Supervisor-Shift Power Plant Newman

El Paso Electric Company•El Paso, TX

7h•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Superintendent of Plant Operations, the Operations Shift Supervisor at Newman Power Plant is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of 11 generating units—including two combined cycle units equipped with Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs)—along with their respective auxiliary equipment and supporting balance of plant systems. This role also includes full oversight of the plant’s water systems, including ultra-pure water production, water treatment chemistry, and wastewater management through a new, state-of-the-art Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system. The ZLD system represents a significant investment in environmental stewardship, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards by eliminating liquid waste discharge and maximizing water recovery for reuse within the facility. The Operations Shift Supervisor oversees all aspects of daily plant operations, ensuring optimal performance in accordance with safety, environmental, and operational standards, including compliance with NERC regulations. Responsibilities include coordinating with maintenance teams, leading real-time troubleshooting of equipment and systems, and collaborating across departments to sustain high plant reliability. In this leadership role, the Shift Supervisor also mentors and coaches operations staff, promotes a proactive safety culture, and drives continuous improvement initiatives aligned with company objectives and compliance requirements.

Requirements

Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of experience in a highly responsible role within an electric utility company, specifically in power plant operations. This includes the operation of electric utility-scale equipment such as conventional steam turbines, boilers operating at >1800psig and 1200°F, gas-fired turbines, electric generators, heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) in combined cycle systems, auxiliary systems and equipment, balance of plant systems and equipment, water treatment systems, technologies, and equipment.
Power Plant Knowledge: Demonstrated expertise in the operation and maintenance of power plant generating equipment, including an understanding of the thermodynamic process cycles for both conventional steam and gas turbines, heat rates, efficiencies, operational practices, and related systems. Knowledge of Distributed Control Systems (Foxboro, Ovation, or similar), operational procedures, maintenance procedures, OSHA safety standards, and EPA/TECQ environmental regulations are required.
Systems Knowledge: In-depth understanding and knowledge of high-energy steam processes and systems, as well as hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and mechanical systems commonly found in power plants.
Maintenance Understanding: Strong understanding of maintenance needs within a power plant environment and the interdependencies between operations, maintenance, engineering, and environmental departments.
Liaison and Coordination: Ability to effectively function as a liaison between Newman Power Plant and other internal departments or external stakeholders, ensuring effective coordination and execution of activities and projects.
Technical Interpretation: Ability to interpret equipment original manufacturer (OEM) manuals, operational logic and parameters, and functionality from manuals, reports, and drawings, e.g., P&IDs, F&IDs, one-line and three-line diagrams, and control system diagrams.
Availability: Willingness and availability to work rotating shifts and extended hours as needed.
Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information to team members, management, and other stakeholders.
Teamwork: Ability to foster and maintain productive working relationships with managers, team members, and peers.
Confidentiality: A high level of discretion and the ability to handle confidential matters with integrity and professionalism.
Safety Procedures: Extensive knowledge of Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) procedures. Ability to lead and enforce safety processes and protocols across the Power Plant.
Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Oversight: Lead the Operations Department team of 28 employees, with over 90% being exempt staff, while also providing leadership, oversight, and coordination of contractors, maintenance crafts, engineering personnel, and other internal departments or external stakeholders working in the plant. Requires strong leadership, sound decision-making, and collaboration skills to ensure alignment of daily operations with plant objectives. Responsibilities include fostering a high-performance culture, managing personnel and team development, coordinating interdepartmental activities, and maintaining safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations.

Nice To Haves

Personnel supervision experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Shift Operations Leadership: Provides direct supervision and oversight of power plant operations during the assigned shift and while onsite, even when not actively covering a shift. Ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient generation of electric power by leading operations activities, addressing emergent conditions, and supporting plant performance objectives.
Operational Decision-Making: Exercises sound judgment in evaluating operating conditions, initiating corrective actions, and resolving operational issues. Makes timely, educated, and informed decisions during routine operations and emergencies.
Personnel and Team Supervision: Leads and mentors shift operations staff, assigning duties, overseeing performance, and ensuring adherence to operational protocols. Facilitates staff development and evaluates employee performance on an ongoing basis.
Interdepartmental and Contractor Coordination: Oversees and coordinates work with internal departments, contractors, and other stakeholders, including maintenance, engineering, safety, environmental, and external agencies, ensuring alignment with operational priorities.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Compliance: Actively develops, implements, and ensures adherence to plant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintaining alignment with electric utility best industry standards. Actively supports the revision and continuous improvement of SOPs to enhance operational effectiveness and safety.
Regulatory Compliance: Oversees and ensures compliance with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards, OSHA regulations, EPA/state environmental requirements, and internal policies.
Communication with System Operations and Other Departments: Maintains clear and timely communication with System Operators and dispatch centers regarding unit status, load demands, outages, and return-to-service timelines. Coordinates as needed with departments such as Marketing, Substation, and others to ensure seamless integration of plant operations with broader system and business requirements.
Plant Monitoring and Inspection: Oversees and participates in routine and event-driven monitoring of plant systems and equipment, including gauges, control systems, and instrumentation, to ensure proper functionality and early identification of issues. Ensures Operations personnel complete accurate rounds, reviews the data for quality and completeness, and signs off on documentation prior to official logging.
Troubleshooting and Incident Response: Leads or supports root cause analysis and troubleshooting of equipment malfunctions, initiating work requests, and coordinating immediate corrective actions when required. Prepares reporting documentation following existing reporting guidelines and requirements.
Maintenance Coordination: Collaborates with maintenance supervisors to schedule, prioritize, and coordinate maintenance and repair activities, ensuring minimal disruption to operations and compliance with safety protocols.
Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) Execution: Leads the LOTO process for the assigned shift in strict accordance with plant procedures, ensuring personnel safety during equipment maintenance and repairs. It is the Supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that all personnel involved follow the LOTO procedures correctly and consistently.
Return-to-Service Inspections: Verifies equipment functionality and safety compliance before returning systems to service following maintenance or outage events.
Environmental Compliance Oversight: Oversees plant compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations and permit requirements. Ensures operations remain within emissions control limits by monitoring systems such as Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and other emissions control equipment. Works closely with the Environmental Department to ensure timely reporting, address deviations, and support continuous compliance with environmental standards. Provides training and guidance to operations personnel on environmental compliance requirements and best practices to foster a strong culture of environmental responsibility.
Operational Documentation and Reporting: Ensures the accurate, timely, and professional completion of all operational logs, reports, and records in accordance with company standards and regulatory requirements. Produces clear, factual, and detailed documentation that supports operational transparency and traceability. Conducts thorough reviews of operational data to identify trends, irregularities, and potential issues. Prepares and submits well‑supported findings, including actionable recommendations, to support decision‑making and continuous improvement. Maintains meticulous record‑keeping practices to ensure data integrity, audit readiness, and effective communication across teams and leadership.
Training and Development: Facilitates or assists in conducting operational training programs, safety briefings, and job-specific instruction for operations staff, including coordination with training and safety departments.
Staffing and Shift Management: Supports the management of shift schedules, overtime, time-off requests, and shift coverage to ensure consistent operational support.
Safety Leadership: Promotes a strong safety culture by modeling and enforcing compliance with company safety rules, procedures, and hazard mitigation practices. Actively participates in safety audits and reviews.
Policy Enforcement: Interprets and enforces company policies, union contract provisions, and code of conduct standards fairly and consistently.
Emergency Response: Takes command during plant emergencies or abnormal conditions, coordinating response activities, communicating with management, and initiating recovery procedures.
Continuous Improvement: Identifies opportunities for improvement in plant operations, processes, and overall performance. Actively participates in root cause analysis, reliability reviews, and strategic planning initiatives. Drives operational enhancements that align with company goals and initiatives and strives to reduce operational costs where feasible—without compromising safety, reliability, or efficiency.
Special Assignments and Other Duties: Performs additional responsibilities and participates in projects or initiatives as assigned, supporting the overall objectives of plant reliability and excellence.