Production Manager

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller’s (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2025 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,100 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in 150 countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets. Learn more at www.hbfuller.com.

Position Overview

The Production Manager of the reactive area reports to the Plant Manager and may later report to a Head of Production for the entire plant. The position is responsible for:

• Ensuring compliance with health & safety requirements across all workshops in the plant in accordance with legal and H.B. Fuller requirements.
• Managing production within the reactive area (1kPU, 2kPU (partly), 1kPOP, Silicone (partly)) and the non-reactive area, with an annual output of approximately 7-10 ktons.
• Ensuring production is cost-effective and meets customer lead times, service level, and quality requirements.
• Acting as a potential backup for the Site Manager during holiday periods.
• Supporting project management activities within the assigned departments (Maintenance, Quality, Logistics, Engineering, R&D, and EHS).
• Driving a strong Lean and Kaizen culture across the production areas.
• Achieving all operational targets while leading and managing with safety as a core value.

Primary Responsibilities

• Ensure the implementation of and adherence to EHS standards across the Operations area, with the support of the EHS Manager.
• Develop and maintain a strong safety culture, including PSM, hazard studies, and other safety-related initiatives.
• Ensure the production of adhesives in accordance with safety standards, quality requirements, and agreed service levels.
• Plan manpower requirements to achieve the required production output, including the use of external temporary labor where necessary.
• Responsible for detailed production planning and scheduling in cooperation with S&OP.
• Lead and develop employees and ensure high availability of production lines through effective management of the repair and maintenance department.
• Continuously optimize and improve production standards, processes, and operational performance across the site.
• Prepare project proposals and capital expenditure requests.
• Participate in customer audits and external ISO audits (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001, and ISO 50001).
• Promote responsible energy use and the sustainable utilization of resources.
• Maintain a strong focus on operational reporting and performance metrics for the Plant Manager.

Minimum Requirements

• Several years of experience in a chemical production environment.
• More than 5 years of practical experience in a chemical manufacturing or production planning role.
• More than 5 years of experience managing employees.
• Ability to manage different production technologies and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to communicate effectively and deliver key messages across all levels of the organization.
• Good written and spoken German and English language skills.
• Good technical understanding and practical experience with operational KPI deployment and performance monitoring.
• Good computer skills, including MS Office, SAP, BI, and similar systems.

Preferred Requirements

• Previous experience within the chemical industry.
• Practical experience with Kaizen and 5S principles.
• Experience using SAP ERP systems.
• Good computer skills in standard business applications, including MS Office.

H.B. Fuller is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and proud to have created a collaborative culture where employees around the world are seen, heard, and respected. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or marital status or status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected classification.

H.B. Fuller does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with H.B. Fuller, a written service agreement must be executed by Human Resources prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed service agreement, H.B. Fuller shall not be obligated for payment of any fee or compensation.