Basic Function

The Operations Manager reports to the Senior Director of Field Operations and oversees sites with operations contracts, supports the sales team objectives and efforts, and oversees the day-to-day workflow and operations team. The Operations Manager is expected to routinely communicate with operations staff and the senior management team acting as the liaison between leadership and operations performance. This role must track and manage operations contracts, adhere to operating site P&L, operational and commercial monthly reporting.

The role requires work across the company’s departments to ensure sites are operating to design specifications, customers are responded to promptly and operational issues in the field are addressed. This position requires extensive travel, as needed, to installations across the United States.

The individual should be capable of managing and understanding detailed drawings and documents of small to mid-scale projects along with material procurement and logistics. The ideal candidate will bring an understanding of OSHA, EPA and other regulatory compliance, capital equipment design, site layouts, plant operations, process requirements, engineering principles, controls, and construction standards. Additionally, the candidate must be capable of working with a team of interdisciplinary engineers, vendors, contractors, and subcontractors while maintaining both the best interests of the company and clients who choose to partner with the company for their unique water treatment needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the process, engineering, finance and leadership teams to track P&L by site, ensure timely billing for all contracts and executed service work, and track all passthrough expenses through NetSuite
• Create material, lead the site teams, and collaborate to implement CMMS maintenance systems
• Monitor employee production, performance, job satisfaction and discipline team members if needed through a Performance Improvement Plan if they fail to meet expectations

Routinely communicate with clients across all sites to ensure the adequate flow of data and information for optimization of site performance and monthly operations

• Employ business acumen, project management skills and industrial water and wastewater experience to profitably execute operations at industrial sites and complex projects address challenging water and wastewater treatment applications
• Develop talent among a remote and dispersed workforce and lead the teams to ensure contract compliance of volume and quality specifications
• Look to reduce operating expense costs with clearly defined plans on how to achieve agreed upon goals
• Identify staffing needs and collaborate with leadership to optimize site and field resources
• Work collaboratively with safety team to ensure safe operations at all sites, including OSHA compliance with individual site safety programs
• Support commissioning team for startup of new plants
• Grow a culture of service excellence, and drive continuous improvement within the geography, resulting in customer satisfaction
• Develop, manage, and support timely report-out on OKRs for the Field Operations Department
• Set team goals and ensure compliance with company policies

Typical Duties

• Manage and collaborate to identify team training and development goals
• Utilize Ignition and Allen-Bradley, and other controls to oversee or run systems, often needing to remote in and respond to alarms outside of regular hours
• Analyze and compile data for evaluating site trends, disruptions, and compliance
• Review and advise on As-builts, new site P&IDs, PFDs, Installation Details, O&M Manuals, Design Standards, Engineering Records and Preventative Maintenance Procedures
• Develop, implement, and revise operational protocols for new and existing sites
• Participate in the review of the Project Controls Narrative
• Assist the engineering team in the operations turnover package
• Review and approve hours, work assignments, and O&M tasks of the team
• Initiate procurement of facility needs
• Review and approve expenses, vendor invoices

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of progressive experience in water and wastewater treatment
• Experience managing a department and client relationships
• High values of ownership, team building, and work ethic
• Design, operation, and optimization experience relevant to WWTPs, preferably in the food and beverage or water and wastewater industry
• Ability to create inclusive monthly reports with detailed data trending, financial analysis and labor allocations
• Experience reading architectural, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering packages
• Detail understanding of industrial electrical and instrumentation design
• Extensive experience with package/skidded equipment, troubleshooting, process equipment, process controls and instrumentation, and general best practices in wastewater treatment
• Knowledge of hydraulic, electrical, controls, chemical handling, and process principles
• Knowledge and experience in water and wastewater treatment technologies including anerobic and aerobic systems, MBR, UF, RO,
• Knowledge and experience with measures and methods of dissolved and suspended solids, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pressure, motor speed, pressure drop, hardness, and specific parameters such as sodium, iron, silica, etc.
• Ability to work remotely and independently in the field while managing constantly changing priorities
• Ability to frequently work across the US to support new and existing customers

Skills/Desired Qualities

• Self-motivated, decisive, with the ability to adapt to change and competing demands
• Strong leadership, diplomatic and motivational skills including the ability to integrate in a multi-discipline organizations, contractors, and customers
• Stellar organizational skills along with the ability to communicate effectively both written and verbally
• Knowledge and operations experience of DAF, SAF, heat exchangers, instrumentation, pumps, dewatering and solids handling equipment, hydraulics, PLC and SCADA operation and programming, neutralization and pH control, Expanded Granular Sludge Bed, RNG, biogas reactor operations, anaerobic and aerobic treatment and digestors. MBR, UFMBR, MBBR, RO, Ion exchange, filtration, flare, boiler, blowers, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, UV, chemical dosing systems, PLC control systems, PLC programming, electrical knowledge, and troubleshooting