Ethanol Plant Manager

Conestoga Energy Partners LLC•Liberal, KS

About The Position

Conestoga Energy Partners is seeking a highly experienced Plant Manager with a proven track record of leading ethanol production facilities. This role is responsible for full plant operational leadership, production performance, safety excellence, and the development of front-line leadership across the facility. This position requires a leader who understands fermentation, distillation, yields, uptime, and plant optimization while building a culture of accountability, safety, and operational discipline. Position Summary The Plant Manager is accountable for the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of the ethanol facility. This role provides leadership across all plant departments including Production, Maintenance, Grains/Rail, and Lab, with a strong emphasis on maximizing plant performance, optimizing yields, and strengthening front-line leadership. A key expectation of this role is driving production excellence while coaching and elevating supervisors and shift leaders to ensure consistent execution across all shifts.

Requirements

10+ years of experience managing or leading an ethanol production facility
Proven success in plant production leadership and operational optimization
Demonstrated experience managing supervisors, managers, and multi-department teams
Strong expertise in ethanol plant processes (fermentation, distillation, yields, and plant performance metrics)
Experience with safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance in an industrial setting
Strong leadership presence, decision-making ability, and operational accountability

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Management, or a related field
Experience with carbon intensity (CI) awareness and pathway optimization
Continuous improvement, Lean, or operational excellence experience in process manufacturing

Responsibilities

Lead all daily plant production operations to achieve throughput, yield, and efficiency targets
Monitor fermentation, distillation, and overall process performance to optimize production output
Drive uptime, reliability, and process consistency across all shifts
Identify and implement operational improvements that enhance plant performance and reduce downtime
Ensure standardized operating practices and strong shift-to-shift accountability
Oversee the full operational performance of an ethanol production facility
Maintain deep awareness of plant KPIs, including yield, grind rates, energy usage, and CI impacts
Partner with Commercial and Corporate leadership on carbon intensity (CI) optimization and pathway management
Understand operational decisions that impact CI scores and end market pathways
Directly coach and develop Production Managers, Maintenance Managers, and shift leadership
Strengthen supervisor capability in directing crews, enforcing standards, and managing performance
Lead structured leadership meetings focused on accountability, problem-solving, and operational discipline
Build a strong internal leadership pipeline through mentoring and succession planning
Champion a world-class safety culture and lead by example in all safety practices
Ensure full compliance with OSHA, environmental permits, and company safety policies
Partner closely with EHS to drive proactive safety initiatives and corrective actions
Collaborate with Maintenance leadership to ensure preventive and corrective maintenance supports production uptime
Balance operational demands with long-term asset reliability strategies
Manage plant budgets including labor, overtime, maintenance, and operational expenses
Identify cost improvement opportunities without compromising safety, reliability, or quality
Drive operational efficiency and responsible resource management
Serve as the operational bridge between corporate leadership and plant operations
Collaborate with HR, Safety, Lab/Quality, Procurement, Accounting, and Commercial teams
Ensure clear, consistent communication across departments and across all shifts