Assistant Central Utility Plant Manager

About the role

The Assistant Plant Manager oversees, manages, and directs the day-to-day operation and maintenance activities within the Utility Assets, including the Central Utility Complex (powerhouse) and other energy-related assets located throughout the automotive manufacturing facility. They provide direction to the workforce to ensure utility assets are operated safely, efficiently, reliably, and environmentally responsibly at all times, meeting the energy requirements of the client. This position acts as the on-site representative of the Company and serves as a liaison between the Company and the client.

Responsibilities

• Maintains a strong safety culture. Complies with all site safety and environmental requirements and procedures. Identifies safety hazards and takes corrective actions as necessary. Assists with the development of and ensures that all site safety requirements and procedures are properly implemented, consistently observed, and corrective actions are initiated when applicable.
• Develops, implements, and manages consistent plant operating philosophies and best practices to maximize plant availability, efficiency, and productivity.
• Ensures contractors comply with all On-Site Business Unit and DTE Energy policies, procedures, and Safety requirements.
• Constantly reviews and improves operational processes and ensures that operating personnel are properly trained and adhere to established policies, procedures, and standards.
• Manages the O&M Technicians and Skilled Trades to ensure safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the plant while actively managing schedules to minimize overtime and comply with administrative guidelines.
• Establishes, reviews, and modifies as required all predictive/preventive maintenance requirements programmed into the maintenance management system in alignment with maintenance strategy.
• Develops performance goals and reviews in a comprehensive, open, and objective manner to align employee accountabilities and conduct with operational processes in accordance with administrative guidelines.
• Investigates operating abnormalities and incidents to improve equipment availability and performance and to minimize maintenance requirements.
• Prepares necessary plant operation reports in a timely manner and investigates all forced outages, reporting them in accordance with the BU practice through SharePoint.
• In collaboration with Plant Manager, prepares and continually evaluates the operating department's budgets and/or makes recommendations to the Plant Manager relative to optimization of operations and maintenance costs.
• Assists with maintenance engineering evaluations and troubleshooting of equipment abnormalities.
• Maintains a consistent and effective level of communication with Plant Manager, Administrative staff, O&M Technicians and Skilled Trades on shift.
• Assists the Plant Manager with project management of all planned outage activities, including long-term planning for capital improvements.
• In collaboration with the Plant Manager, drives continuous improvement of established metrics on the plant huddle board. Continually stretching goals toward the plant's True North.
• Lead/support development of plant personnel in skillsets, equipment/system knowledge, and solving critical operational concerns.
• Supports management of change process to ensure traceability and collaboration on execution.
• Lead/support problem-solving activities and coach and mentor the 4 CI capabilities within the team.
• Affirms proper staffing, scheduling, orientation, and training of the plant staff, and manages compliance with all company policies and procedures. Supports recruiting, interviews, and assigns operations and maintenance employment candidates.

Qualifications

• A high school diploma or GED
• At least 8 years of supervisory or managerial experience in a Cogeneration power plant with a represented (Union) workforce
• Thorough, demonstrated understanding of plant operations and maintenance, with strong knowledge of generating equipment, boilers, and water treatment processes
• Ability to analyze and improve operations business processes
• Proven planning and scheduling experience working with O&M, and other technical personnel involved with preventative/predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance
• Solid knowledge of plant engineering and plant maintenance functions and how they relate to operations
• Experience with accounting practices as it relates to analyzing cost impacts to budget
• Demonstrated skill in planning, coordinating, and directing varied programs and tasks directly affecting the overall plant operation
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work shifts and extra/irregular hours and to work under unusual and special conditions that can arise in a generation station
• Ability to pass respirator fit tests to use respiratory protective equipment or self-contained breathing apparatus at all times

Other Requirements

• Thorough, demonstrated understanding of plant operations and maintenance, with strong knowledge of generating equipment, boilers, and water treatment processes
• Ability to analyze and improve operations business processes
• Proven planning and scheduling experience working with O&M, and other technical personnel involved with preventative/predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance
• Solid knowledge of plant engineering and plant maintenance functions and how they relate to operations
• Experience with accounting practices as it relates to analyzing cost impacts to budget
• Demonstrated skill in planning, coordinating, and directing varied programs and tasks directly affecting the overall plant operation
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work shifts and extra/irregular hours and to work under unusual and special conditions that can arise in a generation station
• Ability to pass respirator fit tests to use respiratory protective equipment or self-contained breathing apparatus at all times