Plant Manager
Plant Manager
Location: Hastings, NE
Overview
We are seeking an experienced Plant Manager to lead operations at a state-of-the-art renewable diesel facility in Hastings, NE. This role will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of plant performance, including production, safety, maintenance, and continuous improvement, within a highly regulated, process-driven environment.
The ideal candidate brings strong leadership experience in refining, chemicals, or biofuels, with a proven ability to drive operational excellence in a complex manufacturing setting.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead all day-to-day plant operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production
- Drive a strong safety-first culture, maintaining compliance with OSHA, EPA, and PSM standards
- Oversee production, maintenance, engineering, and operations teams to achieve plant KPIs
- Optimize plant performance across throughput, yield, uptime, and cost control
- Implement and sustain continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, reliability programs)
- Manage plant budgets, capital projects, and long-term operational strategy
- Ensure compliance with all environmental and regulatory requirements
- Partner with senior leadership to support growth, expansion, and operational scalability
- Develop and mentor leadership teams, building a high-performance culture
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemical Engineering preferred
- 12+ years of progressive experience in refining, petrochemical, biofuels, or heavy process manufacturing
- Proven leadership experience managing large, cross-functional plant teams
- Strong knowledge of PSM, safety systems, and regulatory compliance
- Demonstrated success improving plant performance, reliability, and cost efficiency
- Experience with continuous processing, hydrotreating, or similar refinery operations preferred
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets and capital projects
Key Skills & Competencies
- Operational leadership in 24/7 continuous manufacturing environments
- Deep understanding of process safety and risk management
- Ability to drive culture, accountability, and team engagement
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
- Effective communicator across executive leadership and plant floor teams
Compensation
- Base Salary: $200K - $240K
- Bonus: Performance-based
- Benefits: Full medical, 401(k), relocation assistance (if applicable)
FAQs
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