Operations Management Trainee

Location: Chicago, IL, US

Operations Management Trainee

Date

Oct 28, 2026

Location

Chicago, IL, US, 60608

#job-location.job-location-inline {

display: inline;

}

Company

simsmetalm

Req ID

6916

Salary Range

80K - 85KUSD

Founded in Australia in 1917, Sims Limited (Sims) is a global leader in metal recycling and circular solutions for technology. We play a critical role in advancing circularity and decarbonisation by supplying recycled materials and re-purposed products that help preserve our planet.

At Sims, we believe in developing our people. With a strong promote-from-within philosophy and a range of programmes that support continuous learning, we offer opportunities for meaningful, long-term careers. Employing more than 4,100 people worldwide, we operate over 155 facilities across 13 countries. As an ASX-listed company, Sims provides the stability, transparency, and professional growth opportunities of a publicly traded organisation, all driven by our purpose: to create a world without waste.

Discover a career at Sims Metal (SM), a global leader in metal recycling. We buy and process ferrous and non-ferrous metal, and we sell recycled metal to manufacturers in 30 countries. Cultivating the industry’s most talented professionals with more than 80 locations in the United States, we recognize our continued growth and success will be achieved by recruiting and developing, skilled people just like you. As innovators in the industry, we take great pride in our recycling infrastructure, and we invest heavily in our operations, our functions, and most importantly, our people. Our commitment to growth and sustainability means we are constantly seeking motivated, results-driven, and creative individuals to join our stellar team of professionals.

Trainee Program

Our Operations team is growing, and we want to add new team members who are determined, creative, and collaborative to ensure our continued success. As a Management Trainee, you will be enrolled in a one-year paid program that will prepare you to manage a front-line team within our North American operation. This includes leading employees and managing operations at one of our many facilities.

This program gives you the opportunity to receive field-based training and shadow a team of seasoned experts from our Operations, Commercial, and Support functions. You will also receive comprehensive leadership training and professional development that will bring you more visibility and engagement with leaders from other programs across our global operations. Travel within the Region (Northern California and Nevada) will be required. Occasional travel to other US locations may also be required.

Once the program concludes, you will be considered for a full-time role on the SM Operations team. SM is offering you the chance to build a rewarding and fulfilling career with a leading sustainability company and acquire transferable skills that you can use for the rest of your life! If you are good at what you do, you can work anywhere. If you are great at what you do, come work with us.

Upon completion of program, some of your daily responsibilities include:

Supervise production team members (laborers and equipment operators) performing production operations.

Possess thorough working knowledge of the union contract (if applicable), employee handbook, safety manuals, and all rules, programs, and procedures that pertain to production team members and apply them effectively and consistently.

Familiarize team members with company policies/rules/regulations.

Promote and maintain good employee relations through effective management practices, setting expectations, coaching, and proper application of employee relations policies.

Responsible for orientation and on-the-job training of team members in the safe, efficient operation of equipment.

Instill a sense of good housekeeping of their immediate work area in all employees as well as their responsibility for compliance with all quality specifications.

Evaluate probationary team members based on attendance, performance, attitude, potential, etc. Recommend candidates for hire, promotion, transfer, demotion, or termination.

Responsible for maintaining production within the assigned department at authorized levels.

Observe the production operation within your area of control to ascertain compliance with methods, quality standards, safety regulations, production standards, and efficient operation of equipment: take corrective action to eliminate any deviation.

Participate in conducting job hazard analyses and the development of safe work procedures.

Continuously analyze the assigned area of responsibility for improved methods of production, tool design communication, and reporting, cost controls and make recommendations to the production manager for disposition.

Clearly communicate on-the-job problems including low production, poor quality, poor attendance, tardiness, etc. to employees and works with employees to develop a corrective action plan.

Documents problems and reviews action plans with manager.

Arrange for proper maintenance of machines and equipment. Recommend improvements in equipment and processes.

When applicable, study operations where cost standards are not being met to determine causes and implement corrective action.

Where appropriate, coordinate the functions over which assigned with those of other departments or shifts.

Develop among the assigned team members a consciousness of the need for teamwork to attain departmental and SMM goals and objectives.

Support and carry out the management philosophy and vision.

Conducts meetings (i.e. safety and quality) and is responsible for communicating policies and regulations to subordinate personnel.

In case of an emergency, direct team members to their assigned safe area.

Promote plant-wide teamwork and positive morale.

To learn more about SM and our career opportunities, visit www.simsmm.com/careers

SIMS LIMITE