Assistant Plant Manager

Locus Fermentation Solutions• Midland, TX, US, TX

2d•$75,000 - $105,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Plant Manager supports the Plant Manager in the safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective operation of the manufacturing facility. The role provides hands-on leadership across plant operations, production, personnel management, process engineering, maintenance, quality, environmental compliance, and continuous improvement. It works with cross-functional teams to optimize processes, improve equipment reliability, maintain regulatory compliance, and support capital projects and operational initiatives. The position has significant responsibility for developing, implementing, and maintaining the facility’s Process Safety Management (PSM) and Mechanical Integrity programs in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and company standards. The Assistant Plant Manager also provides operational direction and decision-making support to maintain safe, compliant, uninterrupted operations when the Plant Manager is absent or delegates responsibility. The position is based in Midland, Texas, and involves work in both an office and an active manufacturing or chemical-processing facility. It requires regular time on the production floor and interaction with production, maintenance, engineering, EHS, quality, contractors, vendors, and other stakeholders. Occasional work outside normal business hours, on-call availability, and travel may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering; Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering preferred.
At least 5 years of work experience in process or chemical engineering, chemical manufacturing, plant operations, or a related industrial environment.
At least 2 years of experience directly supervising employees or leading operational teams.
Demonstrated experience with production processes, equipment troubleshooting, process optimization, and data-driven problem-solving.
Familiarity with OSHA and EPA regulations, including Process Safety Management (PSM).
Experience operating plants with computer-controlled processes.
Ability to work in office and manufacturing environments, including regular time on the production floor.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and navigate stairs, platforms, uneven surfaces, and industrial work areas.
Ability to bend, stoop, reach, climb stairs, and access equipment or work areas as needed.
Ability to wear required PPE, which may include safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, hard hats, safety footwear, respirators, or other task-specific protective equipment.
Ability to visually inspect equipment, read instruments and gauges, review technical documents, and use a computer for extended periods.
Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through written and electronic communications.
Ability to respond to operational issues, alarms, emergencies, or other time-sensitive situations as required.
Ability to occasionally lift or move materials or equipment within site safety policy limits.
Compliance with applicable site safety, environmental, security, and emergency-response requirements.

Nice To Haves

Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering degree.
Familiarity with Six Sigma, Lean, CAD and CAE software, and quality management systems.
Demonstrated experience in project leadership and data analysis.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Plant Manager to execute daily plant operations and production priorities in alignment with business objectives, customer requirements, safety standards, quality expectations, and cost targets.
Support development and execution of production plans, work schedules, staffing requirements, and resource allocation.
Maintain a visible production-floor presence, provide hands-on leadership, and ensure manufacturing activities follow safe work practices and established procedures.
Monitor production performance, process conditions, throughput, product quality, equipment reliability, waste, and downtime; identify gaps and coordinate corrective actions.
Collect, analyze, and interpret production data using scientific, statistical, and engineering methods to identify constraints, trends, and improvement opportunities.
Ensure compliance with approved production methods, quality standards, operating procedures, and documentation requirements.
Support inventory management, material flow, vendor coordination, and efficient use of labor, energy, raw materials, and other resources.
Make routine operational decisions on behalf of the Plant Manager when delegated or when the Plant Manager is unavailable.
Directly supervise, coach, and provide work direction and performance feedback to assigned employees; support staffing, onboarding, training, development, and performance accountability.
Promote safe work practices, operational discipline, productivity, teamwork, employee engagement, continuous improvement, and individual accountability.
Work with EHS, Safety/Regulatory, and other resources to maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, and local safety and environmental regulations, company policies, and site requirements.
Develop, implement, maintain, and continuously improve the facility’s PSM program; maintain the Mechanical Integrity program, including inspections, testing, preventive maintenance, documentation, and corrective-action tracking, as applicable.
Lead or participate in PHAs, LOPAs, MOCs, PSSRs, process hazard identification, and risk assessment activities.
Coordinate or oversee PSM audits, regulatory inspections, and compliance reviews; track and verify timely closure of findings and action items.
Maintain accurate and current operating procedures, process safety information, training documentation, and other required records.
Lead or participate in investigations of incidents, near misses, process deviations, equipment failures, and safety events; facilitate root-cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions.
Reinforce safe operating practices, PPE use, hazard recognition, and employee participation in identifying and addressing unsafe conditions.
Apply chemical or mechanical engineering principles to troubleshoot process and equipment issues, improve reliability, and optimize manufacturing performance.
Evaluate processes, operating conditions, equipment performance, and workflows to improve efficiency, throughput, product quality, and resource utilization.
Develop and recommend process modifications, equipment upgrades, and improvements to reduce waste, downtime, energy consumption, and manufacturing costs.
Plan and implement process-optimization initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, structured problem-solving, statistical analysis, and other continuous-improvement methods, as appropriate.
Develop, update, and maintain SOPs, work instructions, technical documents, and process-related training materials.
Support technology transfer, process scale-up, and implementation of new or modified manufacturing processes.
Collaborate with Quality, EHS, Maintenance, Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, and other partners to resolve technical and operational challenges.
Work with Maintenance, Engineering, and technical resources to prioritize repairs, preventive maintenance, reliability improvements, and resolution of recurring equipment issues.
Monitor equipment condition and operating performance to identify reliability concerns and reduce unplanned downtime.
Support investigations of equipment failures, process deviations, and quality issues, ensuring corrective actions are implemented and sustained.
Support equipment selection, process design, facility layout, and technical evaluations for operational improvements and new manufacturing capabilities.
Scope, estimate, plan, and manage assigned capital and process-improvement projects, including projects with individual budgets up to $500,000.
Support design, procurement, installation, commissioning, and startup of new equipment and process modifications.
Coordinate with internal stakeholders, contractors, vendors, and technical resources to meet project safety, quality, schedule, budget, and performance objectives.
Participate in project risk assessments, MOCs, PSSRs, and other reviews for equipment installations and process modifications.
Evaluate capital expenditures and process upgrades based on operational needs, reliability, safety, efficiency, and expected business benefits.
Maintain accurate production records, operating metrics, technical documentation, and compliance records.
Communicate operational performance, emerging risks, production constraints, and improvement opportunities to the Plant Manager and relevant stakeholders.
Support operating standards, training programs, and management systems that promote consistency and operational excellence.
Perform other duties as assigned.