Refining Operations Team Lead (Plant)

Overview

As the Refining Operations Team Lead, you will guide multi-shift operations under the direction of the Senior Manager of Operations. Your mandate: safe, clean, reliable production that hits daily quality and business targets while building capability across the team.

What You’ll Own

• Safety leadership for employees and subcontractors; enforce consistent, compliant practices.
• Daily SAP updates covering production, quality, and maintenance activity.
• Production plan execution using Daily/weekly MRP; align demand, resources, and timelines.
• Defect management: diagnose process and system issues; coordinate maintenance; track work via documentation/SAP/E-maintenance.
• Resource scheduling to ensure adequate staffing and materials for each process.
• Team development: cross-train, promote from within, and address inadequate performance directly.
• Schedule additional clean-up technicians to maintain plant cleanliness and safe conditions.
• Operate the facility for maximum reliability, efficiency, and cost control.
• Maintain KPI targets, including production cost, maintenance cost, and chemical usage.
• Assure products meet specification; drive yield maximization and throughput optimization.
• Collaborate across functions to instill a zero-defect, teamwork-focused culture.
• Execute change management (communications, education, team development, coaching) and escalate employee warnings/counseling needs to management.
• Support new product development efforts within the plant.
• Ensure adherence to established operating guidelines by all operators and technicians.
• Ensure HACCP Program (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and SQF are fully executed and implemented by operations and each operator.
• Prepare and analyze operational reports; perform other duties as requested or required.

Qualifications

• Required: Four-year degree in a technical field (BS in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, BSME) or commensurate technical work experience.
• Required: Demonstrated exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Required: Minimum 2 years of progressively increasing supervisory responsibility.
• Preferred: SAP experience; ability to read P&ID’s and schematics; able to obtain TWIC certification; manufacturing plant and/or refinery experience.

Schedule

• Monday–Friday, 40 hours per week on a 3-week rotation:
• Week 1: 6 am – 2 pm
• Week 2: 11:30 am – 7 pm
• Week 3: 1 pm – 9 pm
• On call approximately one weekend per quarter.

Travel

Infrequent; may be required for training or to support customer needs.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Office-based work with periodic field exposure to all weather conditions.
• Use of PPE; work may occur in confined spaces.
• Frequent walking, standing, lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying up to 65 lbs.
• Ability to climb ladders for access to operating equipment and product sampling; some towers exceed 100 feet.

Core Proficiency

• Leadership / People Management
• Process Engineering