Plant Manager

Air Liquide • Rockford, IL

9d • $105,000 - $115,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Innovation and Development Division (IDD) drives the innovation strategy for the Hubs and Operations, and contributes to the Group's transformation. It is responsible for imagining, developing and incubating new solutions until they are brought to market, particularly when it comes to offers with a high technological content (including digital and IT). IDD gathers more than 3,000 employees from 70 nationalities at 60 sites. How will you CONTRIBUTE and GROW? We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the unique perspectives of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders, and cultures across the world. We believe that a variety of backgrounds makes our team stronger and more innovative. At Air Liquide, we RESPECT , HONOR and VALUE diversity. Air Liquide is Hiring for a Plant Manager in Rockford, IL ! We are looking for you ! As the Winnebago Plant Manager, you will be the driving force behind our flagship renewable natural gas (RNG) facility in Rockford, IL. This is a meaningful and influential leadership role for a technically-minded professional. You will lead a dedicated team of operators to transform landfill biogas into pipeline-grade RNG, ensuring the facility operates at peak safety, efficiency, and reliability. This role isn't just about oversight, it’s about "owning" the plant—from diving into data-driven troubleshooting and hands-on equipment maintenance to managing the site’s P&L and fostering critical relationships with our landfill partners. Furthermore, as we expand our fleet of operating plants across the USA (currently 7), you will be a peer to a team of other plant managers and operators, exchanging lessons-learned and supporting the broader organization in achieving operational excellence! Supported by a team of reliability specialists, operations engineers, development engineers, and project-delivery personnel, this should prove to be a rewarding experience!

Requirements

• High school degree or GED diploma
• 5+ years experience in operation of industrial gas-processing equipment
• 3+ years in management of a gas-production facility, including leadership of direct reports
• Data-driven troubleshooting skills
• Ready to work hands-on alongside team
• Organized
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with all stakeholders (internal and external)
• Limited Travel : Occasional travel to support other sites in the region (~1-2h drive) when necessary
• Industrial Setting: Work is primarily performed on-site at a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility, split between an office environment and active plant operations.
• Hazardous Operations: The facility operates as a Class I, Division 2 (C1D2) environment. The manager must strictly enforce and follow all safety protocols, as ignitable concentrations of hazards may exist under abnormal conditions.
• High-Noise & Active Zones: Frequent exposure to elevated noise levels in process buildings and regular navigation of active loading areas with heavy equipment and commercial vehicle traffic.
• Safety Gear: Mandatory daily use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which may include hard hats, safety glasses, steel-toed footwear, high-visibility clothing, and hearing protection.
• Environmental Exposure: Occasional exposure to extreme weather conditions, temperature fluctuations, and industrial odors during routine plant walkthroughs and inspections.
• Operational Schedule: Must be available for on-call duties to respond to plant emergencies, operational disruptions, or critical safety incidents outside of standard business hours.
• The ability to lift 1-50 pounds regularly.
• The ability to respond quickly to alarms.
• The ability to move safely over uneven terrain or in restricted spaces.
• The ability to operate heavy equipment for extended periods of time.
• The candidate must have valid unrestricted employment authorization in the U.S. and must not require visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in technical field
• Maintenance background

Responsibilities

• Safety, Quality, and Compliance: (i) Sets clear direction for the site for HSE, monitors KPIs, ensures adherence with policy, and performs regular audits with site staff; (ii) manages all on-site contractors to ensure they adhere to our safety policies; (iii) develops and drives systems to ensure all QA/QC sampling, analysis and data-management and recording are conducted.
• Technical Operations and Data-Driven Troubleshooting: (i) Establishes clear expectations and contributes directly to meet the plant’s KPIs, including production, availability, recovery and maintenance; (ii) Utilizes systematic, data-based methods and data trending to assess opportunities and troubleshoot via root-cause-analysis; (iii) Oversees and completes planned preventive maintenance, unscheduled maintenance, and troubleshooting of equipment.
• Continuous Improvement: Works with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Development, Delivery/Execution) to discover project and improvement opportunities
• Team Leadership: (i) Mentors, develops, and coaches direct reports to achieve goals and facilitate career growth; (ii) acts as the site leader, reinforcing desired behaviors and addressing undesired behaviors within the team; (iii) Creates site-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and logs best practices to share with the wider fleet.
• Financial Management: (i) Responsible for the site’s P&L, including monthly data reconciliation with management to ensure business needs are met; (ii) Forecasts deviations from objectives and proposes timely mitigations or solutions.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: (i) Builds and fosters collaborative relationships with the landfill biogas supplier; (ii) Implements strategies to manage site spare parts in close coordination with the maintenance and reliability teams; (iii) Maintains strong working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders to address equipment and operational issues.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Family Benefits: Air Liquide offers a full benefits package designed to support your whole life, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance.
• Support for Parents: We offer up to 14-week paid child birth benefits to support growing families.
• Future Security: 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match, Tuition Assistance, Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick time.
• Early Access: Your benefits start day 1.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees