Product Manager, Polypropylene

Company:

INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees are empowered to make a difference?

Organizational context and job purpose

INEOS Olefins and Polymers USA is one of the largest integrated producers of olefins and polyolefins in North America.  From its manufacturing locations at Chocolate Bayou and LaPorte, Texas, it is a merchant marketer of butadiene, ethylene, polypropylene, and high-density polyethylene with annual revenue of over $2 billion.

From its “Marina View” headquarters office in League City, TX, INEOS Olefins and Polymers USA manages three product line businesses [Olefins, Polypropylene (PP), and Polyethylene (PE)] and four manufacturing facilities [Battleground Manufacturing Complex in LaPorte, TX, which produces PP and PE; Chocolate Bayou Works located south of Alvin, TX, which produces Olefins and PP; a PP plant at Carson, CA; and a gas plant at Hobbs, NM]. 

Purpose of Job

The PP Product Manager is responsible for leading the PP Asset Team and for optimizing and executing near-term (3 month) Polypropylene business plans including: supply/demand balancing, production planning,  inventory management, channel of trade tactics, assurance that all spot sales meet sanctioned margin criteria, approval of deal confirmation sheets for direct spot sales, product management including EPO implementation, coordination with the  propylene supply team, and serving as the key interface for propylene feed optimization with the Marathon Carson refinery.

Responsibilities AND Accountabilities

• Lead the PP Asset Team to deliver P&L results and business improvements including quality, OEE/reliability, sharing best practices and waste minimization as directed by the PP Business Management Team.  Also, ensure timely team response and resolution of customer quality and other complaint issues.
• Lead a Six Sigma Green Belt project to improve business performance.
• Convene Sales & Operations planning meetings with sales and supply chain personnel to formulate incremental sales plans, decide the optimal domestic/export balance, and set floor pricing criteria for sales personnel.
• Manage sanctioned floor margins & prices for spot sales, approve spot sales opportunities for direct sales channel sales, ensure acceptable margin for all spot prime sales, and post-audit conformance to the deal sheet process for both direct and channel sales.
• Manage and sanction acceptance of orders received from term sales customers after the time fence deadline or which exceed the Arkeiva forecast for a specific customer/grade/location combination.
• Manage overall PP product inventory for optimal management of working capital and COSA value.
• Manage and document customer allocations under declaration of force majeure.
• Decide and communicate feedstock requirements to the propylene supply team and manufacturing and work with teams to manage any supply interruptions; coordinate closely with the propylene supply team to optimize propylene buy/sell decisions versus PP spot/export sales; and represent the PP business in the propylene wedge team to optimize across the wedge inclusive of PP, Olefins, & Nitriles. 
• Serve as the key interface the Marathon Carson Refinery for weekly optimization teleconferences. 
• Provide a product line update including production status and projected sales volume during the weekly sales team teleconference.  Participate in coordination with sales management to drive term sales target account activity.
• Optimize timing of TARs and planned maintenance activities in coordination with manufacturing personnel.
• Build inventory for TARs & planned outages
• Communicate the impacts of unplanned outages with key stakeholders – sales, supply, and supply chain
• Optimize on a continuous basis the loading and placement of grades amongst PP assets based on market conditions and incremental production economics.
• Decide unit production priorities, manage unit downtime situations, and support minimizing inefficiency/waste by serving as gatekeeper for sanctioning product wheel jumps.
• Forecast a 3-month forward view of key P&L drivers for the monthly GFO and weekly product line updates.
• Serve as a key contributor for development and implementation of the long-range PP strategy, the annual budget plan, and the 5-year financial forecast.
• Manage the PP product line including improvement and grade rationalization.
• Develop economic evaluation criteria for product development projects and review economic analyses proposed by product development personnel and segment teams.
• Serve as business gatekeeper for change management of EPOs, commercialization of new grades, and product specification changes.
• Convene weekly reviews of nonconforming product to direct plans for optimal product disposition and minimize slow-moving inventory with participation by site manufacturing, laboratory, supply chain, channel sales, and technical service. Ensure any resulting sanctioned offers of nonconforming product to prime customers follow the waiver process in a timely manner per ISO procedure.

Skills & Knowledge Required

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in science or engineering,
• At least 10 years broad experience in the chemical industry (preferably Polymers and/or Olefins) including technical and/or manufacturing assignments as well as some experience facing either customers or suppliers. 
• Six Sigma Green Belt training and experience is a plus.

Skills/Competencies

Technical skills

• Thorough understanding of commercial operations, sales, supply chain, procurement, technology, manufacturing, finance and accounting, and business systems.  Knowledge of PP products is a plus.
• Demonstrated strong analytical and problem solving skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Demonstrated strong computer skills including competency with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).  Knowledge of Arkeiva,  SAP, and/or PANDA is a plus.
• Strong project management skills.
• Negotiation skills are a plus. 

Behavioral skills

• Proven strong leadership and communication skills.
• Proven strong team building skills.
• Ability to help colleagues adhere to business processes and procedures while progressing successful delivery of business results.
• Ability to impress and influence internal and external stakeholders.

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.