Plant Manager - Natural Gas in Duluth, Minnesota

Plant Manager
- Natural Gas

Natural Gas Csi Recruiting is working with a leading exploration and production company specifically focused on hiring an experienced Plant Manager
- Natural Gas to be located in Duluth, Minnesota.

Duluth, MN

Full-time, direct hire - startup / commissioning focus transitioning to steady-state operations

Our client is a natural gas exploration and development company advancing discoveries in Minnesota and Michigan. The company has found a top-tier discovery by global standards. Flow testing of two appraisal wells produced extraordinary results with varied natural gas products showing strong concentrations, giving the project three monetizable products.

Our client has entered into a binding agreement to purchase a plant and equipment package.

The region offers grid power, road access, and a skilled workforce with 150 years of resource extraction history. Drilling is ongoing, further flow testing is planned in 2026. This is a genuine first-of-its-kind operation - you will be building it from the ground up.

Again, our client is hiring its first Plant Manager to lead this newly-acquired plant through commissioning, startup, and initial operations of a small-to-medium scale natural resource processing facility - wellhead gas gathering and compression, gas purification/separation, cryogenic liquefaction, and storage/loading.

This is a greenfield leadership role, not a steady-state assignment. The Plant Manager will be one of the first operations hires, will recruit and build the entire operating crew, stand up the HSE, maintenance, and compliance programs, and work shoulder-to-shoulder with EPC contractors and equipment vendors through performance testing before assuming full operational ownership. Based in Duluth with regular travel to the site, you will be the face of the company as it relates to this important plant, managing regulatory relationships, community stakeholders, and corporate leadership alike.

Project & Commissioning Phase (Year 1-2)

Participate in engineering reviews, HAZOPs, and design-for-operability input during detailed plant design? Support construction completion and lead pre-commissioning, commissioning, and startup of all process units - gas compression, purification/separation, cryogenic liquefaction, storage and offloading? Lead performance testing and acceptance with the plant package vendor and design consultants; manage warranty close-out? Develop the operations organization: recruit, hire, and train operators, technicians, and maintenance staff;

write SOPs and shift schedules? Stand up the HSE program from scratch: process safety management, permit-to-work, emergency response, and safety culture for a first-of-its-kind facility? Develop the maintenance and reliability strategy, CMMS, and critical-spares program

Operations Phase (ongoing)

Own plant P&L: production vs. plan, operating costs, yield/liquefaction efficiency, and continuous improvement? Direct day-to-day operations, maintenance, and reliability of the processing facility to meet production targets? Ensure full compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements - OSHA / process safety, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) permitting, and Minnesota DNR obligations? Manage gas supply interface with the wellfield team? Act as the senior on-the-ground leader: shift coverage, contractor management, vendor relationships, and incident investigation for a 24/7 operation?

Represent the company with regulators, landowners, local government, and the community - a high-visibility first-mover project

Required

7-10+ years leading operations at a small-to-medium scale natural resource processing facility - gas processing, industrial gases, midstream, chemical, cryogenic, or minerals processing (the client's exact words: "Experience running a small to medium scale natural resource processing facility")? Hands-on commissioning/startup experience on a greenfield plant or major expansion - this is essential, not preferred? Track record building and leading crews: hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management?

P&L ownership and budget discipline; ability to run a lean, cost-conscious operation? Strong HSE leadership; experience developing safety and process-safety programs rather than just administering them? Comfort in remote northern-Minnesota winter conditions and a role that splits time between Duluth and a regional site? US work authorization, strongly prefer US Citizen

Preferred

Natural gas, LNG, or industrial gas background? Engineering degree (chemical, mechanical, or related) or equivalent hands-on experience? Exposure to mining-adjacent environments (MSHA awareness) and rural/remote operations? Startup-company temperament: resourceful, hands-on, willing to do the work alongside the crew in year one? Experience with 24/7 continuous process operations and high-pressure gas safety

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary: $160,000-$200,000 per year ballpark, open to discussion and negotiation?…