Operations Manager

NAES•South Boston, VA

3h•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Manager leads operations at the Halifax County Biomass (HCB) Project, a 49.9 MW woody biomass-fueled electric generation facility in South Boston, Virginia. This role ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of plant systems while maintaining compliance with safety and environmental standards. The Operations Manager oversees budgets, staffing, and scheduling while driving continuous improvement through performance analysis. The position plays a key role in sustaining operational excellence, reliability, renewable generation, and environmental stewardship.

Requirements

Experience supervising or managing operations personnel in an industrial or power generation environment is required.
Strong understanding of biomass plant operations, including boiler systems, steam generation, turbine-generator operations, fuel handling, water chemistry, and emissions control equipment.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate operational and equipment performance data to improve plant efficiency, reliability, and overall generation output.
Knowledge of environmental permitting and regulatory compliance requirements related to biomass generation, including air emissions, water systems, ash handling, and chemical management.
Effective leadership, communication, and team-building skills, with the ability to collaborate across operations, maintenance, environmental, and management functions.
Experience coordinating contractors, outages, and vendor-supported work activities while maintaining compliance with plant safety and operational standards.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a continuous process environment, respond effectively to changing operating conditions, and make sound operational decisions under pressure.
Must possess a valid, unrestricted U.S. driver’s license and ensure it remains in good standing at all times.

Nice To Haves

A Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or equivalent discipline is preferred, providing a solid foundation in biomass power generation and plant operations.
Equivalent industry or military experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and familiarity with CMMS platforms, plant control systems, and operational reporting tools preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct the Operations Team to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient biomass plant operations aligned with safety, environmental, and performance goals.
Develop and manage the operations budget, aligning expenditures with production, reliability, and cost-control objectives.
Oversee operator scheduling to ensure proper staffing for continuous, compliant facility operation, including on-call support for reliability and emergencies.
Coordinate and monitor wood fuel handling—deliveries, storage, quality testing, and inventory—to maintain consistent combustion efficiency and emissions compliance.
Optimize plant performance by analyzing operational data, combustion trends, and equipment reliability to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure compliance.
Collaborate with the Maintenance Manager to assess equipment condition, prioritize work, and provide technical support to sustain readiness.
Maintain accurate logs, records, and controlled documents—including manuals, procedures, reports, and compliance records—to ensure traceability, regulatory compliance, and support for audits and inspections.
Lead training, skill development, and safety initiatives to strengthen team performance, sustain a safety-focused culture, and ensure readiness for operational, fire, or environmental incidents.
Oversee the water chemistry program, including sampling, testing, chemical inventory, and lab maintenance to support reliable steam generation.
Coordinate environmental compliance activities, ensuring adherence to permits, air quality standards, and corporate policies.
Interface with grid operations or utility dispatch to ensure compliance with generation schedules and power delivery requirements.
Manage contractor relationships and work scopes to ensure projects meet safety, efficiency, and performance expectations.
Support asset management and reliability planning through long-term equipment improvement and replacement strategies.
Prepare accurate operational and compliance reports for plant ownership, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
Represent the facility in community or sustainability initiatives that support transparency and engagement.
Perform other duties as assigned to support safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations, regulatory compliance, and overall facility performance.