Business Unit Leader - Converting

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Business Unit Leader-Converting for our First Quality Tissue Midwest facility located in Defiance, OH.  This position will train in both Lock Haven, PA and Anderson, SC during the first 6-9 months to help us build and train the Converting team.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Promote an action-oriented safety culture embracing safety as a core value, instilling and exemplifying a safety mindset for all team members resulting in an incident free workplace.

• Manage daily operations in the Converting department with a focus on continuous improvement, ensuring production and delivery of the highest quality products at the lowest costs, consistent with customer requirements, company plans and profit objectives.

• Develop, implement, and lead strategic initiatives to support the production objectives of the plant.

• Effectively communicate operating plans, performance goals, and expectations to team members.

• Foster an environment that supports cooperation and cohesiveness among the work team and with other functional areas within the organization. Nurture the collaborative environment by promoting transparency and communicating positively and effectively.

• Lead and manage direct reports including coaching and performance feedback.

• Ensures training, employee development, and work systems enable all converting team members to maximize their contribution to the plants’ success and contribute to productivity efforts.

• Prioritizes and controls platform production activities to maintain high quality and efficiencies.

• Leads platform in all key process and product trials to ensure the production learning curve and business product needs are met.

• Support and set up maintenance priorities, outage management, any activities around reliability and preventative maintenance development.

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Engineering, or a related operations field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in Production and a minimum of 5 years’ Production Management experience.

• Experience in a lean manufacturing environment preferred.

• Experience in inventory control, scheduling, and planning (asset).

• A superior knowledge of and commitment to safety.

• Knowledge center lining equipment.

• Knowledge of converting production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

• Standard knowledge of Excel and Office programs.

• SAP knowledge preferred.

• Possess interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and develop team members – a leader who can identify, train, develop top talent and build effective teams.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the willingness to make decisions and exhibit sound, accurate judgment.

• Action oriented with keen time management skills to manage, measure and prioritize work effectively.

• Excellent communication skills to speak clearly and persuasively with a drive for results.

• Ability to delegate to maximize safety, quality and production goals.

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities

• Paid time off (three-week minimum)

• Medical, dental and vision starting day one

• 401(k) with employer match

• Paid parental leave

• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)

• Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)

• Tuition assistance

• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums

• ...and more!