Biogas Operator

About the role

Vanguard Renewables, based in Weston, Massachusetts, is a national leader in environmental services and the development of food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company builds, owns, and operates on-farm anaerobic digestion facilities and is continuing to scale through an extensive national expansion of its Farm Powered® platform. It is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste, generating renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms. Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock. Reporting to the Operations Manager, the Biogas Operator performs skilled work that is necessary in operating an anaerobic digester, gas conditioning skid, associated digester and upgrader plant equipment. The facility is composed of a digester, pumps, gas blowers, compressors, oxygen generators, condensers, chillers, and related auxiliary equipment.

Responsibilities

• Adheres to, and has full working knowledge of, the company safety program.
• Will have limited oversight responsibility for outside maintenance contractors to ensure that they are working in a safe manner.
• Communicates with all personnel to stress the importance of a safe work environment.
• Required to isolate equipment following proper Lock-out Tag-Out procedures.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and supports the plant safety, health, and environmental programs in all activities.
• Contributes to incident investigations to reduce recurrence of accidents/incidents.
• Supports and promotes the philosophy of maintaining an accident/incident free workplace.
• Assist and support outside contractors with all onsite maintenance, including media change-outs, large equipment overhauls, and vacuum removal of solids from digesters.
• Monitor gas production of anaerobic digesters with a focus on O2 and H2S concentration.
• Complete hourly and daily rounds of plant equipment and capture fluid temps, pressures, oil levels, gas concentrations, process flows.
• Check equipment for proper operation looking for excessive vibration, fluid leaks and any conditions needing further attention.
• Accurately record all plant operational parameters and respond to unsatisfactory trends and remedy as needed.
• Conduct initial troubleshooting prior to calling in technicians and/or 3rd party contractors.
• Learn from technicians and 3rd party contractors on servicing equipment to use in future scenarios to keep maintenance in-house.
• Operate plant equipment including the pumps, blowers, and other related auxiliary equipment in accordance with manufacturer recommendation and established company policy.
• Participate in plant housekeeping programs and material handling safety activities to ensure safe working conditions.
• Participate in the planning and execution of preventative maintenance activities.
• Write work orders on work management software to track repairs and scheduled maintenance.
• Assist in writing Standard Operating Procedures and Energy Isolation Procedures.
• Consistent and on-time attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Valid driver's license and ability to operate a motor vehicle is required.
• Will be required to regularly lift, move and/or push objects weighing up to 50lbs.