Centrifuse Program Manager - Alton Park

Position Purpose:

This temporary, part-time position is specifically intended to provide experienced leadership and hands-on support during the Centrifuse transfer, startup, training, and stabilization period at Alton Park. As the operation becomes established, a primary objective of the role will be to ensure that process knowledge is successfully transferred to the Alton Park team so the operation can be sustained independently.

This position will serve as a key resource throughout the transition, helping coordinate equipment and process setup, production readiness, quality inspections, troubleshooting and corrective actions, maintenance needs, employee training, and overall project execution.

The Program Manager will work closely with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Human Resources, and other appropriate personnel to ensure the Centrifuse process is transferred safely, effectively, and with minimal disruption. The role will also help ensure that knowledge and best practices from the existing operation are successfully transferred to employees supporting the new operation at Alton Park.

Essential Functions:

Program Coordination and Transition

• Coordinate activities associated with transferring the Centrifuse process from Berea to Alton Park.
• Help develop and maintain priorities, action items, responsibilities, and milestones associated with the transition.
• Coordinate across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Safety, Human Resources, and other functions as needed.
• Identify potential obstacles to a successful startup and help drive timely resolution.
• Provide regular updates regarding project status, outstanding issues, risks, and required actions.

Equipment and Process Readiness

• Assist with equipment installation, setup, commissioning, and production-readiness activities.
• Help identify equipment, tooling, process, and maintenance issues during installation and startup.
• Coordinate necessary repairs, adjustments, and corrective actions with the appropriate resources.
• Support troubleshooting during startup and production ramp-up.
• Assist in establishing sustainable processes for ongoing equipment operation and maintenance.

Quality and Process Control

• Support inspections and quality verification throughout process setup and startup.
• Work closely with Quality and Operations to identify process or product concerns and coordinate corrective actions.
• Help ensure appropriate manufacturing procedures, process controls, inspection requirements, and documentation are established prior to full production.
• Monitor startup performance and assist in addressing recurring quality or process issues.

Training and Knowledge Transfer

• Coordinate knowledge transfer between experienced Berea personnel and the Alton Park team.
• Assist with development and coordination of training for new employees supporting the Centrifuse operation.
• Provide hands-on process guidance when appropriate.
• Help ensure employees understand process requirements, equipment operation, quality expectations, and standard work.
• Identify additional training needs as employees progress toward independent operation of the process.

Maintenance and Continuous Improvement

• Coordinate with Maintenance regarding equipment needs, preventive maintenance requirements, repairs, and outstanding items.
• Track startup-related maintenance issues through completion.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, process stability, quality, safety, and productivity.
• Help document lessons learned during the transition for future operations.

Safety and Operational Readiness

• Promote safe work practices throughout installation, training, startup, and production.
• Partner with Safety, Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance to identify and resolve potential safety concerns.
• Support overall readiness activities prior to production launch and during the stabilization period.
• Ability to work 1st, 2nd or 3rd shift as business needs require.

Education and Training

• GED or High School Diploma required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Significant experience in manufacturing operations, program/project management, engineering, maintenance, quality, or a related technical manufacturing environment.
• Previous experience with Centrifuse or similar manufacturing processes strongly preferred.
• Experience with manufacturing equipment installation, startup, process transfer, or plant transitions preferred.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing quality systems, maintenance practices, and production processes.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple departments and priorities.
• Ability to effectively train and communicate with employees at various levels of the organization.
• Strong organizational, follow-up, and documentation skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of issues through resolution.
• Willingness and ability to travel between Chattanooga, TN and Berea, KY as business needs require.

Preferred Experience

• Prior hands-on experience with the Centrifuse operation or equipment.
• Experience supporting manufacturing equipment relocation or process transfers between facilities.
• Experience with new equipment commissioning and production ramp-up.
• Experience training operators, maintenance employees, or technical personnel.
• Familiarity with root cause analysis, corrective action, preventive maintenance, standard work, and continuous improvement principles.

Physical Demands

• Constant sitting and grasping
• Occasional driving, grasping and pinching
• Minimal standing, walking, bending, squatting, kneeling, climbing and reaching
• Lift up to 5 lbs.
• Carry up to 5 lbs. approximately 25 feet
• Push/Pull 10 lbs. of force 5 feet

Environmental Conditions

Non temperature-controlled manufacturing work environment with adequate lighting and ventilation.

Behavioral Traits

• Innovative - Feeling comfortable in fast-changing environments; being willing to take risks and to consider new and untested approaches
• Tactical - Emphasizing the production of immediate results by focusing on short-range, hands-on, practical strategies
• Production - Adopting a strong orientation toward achievement, holding high expectations for yourself and others, pushing yourself and others to achieve at high levels.
• Cooperation - Accommodating the needs and interests of others by being willing to defer performance on your own objectives to assist colleagues with theirs.
• Consensual - Valuing the ideas and opinions of others and collecting their input as part of your decision-making process.
• Attention to Detail - Diligently attends to details and pursues quality in accomplishing tasks
• Development & Continual Learning - Displays an ongoing commitment to learning and self-improvement.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

*This is not a comprehensive list of duties. Duties may change without notice in management’s sole discretion.