Plant Manager, Estella

Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemistry for water intensive industries. For more than 100 years, our chemistry has advanced human progress and quality of life. We call it chemistry with a purpose, better every day. At Kemira, we foster a collaborative and inclusive work culture that empowers our employees to thrive and make a difference. Learn more about Kemira at www.kemira.com/careers. 

We are now looking for a Plant Manager for our Manufacturing site in Estella, which is part of our Operations unit. 

The Manufacturing organization in the Operations unit ensures safe, efficient, and sustainable production of chemical solutions that meet customer needs across industries. The unit is responsible for operational excellence, continuous improvement, and maintaining high standards in Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality. Manufacturing plays a key role in driving performance, innovation, and collaboration across global sites. 

This position is located on-site in Estella-Lizarra, Navarra, Spain. 

In this role you will be responsible for: 

• Establishing and maintaining a strong safety culture aligned with the Kemira Values and Principles  

• Ensuring all staff follows the rules and processes, enforcing EHSQ standards and policies, and ensuring teams have proper working conditions and safety equipment per Kemira guidelines and local laws. 

• Accountable for daily plant operations, production planning, and execution to meet volume, quality, and delivery targets. 

• Monitoring and improving the performance of operations against standards and targets in areas such as manufacturing efficiency, cost control, EHSQ, maintenance, reliability, legal compliance, capital investments, and human resource management. 

• Leading, coaching, and developing a multidisciplinary leadership team at the Estella site: ensuring proper workforce planning, succession management, and competence development.  

• Fostering constructive relations with the work council, unions, and external stakeholders as applicable. 

• Owning the site budget, including fixed and variable costs, headcount, maintenance, and capital expenditures. 

• Preparing capital expenditure plans in line with established policies for business review and ensuring follow-up to support sustainable operations and business development. 

What you’ll bring to the team: 

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, chemistry, or a similar relevant technical subject area. A master's degree or an MBA is an advantage. 

• Strong background in process safety and regulated environments. 

• Proven leadership with the ability to motivate and develop others, ideally gained in the chemical or process industries. 

• Demonstrable experience managing teams in manufacturing or operations with a proven record in managing performance, budgets, and operational processes. 

• Adaptability and a growth mindset with a flexible approach to handling challenges and the ability to thrive in a dynamic manufacturing environment. 

• Good problem-solving and decision-making capabilities to manage complex processes and drive operational excellence. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to ensure effective collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders. 

• Collaborative approach, supporting Kemira’s principles: Focus on Growth, Deliver Value, and Collaborate to Succeed 

• Willingness and flexibility to travel sporadically for region or project meetings 

• Proficiency in both Spanish and English. 

What you can expect from us: 

• Excellent opportunity to be part of Kemira’s sustainability-driven transformation for profitable growth. 

• Challenging, interesting, and varying tasks with training and development opportunities to grow professionally. 

• Commitment to care for people and the environment and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

• A competitive salary and benefits package including discretionary bonus scheme.


• The starting base salary range for this role is between EUR 80 000 to EUR 90 000 per year. Salary ranges may vary depending on location and local market conditions. The actual starting salary will be determined by various factors, including but not limited to relevant work experience, skills and competencies, qualifications, and wider business and organizational needs.  

Ready to create better every day? Join Kemira!  

For more information, please contact Robin van Oudenaarden by email [email protected] or by phone +43 664 960 9319. 

Please apply with application and CV no later than June 14 at kemira.com/careers. 

To ensure a smooth recruitment process, we kindly ask candidates to submit their applications via our recruitment system at kemira.com/careers. Applications sent by email cannot be considered. 

We are leading the way to sustained fair pay in the workplace. As a Fair Pay Certified company, we are taking action to enable ongoing equal pay for equal work. This certification demonstrates our commitment to using trusted and transparent methodologies to analyse pay equity. We are proud to share this achievement as part of our dedication to a fair and equitable workplace for everyone. 

Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemistry for water-intensive industries. We operate globally and serve a wide range of customers including municipal and industrial water treatment companies and the fiber industry. Our solutions and services help secure clean water for millions of people every day and support our customers in advancing circularity and responsible resource use throughout their value chains. In 2025, Kemira reported annual revenue of EUR 2.8 billion with a global team of 4,911 colleagues. Kemira is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. www.kemira.com-