Description

Chief Operating Officer, Kanto Corporation, Portland, Oregon

Kanto Chemical was founded in Japan in 1944. It has a wide range of product lines from fundamental reagents to a variety of chemicals and chemical materials necessary for highly technological industries. Kanto is driven by its mission, vision, and guiding values.

Corporate Mission
To make important contributions to both the current and future of science and technology.

Corporate Vision
Building a brighter future with ambitious challenges and goals that consistently contribute positively to society.

Stakeholder Values
Contributing to the creation of a more affluent society through the stable supply of innovative and reliable products.
Promoting responsible care as a chemical company with the goal of a more sustainable society.

Realizing the optimal work-life balance to create a healthy work environment where employees embrace their jobs with optimism.
Kanto contributes to scientific technology advancement, development of industry, and to maintaining the health of people through its business of supplying chemicals. They recognize this is their primary function and an important responsibility to society.
Kanto has developed new technologies, which at first seemed impossible to achieve. Examples include removing nanoscale residues in a tiny hole of just 100 nm diameter; conducting catalytic reactions which produce tons of product using just 1g of catalyst; and performing clinical diagnoses with a tiny amount of sample – just 0.001 mL of blood.

Kanto continuously challenges itself with difficult issues and has made many contributions in the field of semiconductor manufacturing technologies, new green chemical processes, and advances in medical tests. Kanto looks forward to continuing to open the door into a new era of chemical technologies. They seek to further improve their technologies through collaboration with high technology companies, universities, and public research institutions.
In 1990 Kanto Corporation was formed in the USA. The main mission of Kanto Corporation has been focused on serving the semiconductor market. In 1995, a 70,000 square-meter facility in Portland, Oregon was commissioned. Kanto’s intention is to continue the expansion and production capabilities of this facility.
The Portland Manufacturing Facility is a world-class facility for handling and producing high purity chemicals used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It also has a premier analytical laboratory on site, which is capable of ppt-level metals analysis. The design of this facility is modeled after its fifth successful factory in Ohmuta, Japan, and engineered using lessons learned from over 50 years of experience. Kanto is a key supplier to leading semiconductor manufacturers and has ambitious plans for continued market share growth.
Kanto is committed to the safety of its employees, customers, and the environment and has a comprehensive safety and health program with an excellent safety record. This position will be one of high visibility within Kanto given its desire to aggressively expand its market penetration in the US.
For more information, please visit their website at www.kantocorp.com
The Position

Reports to CEO/President, Scott Craig, ensuring accountability in the areas of operations, quality, safety, and productivity is consistently met.

Oversees daily operations. Once integration into Kanto and related observations are complete in his/her area of responsibility, informs CEO of what needs doing, prioritizes an action plan, and following buy-in, gets it done.

Mentor and oversee functional managers, build bench strength, and nurture a culture centered on performance.

Ensures compliance with approved budgets, monthly production goals, quality metrics, and safety standards.

Gets all operations aligned and increases rhythm and cadence. Focuses on continual process and quality improvement by molding into a highly functioning team. Will be instrumental in a rebuilding/alignment of the manufacturing organization team and structure.

Streamline operations ensuring efficient daily facility/plant operations and process improvement in areas of safety, quality, and productivity. Meeting monthly production goals needs to quickly become the routine baseline to build and improve upon.

Supervise projects, operational facilities, and supply chains while refining systems and processes. Supply chain and operational efficiency should be areas of particular emphasis.

Deploy metrics and measurement systems, where needed, to support a culture of continual operational improvement. Ensure disparate yet combined functions/departments and their leaders to move forward as an integrated team with a mentality that the status quo is unacceptable and delivery on stated goals is paramount. Build bench strength by mentoring and positioning functional managers to be leaders.

Champion quality standards while seeking to reduce quality and production associated costs and guarantee legal adherence across all operational areas where applicable.

Advocate for innovation and maintain high standards of safety, health, and environmental responsibility throughout the enterprise.

Review and, if necessary, establish measurement systems, KPIs, etc. for operations driving continual operational excellence.

Requirements

The Candidate

10-15 years of progressively responsible experience in the chemical industry with at least 5 years in a senior management role. Able to step in for CEO when absent.

Chemical engineering background is a true plus with an engineering background and plant experience a plus. An MBA from a premium institute of higher education is also preferred.

Working knowledge of semiconductor manufacturing process and related chemical industries is desired. Demonstrated expertise pertinent to manufacturing/production and supply chain operations is preferred.

Well versed in Lean process improvement and a project management certification is desirable.

Decisive leader with a proven ability to improve business performance and nurture talent. Possesses a track record of addressing non-performance and developing high performing teams that consistently achieve goals.

Empathetic and sensitive to staff needs but very accountability driven. Relentless in pursuit of goal achievement. Very deadline driven. Possesses a low tolerance for poor performance/performers and finds a “passing the buck” mentality has no place in her/his world.

Critical thinker and agile learner. Possessing the ability to see a best practice scenario and being able to adjust and implement it successfully in Kanto’s operational environment considering capabilities of staff.
Good communicator with solid interpersonal and negotiating skills. Persistent and patient in difficult situations. Even keeled and steady.

Demonstrated skills of organization and business scale would be considered positively.

Displays sound judgement and the highest ethical standards.

Compensation
A superior compensation package is offered along with relocation and a very competitive package of benefits.

For consideration, please send your resume to: 
Richard Ballard
Vice President, Executive Search
Nagle & Associates
rballard@nagleandassociates.net
(865) 293-9766