ERW Mill Manager

Description:
The ERW Mill Manager is responsible for translating the production plan into safe, consistent daily execution across the Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) Pipe Mill. The role owns the operating rhythm for every shift and changeover and is accountable for schedule attainment, throughput, efficiency, yield, scrap, rework, downtime response, labor productivity, process discipline, and frontline leadership capability.
This position serves as the primary day-to-day operating leader for the ERW Mill and creates the management capacity necessary for the Director, Mill Operations to focus on integrated mill strategy, major constraints, capacity growth, and organizational transformation. The ERW Mill Manager leads the Operations, Tooling, and assigned Quality Supervisors, while partnering closely with the Project Manager, Operations Engineers, Maintenance, Engineering & Investments, Quality, HSES, Planning, Supply Chain, Finance, and Human Resources. The role reports directly to the Director, ERW Mill & Investments.

Working Conditions:
Working conditions include a combination of office and heavy manufacturing plant environments with frequent presence throughout ERW production, tooling, inspection, coil-handling, and material-flow areas. Daily exposure may include heat, noise, welding operations, moving equipment, stored energy, sharp materials, and other industrial conditions requiring appropriate PPE. Regular walking and standing are required. Availability to support a multi-shift operation, startups, shutdowns, changeovers, breakdowns, production interruptions, and business-critical issues outside standard hours is expected.
1. Qualifications
1.1 Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education and substantial ERW or steel pipe manufacturing experience may be considered.
1.2 7–10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience in ERW pipe, OCTG, steel tube, roll forming, welding, or comparable heavy manufacturing, including significant leadership responsibility.
1.3 Demonstrated knowledge of ERW forming, welding, sizing, cutoff, end finishing, hydrotest or inspection interfaces, tooling, product flow, and associated process controls.
1.4 Working knowledge of applicable API, ASTM, ISO, ASME, customer-specific, traceability, inspection, and product-conformance requirements.
1.5 Proven ability to lead supervisors, leads, technical resources, and frontline teams across a multi-shift production environment.
1.6 Demonstrated use of daily operating KPIs, including safety performance, schedule attainment, throughput, efficiency, OEE, uptime, yield, scrap, rework, changeover performance, labor productivity, and material utilization.
1.7 Demonstrated application of Lean manufacturing methods, including 5S, visual management, tiered daily accountability, leader standard work, Gemba, standard work, Kaizen, setup reduction, mistake-proofing, flow, and structured problem solving.
1.8 Strong capability in production scheduling, labor deployment, shift handoffs, changeover readiness, downtime escalation, root cause follow-through, and corrective-action discipline.
1.9 Effective coach and communicator with the ability to strengthen supervisor ownership, develop leads and teams, manage conflict, and collaborate across functions.

2. Responsibilities
Daily Mill Leadership & Production Execution
2.1 Own the ERW Mill daily operating rhythm and translate approved production plans into safe, executable shift priorities, staffing plans, product sequences, and changeover requirements.
2.2 Lead Operations, Tooling, and assigned Quality Supervisors through clear expectations, tiered accountability, shift handoffs, escalation standards, and documented follow-through.
2.3 Ensure production schedules, work orders, materials, tooling, technical support, quality requirements, and equipment readiness are aligned before execution.
2.4 Lead daily review of mill performance and recovery actions, escalating material risks to the Director, Mill Operations with clear facts, ownership, and timing.

Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability (HSES)
2.5 Champion a zero-incident culture and ensure ERW operations comply with company HSES standards, regulatory requirements, JSAs, safe operating procedures, energy-control requirements, and stop-work expectations.
2.6 Require proactive hazard identification, near-miss reporting, risk mitigation, effective incident investigation, and sustained corrective actions across all shifts.
2.7 Ensure production pressure never overrides approved safety controls, environmental requirements, or employee stop-work authority.

Operational Performance, Flow & Delivery
2.8 Own daily ERW performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, throughput, efficiency, OEE, schedule attainment, yield, labor productivity, and material utilization.
2.9 Coordinate product sequence, staffing, tooling, changeovers, inspection, and material movement to maintain stable flow and meet downstream and customer requirements.
2.10 Drive visible downtime accountability through accurate categorization, timely response, escalation, recovery planning, and verification of corrective actions.
2.11 Lead changeover readiness and execution, reducing avoidable startup, tooling, waiting, adjustment, and quality losses.

Quality, Yield & Process Discipline
2.12 Ensure ERW products are manufactured in accordance with approved procedures, customer specifications, and applicable API, ASTM, ISO, ASME, traceability, inspection, and control-plan requirements.
2.13 Reinforce quality at the source through adherence to process parameters, standard work, inspection points, tooling controls, change-management requirements, and nonconformance procedures.
2.14 Make yield, scrap, rework, defect, and process-variation losses visible and require structured corrective action with Operations Engineers, Quality, Tooling, Maintenance, and the Project Manager.
2.15 Ensure process trials, restarts, deviations, and changes occur only through approved readiness, validation, training, and authorization processes.

Lean Manufacturing, 5S & Daily Management
2.16 Embed Lean principles in daily ERW execution with emphasis on customer value, respect for people, stable processes, flow, quality at the source, and systematic elimination of waste.
2.17 Establish and sustain 5S, visual controls, safe and defined material and tooling locations, point-of-use organization, area ownership, and routine audits.
2.18 Use leader standard work, Gemba observations, tiered daily management, Kaizen, and structured problem solving to expose abnormalities and close performance gaps.
2.19 Reduce waiting, motion, transport, excess work-in-process, defects, rework, setup loss, and unplanned downtime through standard work, setup reduction, mistake-proofing, and employee-led improvement.
2.20 Require improvements to be documented, trained, incorporated into controlled standards, measured, and verified for sustainability.

Reliability, Projects & Cross-Functional Execution
2.21 Coordinate with Maintenance for breakdown response, planned maintenance windows, equipment-care expectations, abnormality reporting, and return-to-service readiness.
2.22 Partner with the Project Manager and Operations Engineers to identify chronic losses, define improvement opportunities, support technical trials, provide operating input, and validate project benefits.
2.23 Participate in project design reviews, installation planning, commissioning, startup, operator training, and operational handover for ERW CapEx and OpEx projects.
2.24 Ensure Project, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, HSES, Planning, and Production activities are coordinated without compromising daily operating control or approved governance.

People Leadership & Cost Discipline
2.25 Select, lead, coach, and develop supervisors and assigned team members through clear expectations, regular feedback, performance management, cross-training, succession planning, and accountability for developing leads and frontline teams.
2.26 Build deeper coverage, technical capability, disciplined problem solving, and consistent leadership practices across shifts.
2.27 Manage assigned labor, overtime, consumables, tooling usage, scrap, rework, and other controllable conversion-cost drivers within approved plans.
2.28 Partner with Human Resources on staffing, attendance, employee relations, talent development, engagement, and change communication.

3. Authority and Obligation
3.1 Full day-to-day leadership responsibility for the ERW Mill and direct supervisory responsibility for assigned Operations, Tooling, and Quality leaders.
3.2 Authority to establish shift priorities, deploy assigned resources, coordinate changeovers, and require corrective actions necessary to meet approved safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives.
3.3 Authority to adjust or stop the production sequence and escalate resource needs within approved plans, policies, labor requirements, and delegated authority.
3.4 Authority to hold or stop processes and escalate product outside approved specifications for disposition through established Quality authority and nonconformance processes.
3.5 Authority to recommend staffing, training, tooling, operating-budget, equipment, maintenance, technology, and improvement needs through the Director, Mill Operations.
3.6 Authority to escalate and halt practices involving legal, ethical, quality, environmental, safety, or policy risk pending review and corrective action.
3.7 This position has the authority to stop work or stop production for reasons of safety, quality, environmental compliance, or unacceptable operational risk.
3.8 Other duties as assigned by the Director, Mill Operations.