Crew Lead, Operations

Organizational Context:

The O&P USA business includes the product lines Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Polypropylene and High Density Polyethylene.  Manufacturing sites include Chocolate Bayou Works (Alvin, TX), Battleground Manufacturing Complex (La Porte, TX), and Carson, (Carson, CA), with a division office in League City, TX. 

The Carson, California plant – located 25 miles south of Los Angeles – began producing polypropylene in 1999. The Carson polypropylene facility is the largest single commodity exporter on the West Coast, and the second largest plastics exporter in the U.S. The Carson plant has the logistical advantage of dispatching products to customers directly from the facility via several delivery modes: railcar, bulk truck and packages. Less than ten miles from the port of Long Beach, the facility generates high-volume export business for INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA.

Purpose of the job:

The Crew Lead is responsible for the safety and performance of the operations crew and for the safe, efficient operation of the Carson asset. The Crew Lead has responsibility for communication of safety and process issues to the site leadership team and will put the safe shut-down of the site ahead of production. This position is familiar with plant operations and work processes at the site and drives consistency of safe operating best practices and in policy administration across the site. The Crew Lead reports directly to the Operations Superintendent with a dotted line to the Site Manager. The position has direct supervisory responsibility for the operations crew to which they are assigned. This position is also responsible for the safe operation of the site during nights and weekends, and will interface with the Lab, maintenance, contractors, and the refinery to ensure safe operations across the site.

The Crew Lead is responsible for the Health, Safety, and Security of plant personnel and the environmental compliance of the site. The incumbent must be able to oversee the operation and maintenance of the site on shift. Successful candidates must have the ability to coordinate site activities between all site personnel to optimize safety, environmental, production, and quality. Incumbents must drive the company mission and objectives by holding operation crews accountable for results. Candidates must demonstrate a high level of leadership ability, culminations skills, decision making in line with the 20 principles, process and technical knowledge and commitment to the business.

Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Accountability 1:SHE performance of site

Most important activities:

• SHE compliance of site, including Monitor units for safety and environmental compliance. Acts as interim site manager on off-shifts, including abiding by Process Safety Principles 8 and 9
• Ensure Gensuite reporting is done
• Ensure Emergency Procedures are followed,
• Ensure the unit responds to incidents in a safe, timely/appropriate manner
• Serve as a resource for LOTO and control of work
• Be a safety leader by promoting and demonstrating safe behaviors and actively participating in safety processes (e.g. Gensuite reporting, incident investigations, behavioral safety program)
• Coordinate environmental activities to ensure compliance with Federal, state, and local regulations, and to commit to operating with no harm to the environment
• Service as liaison for the Refinery Security Group for the day-to-day and other non-routine activities/incidents
• Willing to be Fire Marshal trained and maintains monitoring equipment (i.e. MX-4, MX-6)

Accountability 2:Operations Performance

Most important activities:

• Accountable for the overall operation of the Carson PP asset including: efficient performance of the reactor and extruder, on-shift troubleshooting, quality of product produced.
• Establishes daily work plan and ensures daily team objectives are clear. Coordinate and communicate directly with crew on all matters related to plant/asset operation, safety, environmental, reliability and quality issues.
• Ensure equipment is ready for maintenance, attend Maintenance/operations coordination meetings.
• Report unit issues to operations coordinator so that maintenance may be planned and scheduled.
• Review and reinforce performance issues with operator technicians, conduct discussions on appropriate performance monitoring
• Communicate plant goals/priorities/ safety concerns/ expectations of SLT to Operations technicians
• Ensures the work force has the tools necessary to perform their roles safely and efficiently by identifying and implementing training to address areas for improvement.
• Share lessons and best practices in safety, operations, leadership, and other issues across the site and other Company locations.
• Monitoring operations/ production: Lead Daily Operations 730 meetings, review/implementation of unit dashboard twice on shift, Transition/Offgrade tracking and deviation from target reporting, review daily unit log and thorough shift relief with other Crew Leads

Accountability 3:Efficient management of site activities and Operations

Most important activities:

• Serve as site manager of activities and operations on off-hours (nights, weekends, and holidays)
• Responsible for always putting safety ahead of production or maintenance. Responsible for stopping work and/or initiating safe shutdown of asset if the situation warrants.
• Enforce site policies for all personnel and contractors on-site
• Manage maintenance, lab and storehouse activities on off-hours.
• Coordinate Maintenance: determine if and when maintenance is called out on the off hours, ensure troubleshooting has been performed and documented before ordering maintenance, determine if call-out is necessary by considering commercial value of line, spare equipment available, rate penalty, spare parts, etc., procure parts and services not on site, cover Operations Coordinator if he is not working (i.e. cover all break-in requests)

Accountability 4:Leadership; mentor Operations technicians

Most important activities:

• Alignment with site goals and priorities, communicate and gain buy in from operations crew
• Demonstrates, upholds and holds technicians accountable to Carson’s code of conduct policy.
• Working knowledge of Collective Bargaining Agreement and Grievance procedure
• Mentor operations technicians during normal course of work through the use of PDCA problem solving, root cause analysis, and fact gathering
• Work with other Crew Leads, ops superintendent, and ops manager to implement consistent operation practices across the different crews
• Build and maintain working relationship between operations crew and lab personnel
• Communicate operations crew concerns, issues, and challenges to Operations superintendent and operations manager
• Participate as part of the Operations Leadership Team to ensure consistent clarification and administration of plant policies, practices, and procedures
• Reviews crew schedules to ensure proper coverage and adherence to O&P HR policies

• Think federally and consider the bigger picture across the site, and/or across the Company when making operational or other decisions

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum high school diploma or GED

• Currently serves or has served in one of the following roles: Operations Technician

• Eight (8) years of experience in manufacturing environment

• Must be willing to work a regular rotating 12-hour shift work schedule

Technical skills

• Experience and knowledge of chemical operations

• Experience and knowledge of industry standards and codes

• Experience and knowledge of OSHA 1910.119

• Familiarity with process and personnel safety systems

Behavioralskills

• Strongly developed interpersonal, leadership and communication skills.

• Possesses a track record of accomplishment in leading roles by driving safety and accountability.

• Strong process knowledge and ability to learn

• Strong knowledge on unit operations

• Fundamental knowledge of principles of financial budgeting and capital management skills.

• Strong demonstrated ability to manage, progress and deliver multiple and competing priorities.

• Proven commitment and delivery of SHE compliance.

• Ability to positively influence others/promote philosophy

• Defines personal success in terms of the whole team

• Makes timely and effective decisions, includes use of good judgment and consideration of proper balance between benefits/risks.

• Creates strong morale and spirit, feeling of belonging in team, broadly shares both routine and important tasks.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Positions are on shift work, working 12-hour shifts, rotating between days and nights (including weekends) with some overtime required.

• Working holidays and working overtime to provide shift coverage required.

• Willing and able to work in a safe but sometimes extreme environment. For example, parts of the plant may be accessible only via narrow platforms and walkways, tall ladders and/or steep stairs. Conditions will sometimes be hot, cold, loud, elevated, confined, smelly and/or dirty.

• Willing and able to perform physically demanding work which may include standing and/or walking for long periods of time, lifting and carrying heavy objects (e.g., fire extinguisher) and entering confined spaces. 

• Candidates will be administered a battery of tests to demonstrate adequate physical ability to safely perform all aspects of the job.

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs, exert up to 50 lbs of force occasionally, up to 30 lbs of force frequently, and up to 10 lbs of force constantly to move objects.

• Must have ability to see written documents, computer screens and to adjust focus.

• Must be able to hear/perceive nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.  Must have the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and make discriminations in sound with and without protective hearing as required.