Plant Operations Manager

Plant Operations Manager

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Location : Portales, NM

Reports to : General Manager

Employment Type : Full-time, Exempt

Company Overview : Navitas Global LLC converts dairy industry waste streams into ultra low carbon ethanol, high protein animal feed, and surplus purified water. Our Portales biorefinery is expected to produce 25 MGPY of advanced ethanol per year. We value safety, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship.

Position Summary

The Plant Operations Manager provides 24 / 7 leadership for all production, quality, and utility functions. This role drives overall plant performance through put, yield, cost, and compliance while managing a 44-person operations team and an eight-figure annual budget. Success is measured in OEE, carbon-intensity (CI) scores, safety metrics, and EBITDA contribution.

Key Responsibilities

• Meet daily and monthly ethanol-production targets and keep equipment running smoothly.
• Drive a strong safety culture and maintain OSHA / EPA compliance.
• Oversee quality control so ethanol meets fuel-grade and low-carbon standards.
• Manage the annual plant budget and look for cost-saving opportunities.
• Coach shift supervisors, maintenance, and lab staff; handle performance reviews and training plans.
• Act as the primary contact for city utilities, regulators, and corporate engineering.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelors degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.

6+ years progressive operations experience in biofuels, food-grade fermentation, or chemical processing.

2+ years in a plant-level management role with budget or PandL accountability.

Demonstrated expertise in OSHA, EPA, and ISO 9001 or GMP environments.

Proficiency with DCS / SCADA, CMMS, and manufacturing KPIs (OEE, SPC).

Strong analytical skills Excel modeling, data dashboards, root-cause analysis (RCA).

Preferred Qualifications

Lean / Six-Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt).

Experience reducing LCFS carbon-intensity scores or managing RFS RIN compliance.

Familiarity with dairy-derivative feedstocks or zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) utilities.

Spanish language skills.

Working Conditions

Mix of control-room, office, and plant-floor environments. Must be able to climb stairs, work at heights, and cover off / on-shift emergencies.

Compensation and Benefits

Base Salary : $58 - $65 p / h (DOE) + annual performance bonus (up to 15 %). Medical, dental, vision (company-pai)