Director, Pilot Plant
Hiring: Director, Pilot Plant Manufacturing
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Our client, a global leader in specialty chemical manufacturing, is seeking a Director, Pilot Plant Manufacturing to lead pilot plant operations and serve as the critical bridge between Research & Development and Manufacturing. Based in Memphis, TN, this leadership role will drive process scale-up, commercialization, process safety, continuous improvement, and technical excellence while ensuring innovative technologies are successfully transitioned from laboratory development to commercial production. Buckman
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead all pilot plant operations to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient execution of development trials, experiments, and production campaigns.
* Partner with R&D, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to successfully scale new products from laboratory development to commercial production.
* Direct process scale-up activities including mass and energy balances, equipment sizing, process optimization, and technology transfer.
* Drive process safety initiatives including Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Management of Change (MOC), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), and incident investigations.
* Lead continuous improvement programs focused on safety, quality, productivity, yield improvement, reliability, and cost optimization utilizing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
* Oversee capital projects, equipment reliability initiatives, SOP governance, and manufacturing documentation systems while providing technical leadership across the organization.
Qualifications:
* Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering required; Chemistry degree considered with significant manufacturing and process engineering experience.
* 10+ years of experience leading pilot plant, chemical manufacturing, process development, or commercialization operations.
* Proven experience in process scale-up, technology transfer, commercialization, and pilot plant leadership.
* Strong understanding of Process Safety Management (PSM), hazard analysis, OSHA, EPA, and regulatory compliance requirements.
* Experience within specialty chemicals, industrial chemicals, water treatment chemicals, or related process manufacturing environments.
* Lean Six Sigma experience, strong financial acumen, and demonstrated success leading technical and manufacturing teams preferred.
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