Plant Manager

Covia responsibly provides minerals solutions for a better tomorrow. As a leading provider of diversified minerals, our products support a variety of industrial markets, including glass, ceramics, coatings, metals, foundry, polymers, construction, water filtration, and sports and recreation. Long-standing relationships with a broad customer base enable Covia’s market-inspired approach to innovation to enhance solutions and customer benefits. Underpinning these strengths is an unwavering commitment to safety and to sustainable development, further enhancing the value that Covia delivers to all its stakeholders.

Quality and innovation are at the foundation of Covia; but our real strength is our people. Covia employs a diverse and highly skilled team of professionals to convert natural minerals into engineered solutions for our customers. Every member of our team has a valuable opportunity to help shape our future and make a positive impact on the world around us through our commitment to the locations where we live and work.

Covia is looking for a dynamic Plant Manager who will have a positive impact on the Operations team at its Nepheline Syenite Operation located at the Havelock Ontario Blue Mountain and Nephton facility locations. As a Plant Manager, you will lead and control all activities at the location. You will safely provide customers with quality products, on schedule, at the lowest optimum cost consistent with Corporate objectives. You will coordinate work with supervisory personnel in executing plans and achieving goals for location profitability.

The successful incumbent will have the following Key Accountabilities:

• Lead all phases of location activities, including:
• Safety is Covia’s North Star. Be visible in leading our Safety Starts With Me program by ensuring the plant fosters a safety culture, executes all safety initiatives, and is in compliance with appropriate regulatory agency guidelines for safety and health.
• Function as leader of the local plant’s steering team.
• Implement the basic tenets of Covia’s Management System by instilling a strong sense of “ownership” in all team members.
• Establish and maintain a system of continuous training: on-the-job training, simple charting and statistical techniques, brainstorming, basic process control procedures, and work sampling
• Using the philosophy and techniques of continuous improvement, initiate various programs to improve productivity, quality, loss reduction, decrease costs, and overall process optimization and other efficiencies.
• Review mining and production costs and product quality and, through subordinates, initiate programs to adhere to standards or establish new and improved standards.
• Managing OEE, leading annual OEM’s current KPI’s
• Manage operating conditions and production schedules, through frequent contact with Corporate Operations, Sales & Marketing, Technical Services, Purchasing, Engineering, Safety and Health Departments.
• Ensure that all manuals and other informational documents are kept current, e.g., Corporate Policy and Procedures Manual, Plant-Specific Policies and Procedures, Corporate QIP Manual and Plant-Specific Q.C. Manual, Permit/Legal Book, Controlled Maintenance Program Manual, Position Descriptions, Process Instructions, and Safety and Health Manual.
• Direct maintenance of physical condition of all facilities through systematic program of preventative maintenance, repairs, and through initiation of capital requests when this action appears appropriate and economical.
• Ensure effective staffing (salaried and hourly workforce) as required for the most efficient and economical operation.
• Administer the two plants (Blue Mountain and Nephton) labor contracts and participate in the grievance procedure as established in the plant’s collective bargaining agreement. Establish, maintain, and administer the location’s or Corporate work rules consistent with good employee and labor relations. Participate as a member of the labor contract negotiating team. Conduct regular, periodic Company-Union meetings. Conduct regular, periodic employee information meetings.
• Direct the preparation of location budgets, cost controls, and informational reports. Coordinate the daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting procedures.
• Maintain and implement action plans to establish and maintain good relations with neighbors and the local community. Set general tenor of Company relationships with the community and maintain personal contacts with local officials in the community and others in influential positions.
• Develop and implement environmental action plans to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and to broaden the environmental awareness of employees.

The successful incumbent will have the following Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree, technical or engineering major strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of related heavy industry experience required, mining or mineral processing experience strongly preferred.
• 2+ years of front-line supervisory experience required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Knowledge of and understanding of safety regulations.
• Experience working in ERP Systems preferred.
• Pleasant and professional manner.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Commitment to Our Culture:

Our core values - Safety, Team, Customers, Growth, and Courage—guide our work every day and will help us achieve our vision: Covia is the leading minerals solutions provider, and through the passion and commitment of our people, we enable customer success—ensuring a sustainable future for our company.

All Covia Team Members are expected to:

• Live the Life-Saving Rules
• Build high-performing work teams
• Focus on customers
• Demonstrate a growth mindset
• Do the right thing, always

Benefits:

• Excellent Healthcare Benefits – medical, vision, dental
• Registered Pension Plan
• Vacation + Paid Holidays
• Disability, Life / AD&D, and Long-Term Care Insurances
• Employee Assistance Program