross-functional stakeholder alignment across Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering and Commercial teams.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Plant/Operations Manager with multi-shift oversight.
Senior Process Engineer or Process Manager with production leadership experience.
Continuous Improvement / Lean Manager who has led plant-level transformations.

Advancement To:

Vice President, Operations
Head of Manufacturing / Site Director for multiple units or plants
Global Operations Director or Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Lateral Moves:

Director, Quality & Regulatory Affairs
Director, Supply Chain & Logistics
Director, Maintenance & Reliability

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Own end-to-end operational performance for the assigned production unit, including production planning, scheduling, throughput optimization, yield improvement and on-time delivery to meet customer and corporate targets.
Lead and be accountable for unit safety, environmental and health (HSE) performance; establish culture, incident prevention programs, permit-to-work systems, HAZOP follow-through, and continuous safety coaching to achieve zero-lost-time incidents.
Set and drive key performance indicators (KPIs) such as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), yield, cycle time, scrap rate, unit cost, and on-time-in-full (OTIF); use dashboards and analytics to provide real-time visibility and corrective action.
Develop and manage the unit operating budget and P&L responsibility: forecast costs, control expenses, drive productivity improvements, and report monthly financial performance to site and corporate leadership.
Own maintenance and reliability strategy for process equipment and utilities: prioritize preventive and predictive maintenance, spare parts strategy, vendor management, and contractor oversight to minimize downtime.
Lead capital projects and commissioning for unit upgrades, debottlenecking, new product introduction and capacity expansions; collaborate with Engineering on project scope, timelines, safety reviews and CAPEX approvals.
Ensure compliance with regulatory and quality systems (e.g., ISO, GMP, FDA, EPA) and maintain audit readiness by implementing corrective actions, training, documentation control and change management procedures.
Direct cross-functional coordination with Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, R&D and Commercial teams to align production plans, product quality specifications, and customer commitments.
Drive continuous improvement and operational excellence programs using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, TPM and problem-solving methodologies; sponsor value-stream mapping, root-cause analyses and cost-savings initiatives.
Recruit, develop and retain high-performing operations teams: set clear performance expectations, conduct talent reviews, implement competency development plans and succession strategies for key roles.
Own shift handover protocols, multi-shift governance and escalation processes to ensure continuity, compliance and consistent execution across all shifts.
Implement robust process safety management (PSM) practices, emergency response planning and crisis management; lead incident investigations, corrective/preventive actions and near-miss reporting.
Optimize throughput and product mix by balancing unit constraints, raw material variability and market demand; develop scenario plans and contingency actions to keep supply uninterrupted.
Manage external relationships with regulatory agencies, local authorities, contractors, unions and key service providers; negotiate contracts, service levels and ensure vendor performance.
Lead technical troubleshooting for process upset events and complex production issues; coordinate cross-functional technical teams to rapidly stabilize operations and restore product quality.
Implement energy management and sustainability initiatives to reduce utility consumption, emissions and waste; report sustainability metrics and support corporate ESG goals.
Ensure robust quality control and lab operations at the unit level, enforcing sampling plans, corrective action systems (CAPA) and product release protocols to maintain product integrity.
Design and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions and training curricula to capture best practices and improve operational consistency.
Own production data integrity and analytics: drive data-driven decision-making with manufacturing execution systems (MES), process historians and KPI reporting to enable continuous optimization.
Manage workforce planning, labor productivity and industrial relations including scheduling, overtime control, workforce flexibility and compliance with labor regulations.
Champion change management for new technologies, digitalization of operations (IIoT, MES, EAM), and process automation to improve safety, quality and cost-effectiveness.
Oversee lifecycle risk assessments and business continuity planning to prepare the unit for supply interruptions, raw material shortages or regulatory changes.

Secondary Functions

Support cross-functional initiatives such as product launches, scale-ups from pilot plant to commercial production, and post-commissioning optimization.
Mentor and coach mid-level operations managers and engineers, promoting leadership development and operational best practices across the facility.
Contribute to the site and corporate strategy planning process by providing unit-level data, improvement opportunities and CAPEX prioritization recommendations.
Participate in continuous improvement steering committees, safety committees and change control boards to align governance at the plant level.
Lead supplier and contract manufacturer assessments when outsourcing or co-manufacturing options are evaluated; ensure technical and quality fit.
Establish and maintain relationships with local communities and workforce development partners to support hiring pipelines and social license to operate.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Production and Operations Management — multi-shift process production leadership with demonstrated ability to meet throughput, quality and cost targets.
Process Engineering Expertise — deep knowledge of chemical/biological/industrial unit operations, scale-up, mass & energy balances, and process control fundamentals.
Safety & Regulatory Compliance — experience implementing PSM, HAZOP, OSHA/EHS regulations, environmental permits, GMP/FDA or other industry-specific standards.
Reliability & Maintenance Strategy — asset management, preventive/predictive maintenance (PdM), RCM and contractor management to maximize equipment uptime.
Continuous Improvement Tools — Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt preferred), Kaizen events, value-stream mapping and structured problem-solving.
Financial Acumen — budget creation and P&L ownership, cost-to-serve analysis, CAPEX justification and ROI modeling.
Quality Systems & CAPA — experience with ISO, GMP, HACCP or relevant quality frameworks and corrective/preventive action systems.
Manufacturing Systems & Digital Tools — familiarity with MES, ERP (SAP/Oracle), EAM, SCADA, process historians and industrial IoT platforms.
Project & Program Management — leading capital projects from scope through commissioning, project governance and stakeholder management.
Data Analysis & KPI Reporting — capability to use production data, statistical process control (SPC) and dashboards to drive decisions and root-cause analysis.

Soft Skills

Strategic Leadership — visionary planning and the ability to translate strategy into operational execution while balancing short-term delivery and long-term improvement.
People Leadership & Talent Development — coaching, performance management, succession planning and building high-performing teams.
Cross-Functional Collaboration — effective partnering with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, R&D and Sales to align priorities and trade-offs.
Communication & Influence — clear, concise reporting and the ability to gain buy-in from frontline operators to executive stakeholders.
Problem Solving & Decision Making — structured thinker who leads data-driven root-cause analysis and drives timely corrective actions.
Change Management — experience managing organizational change, technology adoption and cultural transformation programs.
Resilience & Crisis Management — calm under pressure, decisive in incident response and capable of leading recovery efforts.
Stakeholder Management — skilled at negotiating with unions, contractors, regulators and suppliers to achieve mutual objectives.
Continuous Improvement Mindset — curiosity and persistence to challenge the status quo and institutionalize best practices.
Ethical Judgment & Integrity — consistently models safety-first behavior and compliance with legal and corporate policies.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related engineering/science discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MS/MEng) in Engineering or an MBA with operations emphasis preferred.
Professional certifications such as Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Plant Engineer, or PMP are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Chemical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Operations Management / Manufacturing Engineering
Applied Sciences (Biotechnology, Materials Science) where relevant

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10–20+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, with at least 5–8 years in senior management or director-level roles overseeing multi-shift production.

Preferred:

Prior experience running a similar-sized production unit or plant in the same industry (chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, consumer goods).
Demonstrated success delivering safety performance, operational improvements, CAPEX projects and P&L results.
Experience working with digital manufacturing systems (MES, EAM, SCADA) and leading digitalization/automation programs.