Product Manager

Company:

Interested in joining a winning team? A team whose employees share in the ownership of the business and are empowered to make a difference?

Business Context

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals and specialty chemicals, producing the raw materials that are essential in the manufacturing of a wide range of goods. The chemicals manufactured by INEOS enhance almost every aspect of modern life.  INEOS is the 3rd largest petrochemical company in the world with 194 manufacturing sites across 29 countries and employing more than 26,000 people globally.

INEOS Oxide is one of the most diverse, dynamic and successful businesses within INEOS, operating 4 manufacturing sites in Europe and North America. These are located at Antwerp, Belgium; Koln, Germany; Lavera, France; Plaquemine, US.  INEOS Oxide is one of the world’s leading producers of Ethylene Oxide (EO) and Ethylene Oxide Derivatives (EODs), producing a broad range of 200+ products spread across 4 key value chains – Ethylene Oxide; Propylene Oxide; Oxo-alcohols & Esters; ENB. The total EO production capacity is currently > 1 million mt and the total production capacity for the overall business is ~ 3.4 million mt. 

Ethylene oxide (EO) is an important building block for the preparation of a wide variety of EO derivatives (EODs), including various surfactants, as well as many other chemical intermediates including Ethylene Glycols, Glycol Ethers, Polyethylene Glycols and Ethanolamine's.

In 2024 INEOS Oxide acquired a new site in Bayport (TX) and the respective business in the US, which increased the total production capacity of the business to ~ 4.4 million mt and through this acquisition INEOS Oxide has achieved a true global footprint, in particular for the Ethylene Oxide value chain.

Role Description

The Product Manager Ethanolamine's is a key member of the INEOS Oxide US Business Team.

The post holder is responsible for providing support to the Business Manager for EOAs across the full extent of the tasks involved with managing the business.

Focus will be on:

• executing and optimizing in-month business performance to maximize EBITDA and cash delivery
• defining and delivering the rolling three-month business-operating plan with the Business Manager
• providing/maintaining databases for the annual Operating Plan
• maintaining a planning and modelling tool for the business that includes all input-variables to enable optimization for the business as the output
• Ensuring reliable product-movements to ensure optimal plant-operations/run-rates

This is achieved by the Product Manager driving and coordinating a large cross-functional business team including procurement, manufacturing, supply chain, customer service and sales managers, and requires the post holder to have a deep and detailed understanding of production asset capabilities and economics, market dynamics, and customers’ service requirements and associated cost-to-serve. The Product Manager performs a key role in monitoring and responding to changing market demand for each individual product group and managing challenges arising from feedstock supply and production reliability issues.

INEOS Oxide – Internal Interfaces & Factors

The Product Manager will interface with, and positively influence, a large cross functional team across the INEOS Oxide business, as follows:

• Business Managers & Product Managers – EO swap, EOA sales in Europe, EOA arbitrage, optimizing margins on a global basis together with Lavera EOA volumes.
• Raw Material Procurement Team – agreeing and executing raw material procurement objectives.
• Plaquemine Site Operations – monitoring manufacturing performance; managing product supply.
• Logistics & Supply Chain Teams – agreeing and executing drumming, storage, and transportation requirements.
• Sales & Customer Service Teams – agreeing and executing the sales and contracting strategies for the business.
• INEOS Oxide Back-Office Support Functions – dealing with cross business and commercial process issues.
• Manage day-to-day and mid-term production, sales and margin planning and optimize sales/production variations.
• Maintain Dashboard and cost/price/margin data to aid in development of long-term plans and presentations.

External Interfaces & Factors

Executing this role effectively will require a wide-ranging engagement with parties in the external market:

• Suppliers – supporting the Procurement Team in key raw material supply negotiations.
• Customers – supporting the Sales Team in key contract preparations and potentially negotiations.
• Manage Customer relationship and business with 1 critically important customer and possibly up to 3 customers that can have significant impact on the EOA-plant operations
• Co-producers – supporting the business managers to pursue swap, toll and strategic partnership opportunities.
• Publications – discussions with publications, supporting Business Manager, to discuss market news and to inform them of INEOS specific information, as appropriate.
• INEOS O&P US – dealing with Ethylene market information.
• Legal – work on resolving contract and other challenges that require input from counsel.
• Technical Service – coordinate Product Data/Specification/Safety Information handling and changes.

Accountabilities

Accountability 1 - Business Operating Plan Execution

• Develop and maintain the rolling 3 month operational and financial forecast in line with supply/demand balances and product pricing policy and agree them with the Business Manager prior to his submission of the plan to the company’s formal financial forecasting process.
• Together with the planner, define and optimize production plan based on demand, inventory and raw material availability, to maximize business EBITDA and cash generation.
• Monitor and manage supply-demand balances to ensure availability of product for sale, and to ensure EBITDA, cash and working capital targets are met.
• Implement agreed inventory management strategy to achieve defined stock targets.
• Under guidance from the Business Manager, assist in defining the monthly and quarterly pricing policy in accordance with market dynamics and the business’ commercial strategy.
• Implement and manage supply chain solutions in co-operation with Supply Chain/Logistics Function and in accordance with defined business strategy to ensure appropriate levels of delivery service to domestic and export customers for both bulk and packed products.
• Assist and in alignment with Business Manager manage co-producer commercial interactions in alignment with agreed co-producer strategies and in full compliance with competition law requirements.
• Organize and facilitate the monthly Business Team Meeting in cooperation with the Business Manager EOAs.
• Co-ordinate response to customer complaints related to product quality.
• Ensure that asset maintenance plans are set in coordination with business commercial strategy, ensuring EBITDA, cash and working capital outcomes are optimized.

Accountability 2 - Sales Portfolio Management

• Monitor customer contract compliance; track contract renewal dates to ensure timely renegotiation of contract agreements.
• Manage EOA-bottoms Key-account relationship and business to assure continuous product-flow and margin.
• Identify, in collaboration with Sales Team, potential new customers based on the developed contract strategy.
• Support the Business Manager in preparing for tender and annual contract renegotiations.
• Identify and appraise new market opportunities for sales / swaps / purchases.

Accountability 3 - Market Intelligence and Data

• Develop strong awareness of market dynamics and trends.
• Gather market intelligence to ensure visibility of competitor / customer business strategy developments to identify emerging issues and opportunities.
• Proactively and systematically report key market information to the sales and wider business team, including customer and competitor landscape, notable trends, changes, and risks.

Accountability 4 - Business Strategy Development

• Support the Business Manager in defining annual production, procurement, sales and EBITDA plans. 
• Support the Business Manager in monthly EBITDA forecasting.
• Support the Business Manager in defining long term commercial and asset growth strategies.
• Identify and appraise production and supply chain cost reduction opportunities.
• Identify and appraise production and supply chain infrastructure investment opportunities to enhance capability.

Accountability 5 - Safety, Health, and Environmental

• This position requires that the incumbent commit to learning, following, and practicing INEOS 20 Principles of Process & Behavioral Safety as applicable to the position. These Principles are posted throughout each Oxide facility, and each employee must commit to following the INEOS Life-Saving rules on a daily basis.

Key Performance Indicators

• SHE Performance – Zero incidents.
• Monthly volume, revenue, contribution and EBITDA performance.
• Overall INEOS Oxide US Business Team goals - operational, financial, working capital and fixed cost targets.
• Success in delivering market share growth rates and market development targets for the sales region.
• Meet all departmental annual training and progression goals
• 100% compliance in Training and Behavior:
• EPA
• ISO
• GMP
• DOT
• OSHA

Level of education & experience in general

• Bachelor in either Chemical or Mechanical engineering preferred; or business/commercial or chemistry degree, provided the person can demonstrate a propensity for and has comfort with technical issues 
• MBA beneficial
• Minimum 5-10 years of chemical industry commercial experience
• Profound knowledge of Business, Commercial, Financial, and Technical/Operations Management

Technical skills

• Profound understanding of Business, Finance, Commerce, Contract Law and Production Technology
• Commercial acumen, demonstrated ability to identify and leverage sources of business value
• Solid understanding of marketing, sales, and supply chain principles and practices
• Comprehension of chemical manufacturing processes and practices
• Effective and efficient computer skills including, but not limited to SAP, Microsoft Office

Behavioral skills

• Decisive and tenacious in pursuit of objectives, demonstrating a proactive mentality and bias for action
• Ambition and curiosity to push the boundaries of the business
• Ability to think innovatively and strategically
• Highly numerate with an analytical mind-set, and attentive to detail
• Calm under pressure, able to make quick, clear and reasoned decisions in a dynamic business environment
• Leader of people, effective at engaging others in working together towards a common goal
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, natural relationship builder
• Coach and developer of people, desire to share learning and help colleagues to achieve results

ADA Physical Requirements; Environmental conditions

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and perform tasks requiring repetitive use of hands.  The employee must occasionally walk, stand and travel by car, airplane or other means
• Exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects
• Employee must have the ability to see written documents, computer screens, and to adjust focus
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.   Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound
• Work Environment:  This job is performed mainly in a temperature-controlled office environment

Our culture is one of honesty and integrity with an emphasis on safety, health and environmental performance.  On our team, people are acknowledged for embracing new practices that help create real value for customers.