Operations Manager in Newport

Location: Newport Manufacturing Site, South Wales, United Kingdom

Contract: Permanent

Reporting to: Site Manager / Manufacturing Director

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and values‑driven Operations Manager to lead day‑to‑day operations at our Newport manufacturing site. This role is responsible for driving safe, reliable, and efficient plant performance while building a strong culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Reporting into the Site Manager, you will provide clear leadership to your team, ensure operational discipline is maintained, and work closely with colleagues across the site to meet safety, quality, production, and cost objectives. This is a key second level leadership role requiring strong judgement, excellent communication, and the ability to balance priorities in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

The Role

• Safety is part of everything we do. You will always act and work safely, encouraging safe behaviours whilst holding yourself and others accountable for compliance with site rules and procedures.
• Your responsibilities include risk assessment, management of change, and active participation in PHR, HAZOP, and LOPA activities.
• You will participate and lead audits, reporting and investigating incidents, near misses, and releases accurately and promptly.
• You will maintain strong awareness of alarm and SIS philosophy, support emergency preparedness, and take the role of Main Controller when required.
• You will manage day‑to‑day activities in line with Eastman's culture and procedures, conduct effective performance reviews, intervene when at‑risk behaviours are observed, and reward strong safety performance.
• You will coach, mentor, and develop your team, build succession plans, and hold people accountable to clear and consistently understood performance standards.

Operational Excellence

• You will ensure production meets on‑site schedules to satisfy business and customer requirements, maintaining high standards of operational discipline and compliance.
• You will review KPIs and drive improvement actions, support plant reliability and the timely completion of preventative maintenance activities, coordinate shift handover and status reporting to the SLT, and provide technical direction and resource support to enable effective decision‑making across the team.
• You will look for innovative solutions to drive forward safety performance whilst minimizing cost.

Quality

• You will be the owner of documentation in your area, ensuring that procedures and checklists are accurate, up to date, and followed consistently.
• You will participate in and provide resource for Human Reliability Assessments (HRAs), design jobs to minimise human error, and ensure that product consistently meets or exceeds internal and external quality requirements.
• You will identify and implement cost‑saving opportunities — particularly in maintenance and utilities — track resource and utility usage, and manage fixed costs to ensure budgets are not exceeded.
• You will deliver financial targets year‑on‑year and engage with your team to minimise waste and maximise plant performance.

The Person

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Chemical engineering degree qualified or other relevant discipline
• Proven leadership experience in a manufacturing or operational environment, ideally within an upper Tier COMAH facility
• Strong personal commitment to safety and operational discipline with a good foundation in process and personal safety management
• Ability to coach, develop, and hold people accountable
• Good judgement and decision‑making skills, including in complex or ambiguous situations
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills across all levels
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain focus under pressure
• Experience working in a regulated or process manufacturing environment
• A strong problem‑solving mindset and continuous improvement approach
• Confidence and optimism in leading a team through change and challenge

What We Offer

• The opportunity to lead a key manufacturing area in a global business
• A culture focused on safety, teamwork, and continuous improvement
• The chance to make a meaningful impact on performance and people development
• A supportive environment with genuine opportunities for growth and development

Eastman Values

At Eastman, we live by our core values: Safety & Wellness, Honesty & Integrity, Inclusion & Diversity, and an Outcome‑Driven Team Mindset. We expect our leaders to role model these values and to create an environment where every team member can thrive. Eastman is committed to creating a powerfully diverse workforce and a broadly inclusive workplace, where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential each day.