What you'll do:- Plant Utilization
- Develop and manage shift schedules, on-call rotations and vacation planning to ensure 24/7 operational coverage and readiness
- Collaborate with the SPARC Plant Engineering and SPARC Plasma Operations team to ensure the plant is functionally ready to execute operational experiments
- Oversee all daily pre-operational checks and plant startup/shutdown procedures
- Manage all operational consumables and spares (e.g. gases, cryogens, chemicals, diesel fuel, equipment spare parts)
- Operations Programs
- Develop and maintain plant operations manuals, procedures, and emergency response protocols
- Develop and implement comprehensive training programs, including initial qualification, continuing training, and specialized skill development
- Develop and implement plant operations work controls, energy control procedures, and simultaneous operations coordination processes
- Develop and implement robust alarm and notification systems and standards for efficient operator response to maintain facility integrity and personnel safety
- Maintenance and Asset Management
- Develop and execute a comprehensive plant maintenance strategy, incorporating preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance
- Plan and manage the schedule for all maintenance windows, minimizing downtime and maximizing plant availability
- Oversee the execution of all maintenance activities, ensuring work is performed safely, to a high standard, and documented correctly
- Work with the Engineering team to plan and carry out necessary maintenance and upgrades in between scheduled usage
- Continuous Improvement and Performance
- Track key reliability metrics to understand overall performance
- Champion a culture of continuous improvement by actively identifying opportunities to enhance safety, reduce operational costs, and increase plant efficiency and reliability
- Lead cross-functional teams to execute continuous improvement projects using Root Cause Analysis and other similar methodologies
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for plant operations and use data-driven insights to guide improvement initiatives
- Team
- Recruit, hire, and onboard a high-performing team of plant operators, technicians, and support staff
- Foster a strong, positive, and safety-first culture within the operations team
- Authorities
- Approve and enforce all operating procedures, training manuals, and protocols
- Execute maintenance work orders and direct the execution of scheduled maintenance and upgrade projects planned in coordination with the SPARC Engineering Director
- Make decisions regarding hiring and mentoring of the Operations Team
- Manage and direct the utilization of external maintenance contracts to provide surge support and specialized maintenance
- Shutdown operation of the machine if immediate personnel safety or facility integrity is compromised
- Accountabilities
- Accountable for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the SPARC facility strictly within design basis operating parameters
- Accountable for maintaining 24/7 operational readiness and full staffing coverage of all critical shifts
- Accountable for the quality, accuracy, and standardization of all operations and maintenance procedures
- Accountable for effective collaboration with the SPARC Engineering team to execute scheduled maintenance and maximize facility availability for experiments
What we're looking for:- Bachelor's degree in an engineering field or equivalent experience
- 15+ years experience managing operations of large process facilities, such as power plants, scientific facilities, or process manufacturing facilities
- Experience with operating large process systems, such as a power plant, chemicals, oil/gas, cryogenics, or others
- Experienced managing salaried and hourly staff
- Strong people management skills of both small and large teams
- Leadership, team-building, and mentoring skills for both engineers and technicians
- Demonstrated ability to build trust with front line employees and identify issues first hand
- Executes long-term departmental strategy using sound judgment to align tactical initiatives with overall organizational goals
- Ensures cross-functional alignment through proven, effective communication with diverse stakeholders and executive leadership
- Ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment
- Strong attention to safety and the creation of a safety culture
Bonus points for:- Operational experience with first-of-a-kind facilities or other new technology
- Experience with commissioning of plant process systems
- Experience working in radiation controlled environments
Must-have requirements:- Perform activities such as stooping, climbing, typing standing or sitting for extended periods of time
- Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call
- Work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
$250,000 - $350,000 a year
