Factory Manager – Chemical Manufacturing | Full Time
Department: Production
Reports to: General Manager
We are seeking an experienced and safety-focused Factory Manager to lead our Production, Warehouse, and Maintenance teams within a chemical manufacturing environment. This critical leadership role ensures operations run efficiently, safely, and in strict compliance with regulatory and quality standards.
About the Role:
As Factory Manager, you will take responsibility for day-to-day plant operations, oversee multiple team leaders, and work closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Regulatory teams. You will drive continuous improvement initiatives while maintaining compliance with chemical industry legislation, environmental controls, and hazardous materials handling requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead all daily plant operations across production, warehousing, and maintenance functions.
* Ensure full compliance with chemical manufacturing regulations, environmental requirements, and workplace health and safety legislation.
* Manage and develop team leaders and operators through recruitment, training, coaching, and performance management.
* Maintain strict product quality and batch integrity in line with GMP, ISO and customer specifications.
* Monitor production schedules, throughput and downtime, communicating performance to senior management.
* Develop and implement cost-effective production and process-improvement strategies.
* Establish, track and report on KPIs including safety, quality, output, waste, and efficiency.
* Implement robust maintenance programs to maximise plant reliability and equipment uptime.
* Develop and continuously improve SOPs, risk assessments, hazard controls and emergency response procedures.
* Liaise with Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, customers, contractors and service suppliers to resolve operational issues.
* Drive safety culture initiatives, audits and incident investigations.
Qualifications & Skills:
* Proven experience in a senior manufacturing leadership role within chemical or hazardous goods environments.
* Strong understanding of chemical plant operations, process safety and regulatory compliance.
* Demonstrated leadership and people-management capability.
* Excellent analytical, troubleshooting and decision-making skills.
* Strong technical and machinery knowledge, including pumps, reactors, mixing systems or similar plant equipment.
* High-level communication skills with the ability to engage across operational and corporate teams.
* Competency in Microsoft Office and production reporting systems.
* Sound knowledge of OH&S, environmental and HR legislation.
* Experience working within GMP, ISO, or regulatory-controlled environments highly regarded.