Permanent - Plant Manager - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) - South Africa

Summary

• The Plant Manager is responsible for general supervision and compliance of all phases of plant operations including: staff management; production; quality control; maintenance; CAPEX; OPEX; Health, Safety and Environment.
• Responsibilities also include recruiting, hiring and training personnel and facility/physical plant up-keep and capital improvements. In addition, the Plant Manager is responsible for annual budget planning and execution. He/she is responsible to maintain staff accountability, increase productivity and profitability within the production of the gas and power.

People and general management

• Provide leadership for the successful day-to-day operation of the facility
• Through his first-line subordinates, supervises operations or maintenance employees in the production of power from company
• Plan and schedule plant activities such as feedstock deliveries, digestate removal, and regular maintenance
• Ensure that waste deliveries and clean-ups are done within the environmental parameters as set out in the EMPr and authorised legislative permits;
• Ensure that all contractors arriving on site adhere to the HSSE requirements on the company site
• Work with the laboratory to ensure consistency in blended feedstocks, biology of the AD system, quality of digestate and optimization in the production and quality of the gas;
• Supervise company plant operations, maintenance, repair, or testing activities
• Prepare annual training and development plans for management approval, and ensure that staff are sufficiently trained to be competent in their roles
• Ensure that staff perform competently and diligently and take appropriate management action in cases of deviations
• Ensure that staff are held accountable to their line of work
• Coordinate the hiring and training of all manufacturing personnel in conjunction with the site supervisor
• Analyze workforce training requirements
• Conduct performance appraisals and provide coaching and guidance to all operations employees
• Encourage and promote operating in a continuous improvement environment
• Remove production constraints; allocate human and equipment resources and direct plant employees to attain all established goals
• Communicate with research and development as well as product management personnel to develop new production strategies
• Work with all personnel to ensure that future projects are correctly designed and specified
• Assist with the company Learnership programme ito mentoring young engineers on site and providing and overseeing their practical training on site
• The Plant Manager will be responsible for all service providers and contractors on site

Company and power generation

• Provide and enforce procedures to start, stop, or regulate company-fueled generators, and to shut down and restart  power plants or equipment in emergency situations or for equipment maintenance, repairs, or replacements
• Adjust equipment controls to generate specified amounts of electrical power
• Inspect  gasification processes, equipment, tools and facilities for ways to maximize capacity
• and minimize operating costs
• Review logs, datasheets, or reports to ensure adequate production levels and safe production
• environments or to identify abnormalities with power production equipment or processes;
• Monitor the operating status of the  plant by observing control system parameters, SCADA system, HMI’s, gauges or other indicators.
• Evaluate power production or demand trends to identify opportunities for improved operations.
• Work with the laboratory to ensure consistency in blended feedstocks, biology of the AD system, quality of digestate and optimization in the production and quality of the gas.
• Work closely with quality personnel to review production consistency while monitoring gas loss rates to determine trends and areas of improvement.
• Remove waste and constraints from the production process to improve efficiencies and enhance productivity

Asset maintenance

• Introduce and maintain a solid, Planned Preventative Maintenance System
• Devise maintenance plans and procedures for waste handling equipment, company plant, CHP engines, generators, balance of plant, electrical infrastructure, etc
• Implement maintenance plans and procedures through own technical staff or specialist contractors
• Ensure the highest standards of equipment uptime with due consideration of maintenance costs
• Test, maintain, or repair waste handing equipment, company  plant, CHP engines, generators, balance of plant, electrical power distribution machinery and equipment, using own technical staff or specialist contractors
• Equip and maintain the maintenance workshop to allow for maintenance activities to be performed in-house
• Manage parts and supply inventories for company
• Maintain Inventory levels for critical maintenance spares

Budgeting and cost control

• Prepare and manage company plant maintenance and operating budgets, for management approval by following the company  Procurement Protocols and Policy
• Control expenditure such that maintenance budgets are not exceeded, except with management approval;
• Monitor operation expenses and research ways to reduce costs while maintaining gas production levels and gas quality.
• Develop and execute the plant budgets.
• Work with purchasing manager to develop and improve supplier relationships.
• Create purchase orders for Purchasing Manager to place orders.

Reporting

• Compile and record operational data on forms or in log books.
• Prepare daily, weekly, monthly and annual reports on company plant operations, power generation, equipment downtime, maintenance, HSSE matters and other information
• Prepare monthly cost reports
• Prepare management reports as required

Safety, health and the environment

• Working with the HSSE Manager, ensure that the highest levels of safety, health and environmental compliance are maintained
• Take prompt and appropriate action in the event of incidents, and ensure thorough investigations are carried out in accordance with best practices
• Ensure knowledge of and implementation of the Emergency Preparedness Plan takes place
• Work closely with the HSSE Manager and ECO to ensure all members of the manufacturing team are aware of safety and environmental policies to provide a safe and sustainable workplace for our employees
• Maintain the present safety record of zero fatalities;
• In conjunction with the HSSE Manager maintain and support a superior safety and housekeeping program, including all timely communication initiatives;
• Maintain a log of all HSSE audits for the year to be fully prepared before an audit takes place;
• Implement and correct HSSE audit findings timeously;
• Ensure as far as possible that environmentally friendly biodegradable products are purchased for cleanups and housekeeping

Compliance

• Review company operations performance to ensure compliance with regulatory Environmental and Health and Safety requirements
• Ensure that equipment at all times complies with statutory requirements

Community liaison

• Act as company community liaison and ensure that good community relationships are maintained by responding with professionalism and promptly to any issues that may arise

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelors degree (BSc or BTech) or National Higher Diploma in mechanical or electrical engineering
• Government Certificate of Competence (GCC)
• At least 5 years’ experience in an industrial environment which includes a power generation facility of at least 3MW
• At least 5 years’ experience in managing staff in a production environment
• Knowledgeable about Environmental Management Programmes, Environmental legislation and HSSE regulations and legislation